Edward Taylor

Biographical and Genealogical History of Morris County New Jersey. Illustrated. Vol. II., Lewis Publishing Company, New York and Chicago, 1899.

For twenty-eight years Mr. TAYLOR has held the responsible post of engineer on a line of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, running between Chatham and New York city, and he is a native of Warren county, New Jersey, where he was born February 9, 1847, a son of James and Martha (PITTENGER) TAYLOR, the former of whom was born in England, the latter in Pennsylvania. James TAYLOR emigrated from Great Britain about the year 1840, came to New Jersey and located at Oxford, Warren county, where he followed the blacksmith trade during his active lifetime. To him and his wife were born:

John,
David, who was killed while bravely fighting for his country in the Civil war;
Edward;
Anna, who married Philip VASSLER, and now lives in New York;
Casper; and
Mary, who became the wife of George LANNING.

Mr. TAYLOR died in 1856, his wife surviving him two years.

Edward TAYLOR passed his boyhood at home and attended school until eleven years old, at which early age he began to earn his own living, and four years later he moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1863-4, during the most exciting periods of the Civil war, he was engaged in the railroad business in Tennessee, and in 1865 he returned to Scranton, where he was employed in a rolling-mill as a stationary engineer. In 1867 he came to Chatham and, having acquiring valuable experience in the running of engines, he was engaged as fireman on a locomotive engine on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, a position he retained for two years, when, such was his fidelity and ability that he was promoted, in 1869, to the responsible place on the right of the cab, and has continued as engineer on the line running between Chatham and New York. In this capacity the dominating characteristics of Mr. TAYLOR—faithfulness, caution and the guarding of his employers' interests—have insured the highest order of intelligent service and as a logical result but few accidents have occurred while he was at the throttle, and he has had the honor of being among the small number of engineers who have held an engine so long a time.

Socially considered Mr. TAYLOR is a popular member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, having been affiliated with the same since 1870, of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and of the Junior Order of American Mechanics. In his political faith he is an ardent supporter of the Republican party and in March, 1897, he was made a member of the first common council of Chatham.

In 1869 Mr. TAYLOR was united in marriage to Miss Helen E. POLLARD, a native of Chatham and a daughter of John and Elizabeth (SMITH) Pollard, of this union three children have been born, namely:

Annabel, deceased;
May and
Florence.

Mr. TAYLOR is an affectionate father and husband and given his children an excellent literary education and has developed their oral talent for music, both of the young ladies being highly accomplished that line of art. Our subject has a substantial, comfortable home, furnished with all modern improvements, and there he and his family extend a cordial hospitality to their many friends.

This biography was scanned and contributed by Catherine Smith DeMayo.

This page was last modified on: 01 January, 2014