My Genealogy Hound

Joseph Taylor is one of the oldest settlers in Cross County, and was born in Kentucky in January, 1809, being the son of Peter and Elizabeth (Dawson) Taylor, natives of Kentucky and Georgia, respectively. Peter Taylor, whose parents were Chapman Taylor and Rachel Taylor, was married in 1806, and became the father of twelve children, five still living: Joseph (the second one of the family), Daniel (in Colorado), Peter (in Texas) Elizabeth (now Mrs. Hodges, of Illinois), and Rachel (now Mrs. Williams, of Texas). Mr. Taylor died in 1825. Joseph Taylor has been twice married: first, to Susan Levesque, in 1830, who died in 1866, leaving seven children, five of whom survive: William, James (who resides in Augusta, Ark.), Ellen (the widow of J. J. Fields, an old settler of this county), Elizabeth (now Mrs. McKey, of Texas) and Mary. Mr. Taylor was married to his second wife in February, 1872, she being Miss Louisa Stafford. They are the parents of one child, now deceased. Joseph Taylor came to what was then a part of Poinsett (now Cross) County, in 1857, where he purchased 200 acres of land, with about sixty acres under cultivation, to this he has since added some forty acres; in 1886 moved to Cherry Valley, where he bought a house and lot, and now has one of the finest homes in the village. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as was also his first wife. He belongs to the A. F. & A. M. Mr. Taylor is a Democrat, politically, but never took an active part in politics, and never favored slavery.