Taggart, F.


HISTORY OF MACOUPIN COUNTY, ILLINOIS
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS DESCRIPTIVE OF ITS SCENERY,
AND

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF SOME OF ITS PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS.

Published by Brink, McDonough & Co., Philadelphia 1879



Page 95

F. TAGGART was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, April 6, 1812. Samuel Taggart, his father, was a native of County Tyrone, Ireland, as was also his mother. There were six children in the family. His father died in 1824. After the death of his parents, our subject lived with an older brother, with whom he remained until he was eighteen years of age. He received in his youth and boyhood a fair common school education. At the age above spoken he went out into the world to earn his living. In 1830 he came to Greene county, Illinois, where he learned the trade of brick mason and brick making. In 1833 he came to Carlinville; here he followed his trade. He laid the brick upon some of the first houses built in the city, one of which is still standing on the north side of the public square. He was about the first brick manufacturer in the county. He was sub-contractor, and laid the brick of the old court house that stood in the public square. In 1840 he quit his trade and engaged in mercantile pursuits with Walker and Phelps, under the firm name of Walker, Phelps & Co. The firm was afterwards changed to Phelps & Taggart. He continued in the mercantile business until 1865, since which time he has lived a retired life. He married Ann Hesser, a native of Virginia, but who was a resident of Christian county at the time of her marriage. The marriage took place June 19th, 1845. One child, a daughter was born to them; she is now the wife of John W. McNeil, a resident of Carlinville. Ann Taggart died May 11th, 1850. He afterwards married Dorinda Renshaw, who died Oct. 16, 1853. His present wife was Miss T. V. Walker. Her parents were natives of Tennessee, and came to Macoupin county about 1830. Both he and his wife are members of the M. E. Church. He is a Democrat in politics, but he was formerly a Henry Clay Whit. In 1840 he voted for Harrison and Tyler. He continued a member of that political organization up to the abandonment of the party, when he became a Democrat, and has ever since voted that ticket. He is not in any sense a politician, nor takes part in politics except to vote his sentiments. Mr. Taggart is an old citizen of Macoupin county and Carlinville; nearly half a century has passed since he came to the town, and in all these years he has stood high in the opinion of his fellow citizens and neighbors, as an honest and conscientious man.




Index to Biographies

All material contained on these pages are furnished for the free use of those engaged researching their family origins. Any commercial use, without the consent of the host/author of these pages is prohibited. .