HENRY TAYLOR. - Henry Taylor dates his residence in Sangamon county from 1854 and has therefore witnessed the wonderful development of this locality in the last half century. He has seen its wild lands transformed into fine farms and villages grow into flourishing cities. As an agriculturist he aided in the development of the county in early life, but is now living retired in Chatham, enjoying a well earned rest.

A native of Kentucky, Mr. Taylor was born in Garrett county, May 19, 1833, and is a grandson of James Taylor, who removed to that state from West Virginia and became one of the early settlers of Garrett county, which was also the birthplace of his son, Winstead Taylor. On reaching manhood the latter married Nancy Collyer, also a native of Kentucky, her father, Moses Collyer, being a pioneer of the Blue Grass state. For many years Winstead Taylor was there engaged in farming, but subsequently joined his son Henry in Sangamon county, Illinois, where he died in 1880. His wife had died in Kentucky about 1857. They had two sons, but Valentine is now deceased. He was a resident of Nebraska at the time of his death.

In the county of his nativity Henry Taylor passed the days of his boyhood and youth upon a farm, his educational advantages being quite limited. Coming to Illinois in 1854, he bought a tract of eighty acres in Chatham township, Sangamon county, and to the improvement and cultivation of that place he devoted his energies for some years. In the fall of 1856, he was married in this county to Miss Mary Ann Hatton, also a native of Garrett county, Kentucky, and a daughter of Richard Hatton, who was originally from Virginia and died in Kentucky. Mrs. Taylor died at Chatham in 1891 and returning to his native county Mr. Taylor was again married in 1894, his second union being with Mrs. Mary Jane (Montgomery) Tracy, who was also born in Kentucky and was the widow of Robert Tracy. By her former marriage she had two daughters: Sally, who is now keeping house for Mr. Taylor, and Lizzie, wife of Warren Preston, of Garrett county, Kentucky. Mr. Taylor has been called upon to mourn the loss of his second wife, who passed away in 1900.

Politically he is a stanch Republican, casting his first vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and for every presidential candidate of the party since that time, but he has never cared for office, though he served as a member of the village board for a few years. Since 1870 he has made his home in Chatham, where he bought residence property, and is now practically living retired.