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- "THE BIG HOUSE AT TAYLOR, MO.
"To enjoy the story of the Big House at Taylor, you must first get to know the Taylor family.
"Captain John Taylor who owned the town of Taylor and surrounding land and Jeremiah Taylor who lived on the hill north of Taylor in Lewis County were brothers and sons of Rev. Jeremiah Taylor of North Carolina. They were a family of ten brothers and sisters. Captain Taylor was born in 1806.
"The family moved to Missouri in 1821. I don't know how much of the land was original land grant, but some was because I have a land grant certificate issued to John Taylor in 1838 signed by President Van Buren. At one time Captain Taylor owned 1400 A[cres] of land in Marion County and Jeremiah Taylor 1800 A[cres] in Lewis County.
"Captain Taylor owned the home farm, the 300 A[cres] owned by the Hoerrs across the road, all of West Quincy and vicinity, the toll road from Taylor to Quincy and much more bottom land.
"In 1850 Captain Taylor had a ferry boat built named the Kosseth at the cost of $75,000.00. Between that time and 1878 he owned the ferries, Mary Cole, Emma, Quincy, the Rosa Taylor (named for his daughter) and the Frank Sherman. He built the first store in West Quincy in 1849. Captain Taylor built a blank toll road from Taylor to West Quincy at the cost of $40,670.74 and owned 1/2 interest in the road which was chartered by the State of Missouri in 1872. The sloughs and creeks were crossed by camel back bridges. There were no fences at the time and the people only used the toll road in bad weather. In high water parts of the road would float away. Much of the Taylor land was covered with native timber. Captain John and his brother owned and operated a flour mill and saw mill.
"In 1836 Captain Taylor married Miss Elizabeth Latham. For 10 years he had made his home in Lewis County. In 1843 he moved to Taylor. It may have been at this time the back part of the big house was built. Two large rooms down and two up with a side hall between and fireplaces in all four rooms. The house had a one story ell in the rear, which was later moved to become the wash house, when the new front was added in 1887.
"Captain Taylor was the father of six children. All but two died in childhood. Two daughters lived to be thirty, namely Susan and Rosa. No record of either ever being married was found.
"After the Civil War, Captain Taylor lived in Quincy and operated two ferry boats and conducted his large business holdings.
"When Mrs Taylor died in 1869 he returned to the Taylor farm and was still living there in 1884.
"Sometime between 1884 and 1887 he died and his estate was settled. William I. Taylor, a nephew, son of Jerimiah Taylor was the administrator. The farm on the south side of the road of nearly 300 A[cres] was sold to Dr. Daniel W. Tindall of Illinois who had previously been married to Sarah Elizabeth Taylor, the fourth child of Jerimiah Taylor and sister to Wm. I. Taylor.
"Now we must consider the Jerimiah Taylor family and the connection to Dr. Tindall and the building of the front of the Big House. I do not find Mrs. Taylor's maiden name. [Clara or Clarissa Lovelace]
"The first son John L (Lovelace) Taylor, born 1834, died 1915, married February 2, 1860 to Marry Worthington. He left no heirs.
"Patsy Ann Taylor, Born December 16, 1835, died 1860, Married Dr. S.L. Bonney December 16, 1851 on her 16th birthday. Dr Bonney was a widower age 30 from the east. In 9 years she had three children, Minnie June, 9who built the front of the Big House), Edgar J. and Mattie C who died in 1860.
"William I. Taylor born November 19, 1837 married Ellen Elizabeth ? [Williams]. Had 2 sons Lee and William (Little Bill).
"Sarah Elizabeth Taylor born April 9, 1840 died February 9, 1862, married Dr Danial [sic] W. Tindall. Died at the age of 22...no children.
"Mary Jane Taylor born 1845 died 1928. Married Lucius D. Patterson December 21, 1864...no children.
"Jerimiah Bonney Taylor born April 4, 1848. Died August 22, 1922. Married August 17, 1877 to Jessie Young. Three children, Rose, Harold and Lennis.
"To the last two I owe my interest in the Taylor family. In retirement they both lived in the same block in LaGrange, Mo. where I did as a child. They could tell wonderful stories of their early life.
