Thornton J. Taylor, a member of the bar of the Jay
Circuit Court and one of the organizers and a member of the board of
directors of the Home Finance Corporation, of Indianapolis, local salesman
for that concern in Portland, is a native son of Jay county and has lived
here practically all his life. Mr. Taylor was born on a farm in Wayne
township on January 21, 1870, and is a son of David T. and Eliza B.
(Hawkins) Taylor, the latter of whom also was born in this county, a member
of the well-known pioneer Hawkins family which has been so prominently
identified with the affairs of Jay county since the very beginning of
settlement here. David T. Taylor was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, and
was but an infant when his parents moved from that county to Darke county,
same state, where he grew to manhood. He was left an orphan when about ten
years of age and he thus was deprived of some of the comforts that
ordinarily come into the life of a boy, but his schooling was not neglected
and after he had attained his majority he came over into Indiana and beg-an
teaching school in Jay county. The Civil war then broke out and he enlisted
his services in behalf of the Union cause and went to the front as a member
of the 39th Indiana Volunteer Infantry regiment, later becoming attached to
the 8th Veteran Cavalry, and saw considerable active service, the battle of
Shiloh being his first engagement. Upon the completion of his military
service Mr. Taylor returned to Jay county and here became engaged in the
manufacture of brick and it was he who molded the brick that entered into
the construction of the Jay county court house erected in 1868, as is set
out elsewhere in this work. In 1867 he married Eliza B. Hawkins, a daughter
of Joseph C. and Sarah (Bosworth) Hawkins, both members of pioneer families
here, the latter a daughter of Dr. Jacob Bosworth, and until the death of
his wife in January, 1872, made his home on the Joseph Hawkins farm. In the
meantime he had been continuing his studies in law and in 1873 was admitted
to the bar. He opened an office for the practice of his profession at
Pennville, but in 1880 moved from there to Portland and in the latter city
was engaged in practice the rest of his life, his death occurring there on
November 20, 1912. Of him it has been written that he "was easily one of the
ablest and most successful members of this bar" and also that he "was one of
the most thoroughly equipped men in the practice of any of his associates at
the bar and never went into a trial without a brief of every question that
he thought would likely arise." David T. Taylor was twice married and by his
first wife, Eliza B. Hawkins, had three children. Claudia M., Thornton J.
and one who died in infancy. Following the death of the mother of these
children Mr. Taylor married Mrs. Jane A. (Howard) Hiatt, of Pennville, and
to that union one child was horn, a son, Eugene B. Taylor, now a resident of
Greencastle, Ind. [Putnam Co.]
Thornton J. Taylor was about ten years
of age when his father moved from Pennville to Portland and in the latter
city he completed his schooling, finishing with a course in the old Eastern
Indiana Normal School at Portland. From boyhood he had been devoted to music
and as a young man joined a circus band and for three years after leaving
the normal school followed the circus, returning home then and entering the
law office of his father to take up the study of law, and in 1896 was
admitted to the bar of the Jay Circuit Court. Until 1904 Mr. Taylor remained
in practice at Portland and then became engaged in mercantile business
there, continuing thus engaged for three or four years, at the end of which
time he went to Greencastle and became engaged with his brother in the
operation of a stone quarry, but after eight months of that form of
employment returned to Portland and resumed the practice of law, in
association with his father. A year later he gave up practice definitely and
became engaged in the confectionery business at Portland, an enterprise
which he maintained for about five years, at the end of which time he became
connected with the office of the Hawking Mortgage Company at Portland,
entering the office as a bookkeeper. He remained with this concern for three
or four years and was advanced in the business until he became treasurer of
the company and a member of the board of directors, acquiring a degree of
experience in this line that gave a particular value to his services when he
was asked to lend his technical assistance in the organization of the Home
Finance Corporation, the concern with which he is now associated and of
which he is a director. The Home Finance Corporation is a concern with state
wide connections and is incorporated for $1,000,000, with the home office at
Indianapolis and the following officers: President, O. E. Pierce, of
Portland; vice-president, Charles L. Watson, of Indianapolis: secretary and
treasurer, Frank L. Braden, of Indianapolis, the board of directors, besides
these officers, being Mr. Taylor, Fred E. Meeker and David Abramson, of
Portland, and Bert Thurman, of New Albany, Ind.
On November 28,
1894, Thornton J. Taylor was united in marriage to Lillie E. Smith, who was
born in Portland, daughter of Frank and Sarah (Cain) Smith, the former a
native of Highland county, Ohio, and the latter of Randolph county, Indiana.
Frank Smith, who formerly and for years was engaged in the restaurant
business at Portland, served as treasurer of the city of Portland for three
terms. He and his wife were the parents of three children, two of whom are
living, Mrs. Taylor having a sister, Ollie. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are members
of the Presbyterian church and are Republicans. Mr. Taylor is a member of
the local lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks at Portland
and is also affiliated with the local aerie of the Fraternal Order of Eagles
and with the Portland Chamber of Commerce.
SOURCE:
Milton T. Jay, M.D., History of Jay County Indiana, Historical Publishing
Co., Indpls. 1922, Vol. II, pp.392-393. Transcribed by Eloine Chesnut