Ohio History Journal

THE TAYLOR-LIVINGSTON CENTENARY IN FRANK-

LIN COUNTY.

On the 9th day of June, 1904, a reception was given by Mr.

and Mrs. Henry C. Taylor, at their country place, Westcrest,

situated on the National Road, west bank of Big Walnut creek

in Truro township, to commemorate the one hundredth anni-

versary of the family history in Franklin County. The invitation

issued to the guests on this occasion was in the following form:

1804                TAYLOR-LIVINGSTON              1904

MR. AND MRS. HENRY C. TAYLOR,

REQUEST THE HONOR OF YOUR PRESENCE

AT WESTCREST

THURSDAY, JUNE THE NINTH

AT TWO O'CLOCK

TO COMMEMORATE THE ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY

OF THE FAMILY SETTLEMENT

IN FRANKLIN COUNTY.

The number present in response to these invitations was

between seven and eight hundred.

The hostesses and assistant hostesses were:

Hostesses.

MISS MARGARET L. TAYLOR,                                MRS. SAMUEL LEE,

MRS. THOMAS HIBBEN,                                                   MRS. JOHN M. TAYLOR,

MRS. THEODORE HUNTINGTON, MRS. EDWARD L. TAYLOR, JR.,

MRS. HENRY N. TAYLOR,                                          MISS KATHARINE M. TAYLOR,

MRS. JOHN H. J. UPHAM,                                    MISS MARGARET T. SHARP,

MRS. CHAPIN C. FOSTER.

(486)

The Taylor-Livingston Centenary, Etc.      487

Assistant Hostesses.

MRS. ANDREW D. RODGERS,                                  MRS. WILLIAM HOPKINS,

MRS. ROBERT S. SMITH,                  MRS. WILLIAM K. ROGERS,

MRS. JOHN JOYCE,                                                        MRS. FRANCIS COLLINS,

MRS. JOSEPH H. POTTER,                                          MRS. ALFRED KELLEY,

MRS. JAMES KILBOURNE,                                        MRS. ROBERT S. NEIL,

MRS. ALLEN W. THURMAN,                                    MRS. WILLIAM J. McCOMB,

MRS. RUTHERFORD H. PLATT,      MRS. RANDOLPH S. WARNER,

MRS. CHARLES F. CLARK,                                       MRS. WALTER W. BROWN,

MRS. WILLIAM BLACK,                                             MRS. EDWARD DENMEAD,

MISS SULLIVANT,                                                         MISS JANE SULLIVANT,

MISS REBEKAH SULLIVANT,                                  MRS. RICHARD T. CLARKE,

MRS. WILLIAM BURT.

The hostesses consisted of members of the family; the

assistant hostesses were representative of the families that came

to Franklinton and Columbus at a very early period, some of

them in the closing decade of the 18th century.

It was unique in being the first entertainment of this kind

ever given in Franklin County, and this fact alone was sufficient

to make the day memorable. An interesting feature was the

large attendance of those who were advanced in years. It was

the purpose of Mr. Taylor, who conceived the idea of having a

celebration of this character, to bring together as many as pos-

sible of the pioneers and their descendants, and in this respect

he was eminently successful. There were present three persons

over ninety years of age, and perhaps fifteen or more ranging

from seventy-five to ninety. In this list were a twin brother

and sister in their eightieth year. The one having the longest

span of life was Mrs. William Sprague, who was born on the

3rd day of September, 1808, and was consequently almost ninety-

six years of age. The next in order was Mr. Elam Drake,

in his ninety-second year, his birthday being November 16, 1812;

and the third was Mrs. James Staley, whose ninety-second birth-

day will occur-a kind Providence permitting-on the 22nd

day of December, 1904. It was a noteworthy fact that Mr.

Drake was one of the persons employed in the building of

the house at Westcrest in 1843, a period of sixty-one years

488       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

having elapsed since he performed this labor. He is quite well,

is possessed with a cheerful disposition and has fair promise of

living out a century. Mrs. Sprague was in excellent health and

strength, took part in the exercises of the afternoon, reciting a

poem of her own composition on the appropriate subject of

"Growing Old." The recitation was given with full strong

voice and good emphasis. On account of her great age, it will

doubtless be interesting to many persons to read the verses

recited by Mrs. Sprague, and a copy is here given.

