James Taggart

As printed in 1910

JAMES TAGGART.

From the early pioneer epoch the life of the honored subject of this review has been identified with the agricultural and commercial activities of Wayne county, of which he is a native son and in which he has maintained a consecutive residence. He has now passed the psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten, and this fact is significant, since it indicates the early date at which his parents must have cast in their lot with the pioneers of this now prosperous and opulent section of the old Buckeye state. His father exercised a potent influence in the development and advancement of the county in the early days, and this is also true of the son, who has here lived and labored to goodly ends., so ordering his life as to command the unreserved confidence and regard of all who know him. To a review of his earnest and honorable life the writer turns with a feeling of respect and satisfaction, since the same offers both lesson and incentive.

James Taggart, of Wooster township, was born in the city of Wooster, Ohio, on March 20, 1836, and is a son of William and Lydia A. (Reiter) Taggart. William Taggart was born in Belmont county, Ohio, March 5, 1811, and was a son of James Taggart, who came to the United States from county Cork, Ireland. That was prior to the war of the Revolution and he was then but three years old, having been brought to this country by his parents. The family came at once to Belmont county, Ohio, and there James Taggart spent the remaining years of his life. William Taggart came from Belmont county to Wooster in 1833. He was a saddler by trade and was employed at this work at "foster until 1846, when he removed to a farm in Wayne township, where he lived during the remainder of his life. He and his wife are now buried in the Wooster cemetery. Religiously he was a member of the Baptist church, of which he was a trustee, and he and his wife both took a deep interest in the various activities of the society. His political affiliation was with the Republican party. To him and his wife were born the following children: James, the immediate subject of this sketch: William, who now lives in Kansas, was a member of Company A, One Hundred and Twentieth Regiment Ohio volunteer Infantry, during the Civil war, was captured during the Red River campaign, and was confined in rebel prisons at Tyler, Texas, thirteen months and seven days; Samuel died April 26, 1863, at the age of twenty-three years; Joseph is deceased: Emmett F., who now lives at Akron, Ohio, was a private in the One Hundred and Second Ohio Regiment during the Civil war and has since held the rank of major in the National Guards; Isaac is assistant cashier of the Merchants National Bank at Massillon, Ohio: John lives at Columbus; Mary Catherine is the wife of A\hlliam Hatfield, a furniture dealer at Chicago. William Taggart died October 31, 1862. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Lydia A. Reiter, was born in Berks county. Pennsylvania, November ii, 1814, and died May 31, 1882. She was a daughter of William Reiter, who came to Wooster township. Wayne county, Ohio, in the early twenties. He here followed the occupation of a farmer, in which he was fairly successful, and became a well-known and influential man in Wayne county. He was widely known as Squire Reiter, having served for many years as a justice of the peace. Part of the farm which he owned is now included in the farm owned by the subject of this sketch. W'william Taggart was possessed of strong qualities of mind, being a man of marked intelligence and sound judgment. He was energetic and progressive in his methods, and during his active years was identified with practically every local movement looking to the betterment of the community, especially along educational lines. He seized efficient as ])resident of the Wayne County Agricultural Society for a number of years and was a number of times a delegate to the State.Agricultural Societv meetings. He was a well informed man on the general to])ics of the dav, ami during the Civil war he was an ardent supporter of the war measures of the government. He was a faithful supporter of all moral efforts and his influence was ever found on the side of good and against evil.

James Taggart was reared by his parents and received a district school education. He remained at home with his parents until he was twenty years of age, when he went to work for the Pennsylvania railroad. Two years later, however, he returned to farming, in which he has since been continuously engaged, with noteworthy success. He is wide awake and progressive in his ideas and gives his personal attention to everything he undertakes, so that all his undertakings have been rewarded with a gratifying result. His fine country home in Wooster township presents an attractive appearance, its general aspect indicating the owner to be a man of good taste and excellent judgment. Aside from his agricultural operations, Mr. Taggart is also identified with a number of other enterprises, in all of which he takes a leading part. He is a stockholder in and chairman of the board of directors of the Coach Pad Comi)any, Wooster, one of the successful enterprises of that city, and is also a stockholder in the Wayne County National Bank.

In politics Mr. Taggart is a stanch Republican and has taken a very active part in the local affairs of his party. He has been honored several times by election to public office, having served as assessor and for three years as a member of the county infirmary board. In 1907 he was elected a trustee of the township, and is now serving as such with marked credit to himself and the Irenefit of the township. He has several times served as a delegate to the state conventions of his party. For twenty-seven years he has been a member of the school board and for a number of years has been ])resident of that body. His religious faith is that of the Baptist church and he is now a member of the church of that denomination at Wooster, of which he is an earnest and liberal supporter. Mr. Taggart has taken a deep interest in military affairs and for fifteen years he was a member of the Ohio National Guard, belonging to the Eighth Regiment, and during the greater part of this time was a sergeant, being regimental quartermaster for six years.

Mr. Taggart was united in marriage to Catherine Scentman, a native of Pennsylvania, and to them were born the following children: William S., who lives at Wooster, married Bell Tettars, and they have one child, Flossie; John H., of Columbus, married Viola Tettars, and they have one child, Howard; Anna lives at Dayton, Ohio; Sarah Jane, now deceased, was the wife of a Mr. Etter, and they had three children. Grant, James and Chloe, who married Addie Weaver, of Congress township, this county, this union resulting in three children; James Lincoln, of Akron, Ohio, married Mary Eckart, who died, lear-ing two children, namely: Alvirda, the wife of

Charles Brubaker, of Rittman, this county, and they have two children, Mildred Pauline and James Clifford; Florence, who has made her home with her grandfather, is now the wife of Lee Drabenstock and her mother of one child, Arline; Ulysses Grant, of Wooster, married Margaret Taylor and they have one child, Mary; Miley Bell is the wife of J. D. McKee, of Chicago, Blinois, and they have one child, Robert. Mrs. Taggart died on the 22d of April, 1904. She was a faithful member of the Baptist church at Wooster and was possessed of many fine womanly qualities of character which commended her to the love and good feeling of all who knew her.

During a residence of many years in this community, Mr. Taggart has lived a life that has given him a high standing in the opinion of those who know him best. A man of progressive spirit and marked enterprise, he has always been foremost in all movements for the general good and his influence has ever been a potential factor for the best things in the life of his fellow men.

As printed in History of Wayne County, Ohio (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.