My Genealogy Hound

ERASTUS H. TAYLOR, an enterprising farmer of Scotch descent, was born in Portland town, Chautauqua county, New York, February 1, 1850, and is a son of Gurdon and Catherine (Masher) Taylor. His paternal grandfather, Erastus Taylor, was a native of Connecticut and after serving in the American army through the second war with England, he came to this county and settled in Portland in 1816, where he followed farming until he died. Gurdon Taylor was born in Portland town in 1821 and died March 4, 1863, aged forty-two years. He was a pushing, industrious man with a disposition that made many friends and no enemies. His labor was rewarded with prosperity and when he died his family was in comfortable circumstances. He married Catherine Masher. Mr. Taylor was a member of the Congregational church and the Masonic fraternity. In politics he voted with the democrats and served one term as supervisor of the town. She was born in 1828 and is still living, aged sixty-three years.

Erastus H. Taylor was reared on his father’s farm in Portland town. He got his education at the Dunkirk schools and when arrived at man’s estate began farming on his own account which he has ever since followed. A fine tract of seventy-six acres of land, lying on the main road, four miles east of Westfield, is his property and upon it are forty acres of well kept vineyard and a young orchard of great promise containing one-tenth that area.

In 1875 Mr. Taylor married Ada Munson, a daughter of Milton J. Munson, a sterling farmer living near by, and by her has had one child, Lottie M.

E.H.Taylor is a democrat, an enterprising farmer and a courteous gentleman.