I'm growing old, that's what they say;

I know my hair has turned to gray,

And step is not as brisk and fine

As when I was just twenty-nine.

The wrinkles on my face show clear

They've been there now for many a year;

Without a doubt they've come to stay,

For man was made of dust, they say.

I'm growing old. I know it's so -

This is the way we all do go.

I will move out this house of dust

To mansions that's prepared for us.

No earthy goods I'll take with me,

I will not need them there, you see.

The city that is paved with gold,

Hath glories that cannot be told.

Our great High Priest, He will be there-

He, when on earth, our pains did share.

And glorious anthems we will sing,

For there will be our heavenly King.

In addition to the social meetings and greetings of the

great number of guests present, which continued for several

hours upon the large and beautiful lawn at Westcrest, there were

formal exercises, presided over by Mr. Rutherford Hayes Platt.

They consisted of prayer by the venerable Rev. Edward D. Mor-

ris, D.D., the oldest Presbyterian minister in Columbus; an ad-

dress of welcome by Mr. Henry C. Taylor; introductory address

by Mr. Rutherford H. Platt; the reading by Edward L. Taylor,

The Taylor-Livingston Centenary, Etc.      491

and privations in what was to them at that time a far-off coun-

try. They were a race of men and women whom any nation

would be happy to have as citizens.

The Puritan of New England, the Cavalier of the south,

the Dutch, the English, the Irish, the Scotch, never to be sur-

passed by any of the races of the children of men. History is

more and more abundantly honoring their noble qualities and

great deeds. They triumphed in the east, in securing our in-

dependence; they won the west; they traversed the continent,

and saved it all for the nation founded by Washington and his

compatriots. We shall never weary in recounting their great

virtues, their heroic qualities, their lives of noble endeavor and

of sacrifice. They were firm in their conviction, self-reliant in

their character, and possessed of a fine dignity in their lives.

The Bible and the Declaration of Independence were their

religious and civil guides.  The church and the schoolhouse

were the two institutions first provided for and most highly

prized. These nurseries of piety and learning were remote and

of difficult access, as must necessarily be the case, in a sparse

and widely scattered population. We can now scarcely conceive

the difficulties encountered by the men and women who came

here with the first wave of emigration. They labored and we

enjoy the fruits of their labor. We reap the benefit of their

toil and self-denial. To-day the sunshine and shadow may come

and go upon the ground where we are assembled. Three gen-

erations ago, it was covered with such heavy forest, that the

sun could rarely kiss the earth.

To clear away the trees and make room for a home in the

virgin forest was indeed a labor. There are those living to-

day, who can remember the dark border of forest trees that lined

the narrow strip of road leading from their homes to the then

small city of Columbus. And in later years upon their return

home in the evening, the way may have been lighted up by

the burning logs in the clearings. The heavy fringe of great

trees has long since disappeared under the heavy blows of the

woodman's ax, the clearing fires have gone out, and the logs

were many years ago covered with their ashes.

492       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

From the ruins of this first estate, we have the smiling land-

scape, the green grass, the fertile fields of waving grain. We

have the advantages, ease, comfort, conveniences, luxuries of

modern civilization. For the generation that first came to this

goodly land, and rough-hewed the way there is lasting remem-

brance and perpetual honor. In their lives there was a serious-

ness of purpose that is not characteristic of the later generation.

In the midst of difficulties and dangers there was exhibited to

an unusual degree the qualities of fortitude and endurance.

The Indian trails and wilderness roads have disappeared.

The horseback riders from New York, Pennsylvania, Connecti-

cut no longer pass along the old highway bordering these

grounds. The stage coach, the wonder and admiration of seventy

years ago, has ceased to pitch and creak and roll its heavy way

eastward and westward. The moving wagons, that so frequently

lined this road when Ohio was a new state and Indiana and

Illinois almost unknown territory, have passed into a faint tra-

dition. To-day the merchants in Franklinton do not ship their

goods over the Alleghany Mountains in a Conestoga wagon.

There are those here to-day in the fifth generation from

the first settler. They can daily witness many marvelous things

unknown to their forefathers in this country, and beyond the

realm of their conception or dreams.

