Charles A. Taylor
 

The farmer is so accustomed to having advice handed him on a silver platter that to presume to speak in his own behalf does violence to custom and perhaps borders on impudence hardly tolerated in the society of industry, but he is nevertheless a potent factor in agriculture, and his viewpoint, right or wrong, must be reckoned with by those who deal with the subject. Dame Nature is a fickle goddess, and men sometimes play false and lose with her, but the farmer knows that prosperity will never sit idly beside him. It will come only as a result of intelligent toil and the application of sound business methods. The city man, as a rule, does not understand the farmer, and neither does he fully comprehend his problems. This is often true of state and national law makers as well. It is quite a luxury to think that one is right and very human, but error is always expensive to those who bear the burden, and in this case it is the farmer -- for those who scheme seldom plow.

One of the intelligent and successful farmers of Boone county is Charles A. Taylor, who owns a good farm in Center township. He was born October 30, 1853, in Sugar Creek township, Boone county. He is a son of Oliver and Malinda (Utter) Taylor. The father was born in Union county, Indiana, and he devoted his life to farming, dying in time of the Civil war. The mother of our subject was born in Tennessee, from which state she came to Indiana when a girl, and she has now been deceased many years.

Eight children were born to Oliver Taylor and wife, four of whom are deceased. Those living are Charles A., of this sketch; Warner, Henry and Ammesy.

Charles A. Taylor grew to manhood on the farm and he received a common school education in Sugar Creek township, later attending the Thorntown Academy. Early in his youth he took up farming for a life work and has followed the same to the present time. He has made his home in Center township for about thirty-two years and is well known here. He owns one hundred acres of productive and well-improved land on which stand good outbuildings and a comfortable home which he built himself. He keeps a good grade of live stock and is very well situated in every respect. Politically, he is a Democrat but has never been active in public affairs.

Mr. Taylor was married April 17,1878, to Maggie Kern, who was born in Boone county in 1858, and here she grew to womanhood and was educated in the common schools. She is a daughter of Arthur and Amanda (Beck) Kern. The father was born in Kentucky and he came to Indiana when a young man and devoted his life to farming. The mother of Mrs. Taylor was born in Union county, this state. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kern, namely: Oscar, James, Emanuel, William and Maggie, wife of our subject.

To Mr. and Mrs. Taylor seven children were born, all still living, namely: Lee lives in Lebanon; Mabel married a Mr. Beck and they live on a farm; Guy, a civil engineer, is in the employ of the United States government, lives in California; Oland is farming near Phoenix, Arizona; Orville is at home; Helen is attending high school; and Lawrence is also a high school pupil.

Submitted by: Amy K. Davis
Source: "History of Boone County, Indiana," by Hon. L. M. Crist, 1914