E. m. Taylor

TAYLOR, HURLBURT, FENTON

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 3/6/2007 at 11:52:37

Biographies from the 1914 "Past and Present of O'Brien and Osceola Counties of Iowa"

E. M. TAYLOR.

A man who boldly faces the responsibilities of life and by untiring energy wins for himself an honorable success, exerts a powerful influence upon the lives of those who follow him. To such men life is so real that they find no time to do other than follow the best guide in their career. Their lives are bound up in their every-day duties and their desire to appear well among their fellow citizens gives them that standing which distinguishes the good American citizen. The career of E. M. Taylor, whose life history is here presented, illustrates what can be accomplished by the man who adheres strictly to the line of duty which he marks out for himself.

E. M. Taylor, the son of Melvin B. and Emily A. (Hurlburt) Taylor, was born in November, 1865, in Hubbleton, Wisconsin. His parents were natives of Maine and Fort Jackson, New York, respectively. The Taylors are a family of colonial descent. Isaac P. Taylor, the great-grandfather of E. M. Taylor, was a maker of silk hats in England, while other ancestors of the family fought in the Revolutionary War. Melvin B. Taylor was a merchant and postmaster at Hubbleton at the time of his death in 1874. His widow came to Emmetsbung, Iowa, about 1880 with her sons, having previously lived at Winneconne and Oshkosh, Wisconsin. After her husband's death she operated a store and post office at Hubbleton for a short time and was engaged in the millinery business in Winneconne and Oshkosh. Upon coming to Emmetsburg, Iowa, her son, E. M., became an employee in one of the stores in that city.

E. M. Taylor was educated in the schools of Hubbleton, Winneconne and Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and when his mother came to Emmetsburg, in this state, he was fifteen years of age. He worked in a store here for about one year and then farmed a year upon a farm in Lyon County. He also attended school for a time in Sibley, in Osceola County. In 1884 he became assistant postmaster at Sibley and served in that capacity for a year and a half, after which he went to Emmetsburg and clerked in a store until 1888 when he became a partner in the store. In 1889 he started a branch store under the name of Schlegel, Taylor & Company at Sibley. In 1892 he and Mr. Hinkley purchased Mr. Schlegel's interest and conducted the business under the name of Hinkley & Taylor. On January 1, 1903, Mr. Taylor purchased Mr. Hinkley's interest and since that time has been the sole proprietor of the store. He carries an extensive line of clothing, shoes and men's outfitting at the present time. Previous to January, 1908, the store was a general department store, but at that time he sold the dry goods department. He and Mr. Hinkley established the first department store in Sibley. The store has modern fixtures and at the present time carries a stock averaging twenty-two thousand dollars. His business is now housed in a handsome brick building on Main street and Mr. Taylor has a full share of the patronage of Sibley and the surrounding community.

Mr. Taylor was married in 1890 to Emma E. Fenton, of Sibley, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Fenton. Mr. Fenton was one of the earliest pioneers of the county, having brought his family from eastern Iowa to Osceola County in a covered wagon in 1873. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are the parents of three children: Bernadena, a graduate from Grinnell College in June, 1914; Melvin Fenton, the assistant postmaster at Sibley, and Raymond, who is still in school. Mrs. Taylor is a woman of culture and refinement and takes a prominent part in the club life of her city. She is a member of the Eastern Star and was worthy matron of the Sibley Chapter in 1912. She and her husband have a fine modern home with all of the latest conveniences. It was one of the first modern homes to be erected in the city.

Politically, Mr. Taylor is a member of the Republican party and has always been actively interested in the civic affairs of his city. For six years he was a member of the school board and for sixteen years a member of the city council. He and his family are loyal members of the Congregational Church and contribute liberally of their means to its support. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and has attained to the degree of the Royal Arch and is also a member of the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have a wide acquaintance in the city and surrounding community and their many friends admire them for their good qualities of mind and heart. They have reared their children to lives of usefulness and honor and are now seeing them take their places in society in a way which will do them credit and reflect honor upon their parents.

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