There has been material progress and a marked change

in social life. We do not look back with regret to the good

old times, rather we rejoice in the good new times, and look

forward to an ever changing, and ever better condition of

human existence. But when we come to estimate the sterling

qualities that make a man or woman, we shall probably never

find them in a finer combination, or a higher degree of develop-

ment, than in the pioneers who located a century ago in Franklin

County.

ADDRESS BY EDWARD L. TAYLOR, SR.

[Edward Livingston Taylor, Sr., was not able to be present on

account of illness. The address was read by his son Edward Livingston

Taylor, Jr., Prosecuting Attorney for Franklin County.]

The Livingston and Taylor families represented here to-day both

had their origin in Scotland. Their ancestors had lived there for many

494        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

was compelled to take refuge in Holland, where he spent the last nine

years of his life.

The Rev. John Livingston had two sons, Robert and William.

They were born in Scotland but went with their father to Holland

where they received much of their education, a part of which was the

learning of the Dutch language which had an important influence upon

their after life.

Robert was born in 1654 and soon after arriving at lawful age came

to America and settled at Albany, N. Y., where there was a colony

or settlement of Hollanders. His acquaintance with the Dutch language

and his preference for the Hollanders determined in no small degree his

location at that place.

In 1683 he was intermarried at Albany, N. Y., with Alida, widow

of Rev. Nicholas Van Rennselaer, whose maiden name was Schuyler,

and through this marriage Robert became the first founder of the Liv-

ingston family in America.

In 1696 he re-visited Scotland and on his return brought with him

a nephew, Robert, Jr., a son of his brother William. He too settled

at Albany, and the uncle and nephew were thereafter known and desig-

nated as Robert, Sr., and Robert, Jr. In 1697 Robert, Jr., was inter-

married at Albany with Margaretta Schuyler, who was a niece of the

wife of Robert, Sr.; so that they were respectively nephew and niece

of Robert, Sr., and his wife, Alida.  From  this marriage sprang the

branch of the Livingston family represented here to-day. Of this mar-

riage there was born in 1709, a son, John Livingston, who, on Septem-

ber 6th, 1739, was married to Catryna Ten Broeck. Of that marriage

there was born three sons, James, Richard and Abraham, all of whom

located in Montreal, Canada, before the breaking out of the Revolu-

tionary War. They were all active and determined sympathizers with

the cause of the colonies and so incurred the displeasure of all sympa-

thizers with and adherents of the cause of Great Britain.

Col. James Livingston, the oldest of these three brothers and from

whom the Livingstons represented here to-day are directly descended,

was born March 27th, 1747, and died November 29th, 1832.

In 1772, at Montreal, Canada, where he was then practicing his

profession as a lawyer, he was married to Elizabeth Simpson, who had

been born at Cork, Ireland, October, 1750, and who died June 20th,

1799. Several children were born of this marriage, but we are to-day

only concerned with Edward Chinn Livingston, who was the third son

and fifth child of that marriage, born in the State of New York, May 23d,

1782. and removed to Franklin County, Ohio, in 1804.

In the year 1775, the public mind throughout the American colonies

and the British provinces had become greatly disturbed and agitated

on account of the bitter controversies between a majority of the people

of the colonies and Great Britain.   A  large majority of those then

The Taylor-Livingston Centenary, Etc.             495

living in what is now the British Provinces of Canada and Nova Scotia

were strong adherents of the cause of Great Britain. They called them-

selves "Loyalists," but were generally known and designated at "Tories."

There was also in Canada a minority who were strongly in favor of

the cause of the colonies as against the cause of the king. The result

was that many Tories fled from the colonies to Canada and induced

the Mohawk Indians and many of the Indians belonging to other tribes of

the Iroquois then living in the state of New York, to join them in

hostilities against the patriots or colonists. These refugees to Canada

and their Indian allies remained in active hostilities to the people of

the colonies throughout the war of the Revolution, during which time

they caused great devastation and destruction of life and property in

almost every part of the State of New York, but particularly through-

out the Mohawk Valley. The operations of these refugees to Canada

and their Indian allies, constitutes the most dreadful chapter in the

history of that war.

On the other hand, those who lived in Canada and sympathized with

the cause of the colonies fled from that country and actively and de-

terminedly espoused the cause of the colnoies against the mother coun-

try. Those who fled from Canada were called "Refugees from Canada;"

and those who fled from the colonies to Canada were called "Refugees

to Canada." Of the refugees from Canada, the three Livingston brothers,

before mentioned, were among the most conspicuous and active in their

efforts in favor of the colonies. They got together in Canada about

three hundred sympathizers and succeeded in the face of great diffi-

culties and dangers in bringing them safely over the border into the

State of New York, where they were merged into a New York regi-

ment, of which James Livingston became the colonel, Richard the lieu-

tenant colonel, and Abraham a captain. This regiment was immedi-

ately assigned to the command then organizing under General Schuyler

and General Richard Montgomery for the invasion of Canada, with the

view of wresting that country from British dominion. General Schuy-

ler's health failing, the command of the expedition devolved upon Gen-

eral Richard Montgomery, whose wife was a near relative of the three

Livingston brothers before mentioned, he having married into the Liv-

ingston family.

General Montgomery very successfully commanded the expedition

and took possession of all the country along the St. Lawrence as far

as Quebec, which stronghold he assaulted on the last night of Decem-

ber, 1775, where he met his death. The command of the invading army

then fell upon Benedict Arnold, who was second in command and who

was then a very active and capable officer of the Colonial army. He

succeeded in withdrawing the American army from Canada, but not with

out great difficulties, hardships and sufferings.

The Taylor-Livingston Centenary, Etc.            497

to Col. James Livingston were in what is known in law and history as the

"Refugee Tract." They were all located along Alum creek, just east of

the city of Columbus.

The "Refugee Tract," as set apart by the government for the special

purpose before mentioned, was a strip of land four and a half miles

wide from north to south and about fifty miles from east to west,

extending from the east bank of the Scioto river to near the Muskingum

river. The city of Columbus is situated on the west end of this tract

and what is now Fifth Avenue was the north line of the tract, and what

is now Steelton was the south boundary. The whole contained about

136,000 acres. All that part of the Refugee Tract which lies in Franklin

County was embraced in Montgomery and Truro townships. To Ed-

ward Chinn Livingston was given the honor of naming Montgomery

township, after General Richard Montgomery, with whom his father

had been associated in the Revolutionary war, and who was with him

at the time he fell at Quebec. A similar honor was granted to Robert

Taylor, in giving him the privilege of naming Truro township after

the town of Truro in the Province of Nova Scotia, from whence

he came.

There was at the time of his coming to this country no sign of

the city of Columbus beyond a few log cabins a half mile west of the

Scioto river on what is now called West Broad street, and at that

time called Franklinton.  Letters in my possession, written before the

location of Columbus was settled, show that Judge Edward C. Livingston

was very anxious to have the state capital established on the east side of

the Scioto River and that he used every influence possible to bring about

that result.

When Judge Livingston came to the county the Nelson family, the

White family and the Moobery family were the only residents along

Alum  creek in that neighborhood.  The Nelson family, the White

family and the Livingston family still own and occupy portions of these

lands after the passing of a hundred years. The Moobery family have

no representatives now living in the country, in so far as we are aware.

On March 17th, 1807, Edward Chinn Livingston was married to

Martha Nelson.  There were born of that marriage children as fol-

lows: James, Margaret, Edward, Caroline, Adaline, Angelica, Robert

and Martha. James was the oldest son, who, when he was yet a young

man, located in Livingston county, in north Missouri, where he died about

the year 1850. Margaret (my mother), the oldest daughter, was born

November 2, 1809, and was married to my father, David Taylor May 16th,

1836, and died February 12th, 1895. Edward, the second son lived until

his death some thirty years ago, on a part of his father's land, which

some of his children still own and occupy. Caroline and Angelica died

childless more than thirty years ago. Adaline (Mrs. Elijah Marion),

Vol. XIII -32.

498        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

Robert and Martha are still living. Robert owns and occupies the lands

where he was born almost eighty years ago.

Under the date of December 14th, 1810, Edward C. Livingston

was appointed colonel of the 2nd Regiment, 4th Brigade and 2nd Di-

vision of Militia of Ohio, by Return Jonathan Meigs, governor.

During the war of 1812 he assembled the regiment to be in readi-

ness for service in the war then in progress against Tecumseh and his

Indians and Proctor and his British soldiers, but the regiment was not

called on for active service. He also served as one of the associate

judges for Franklin county from   1821 to 1829. His death occurred

November 13, 1843.

TAYLOR FAMILY.

The Taylor family, as stated before, had its origin in Argyle, Scot-

land, from whence they removed to the north of Ireland in 1620. They

remained in and about the city of Londonderry until 1720, when Matthew

Taylor, the progenitor of this branch of the Taylor family in America,

came in a colony from Londonderry, Ireland, to New Hampshire. The

colony was composed entirely of what is known as Scotch-Irish people.

The governor of Massachusetts alloted to them lands on which this

colony settled and which they began to improve when it was found that

the land was in fact over the line in New Hampshire. The governor

of New Hampshire, however, confirmed the grant and the colony re-

mained in that location. They gave to the settlement the name of Lon-

donderry, which has since been changed to and is now known as Derry,

New Hampshire. This location was then the very frontier of civili-

zation. All beyond to the north and west was a wilderness and the

home of the Algonquin Indians. It was here that Matthew Taylor, Jr.,

was born on October 30th, 1727. While living at this place he was

married to Miss Archibald, and of this marriage there were born six

sons and two daughters. The fourth son was named Robert. The date

of his birth was April 11th, 1759.

Matthew Taylor, Jr., continued to reside at Derry, New Hamp-

shire, with his family until after the close of the "old French war"

(1764), when by the terms of peace the province of Nova Scotia came

under British dominion. Shortly after that event Matthew Taylor, Jr.,

and his family, with other families of the original New Hampshire

colony, migrated from Derry, New Hampshire, to Nova Scotia and set-

tled in the town of Truro on the Bay of Fundy. On December 6th,

1781, at Truro, Robert was married to Mehetabel Wilson, whose parents

were also Scotch-Irish people. There were born of that marriage four

sons, and three daughters, David being the youngest of the brothers and

the youngest of the family, except one sister, Susan. He was born at

Truro, Nova Scotia, July 24th, 1801. The older sons were named re-

spectively Vinton, Matthew and James. The entire family came to Chil-

licothe, Ohio, in September, 1806. They came by sea to Philadelphia,

500        Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

farm about a mile from this spot. That house is still standing as is

also the house constructed by his father, Robert Taylor, in 1807-8. These

houses and lands are still owned by members of his family.

On the 16th day of May, 1836, he was intermarried with Margaret

Livingston, oldest daughter of Judge Edward Chinn Livingston. Of this

marriage there were born six children, all of whom are living.

This house, where we are assembled to-day, was built by David

Taylor in 1843, and all my life has been associated with it and the

farm. My father continued to reside here until April 1, 1858, when he

took up his residence on East Broad street in the city of Columbus, where

he lived until the 29th day of July, 1889, when he died at the age of

eighty-eight years.

When my grandfather, Robert Taylor, took possession of his land,

there had been for many years an Indian camp for fall and winter

hunting maintained on the spot where he desired to build his house.

There were fine springs at that place and it was evident that it was a

favorite spot for occupation of the Indians, as it probably had been

for the races which preceded them, and this presumption is strengthened

by the fact that the Mound Builders constructed a considerable mound

at this point.

When Robert Taylor desired to build his house by these springs,

the Indians moved their camp north about a mile and established it

at the mouth of the first ravine north from where we are now as-

sembled. These hunting camps were only used by the Indians for

hunting purposes and only during the fall and winter months. They

were of the Wyandot tribe and belonged to the linguistic family of the

Iroquois. In the spring of the year they went back to their Indian

villages, which were mostly situated along the Sandusky river and

about Lake Erie. They occupied this new camp for about ten years.

and hunted and trapped at will in the vicinity. Practically the same

Indians came to occupy that camp from year to year and were very friendly

with the Taylor family, from whom they often obtained salt and bread

and other provisions in exchange for which they would quietly deposit

an abundance of game on the porch or in some conspicuous place near

by. There was never any contracting or bargaining indulged in. Each

gave what they had to spare.

It was in December, 1843, that the family came to occupy this

house. I was then between four and five years old and well remem-

ber that event and many of the conditions and environments which

obtained at that time. At that time I had never known the use of a

friction match. Fire was the great agency by which the forest was

cleared away and the soil opened up for cultivation, and it was often

necessary to build fires at remote points on the farm and this need

was met by the use of a small copper tea kettle, which had become

useless for its original purpose and was brought from the old house to