Dr. Daniel W. Tindall the second owner of the home farm was born in Illinois. It is supposition that he met Sarah Elizabeth when she was a student at Illinois Womens College in Jacksonville, Ill. Have no marriage date and she and the Doctor must have lived in Illinois. Jerimiah Taylor gave each of his children a farm when they married and she was not included. She must never have lived in Missouri during her short married life, as she was only 22 at the time of her death.. The story was told to me that at the time of her death she made the Doctor promise to marry her college roommate which he did and she also died.
"Dr. Tindall served in the Civil War and was wounded, losing his leg between the hip and the knee. He had a very satisfactory prosthesis, for he was able to ride a horse and manage his farming operations. There was a big rock outside the west door at the Big House that he used to mount his horse. The prosthesis is still in the attic at the House.
"Minnie June Bonney who planned and was responsible for the construction of the front part of the House was educated in Boston in music. She was an (old maid) music teacher living in her father's home on the line between Lewis and Marion Counties.
"I know nothing of Dr. Tindalls and Minnie Junes romance, but before she would marry him the new house was to be completed to her exact wishes. The old house was completely remodeled and made into 5 rooms and a large bath and five new rooms and large hall were added.
"The bath had running water from a gravity tank in the attic. The water was pumped from the basement by hand. The plumbing was all lead, and the joints were made by wiping. The tub was copper with walnut rim and sides. The toilet seat was square made of solid walnut with brass hinges. A long chain reached from the ceiling flush tank. The tissue holder was made of two iron hands. The wash bowl was marble with built in vanity.
"The wood work downstairs is white walnut. There are four fireplaces in the new part each fitted with a hard coal grate. The mantles were elaborate made to order in St. Louis and shipped up river on the boat. The story is told that Minnie June sent one mantle back three times until she was pleased with it. The house had a central steam heating system. There are 13 closets, 4 are walkins. Much of the rough lumber and walnut logs were cut on the farm.
"The house was completed in 1887 and Minnie June married her late Aunt Sarah Elizabeth's husband.
"The house was all carpeted and had very nice furniture for I know Mrs. Tindall gave her aunt Mary Jane Taylor Patterson many pieces when the Doctor died, and she moved to Quincy to make her home in the Hotel Newcomb.
"There are absolutely no dates connected with Mrs. Tindalls life. She is buried in the LaGrange Cemetery with her father and Husband. Only her name is on the stone, no dates!
"In 1904 Dr. Tindall contracted with John A. Dearing for the sale of the farm. A short time later before the sale was finalized, Dr. Tindall committed suicide. The story goes, his two uncles from Illinois, were visiting in the home and sleeping in the upstairs front guest room. The Doctor got up early, as was his habit and bathed and dressed on Sunday morning. He went to his wife's room, the middle bedroom and said, 'Minnie, I have taken the fatal dose.' He went downstairs, lay down on a black leather couch in the front hall and died. He was a Doctor and kept his supply of drugs on hand in the little closet behind the fireplace in the South bed room.
"Mrs Tindall raised the price on the farm, before she would honor the contract. The Dearings moved in before she moved out and helped her move and dispose of her possessions. Many pieces were hauled, one piece at a time in a wagon up to the Taylor hill. I have a few of her possessions.
"Mrs Tindall had a parrot named Bonney that could talk more than any parrot I was ever around. She gave the parrot to Dr. and Mrs. Muir in LaGrange. I grew up listening to the parrot as it was allowed outside and flew from tree to tree. That was in the day of ice delivery and apple and melon peddlers. The parrot would fly ahead of the wagon and call 'Ice, ice, ice' and 'apples and melons.' The parrot lived a long time after I was through school. I've been told when Bonney died, Mrs Tindall came up from Quincy and saw him layed[sic.] to rest on the Bonney lot in the cemetery.
"Many changes took place during the John Dearing ownership. The Fabius Drainage District was organized and the levees built. The Tindall farm had a private levee before this time. The Taylor to Quincy road was widened and graveled. The shutters were removed from the house and a new heating plant installed. An acetylene light plant was installed for the use of the Big House, the store and the bank.
"Mr. Dearing built a two story store building. He organized a Bank and built a bank building east of the store. He built the house west of the store. At one time Mr. Dearing ran the store, was postmaster, and had the telephone exchange in his store, in addition to managing the farm and buying and shipping grain and livestock.
"During World War I he and Mrs. Dearing spent some time in the State of Louisiana, where head real estate holdings. His son, J.W. operated the farm and bought horses and mules for the army and to ship to his father to be sold in Louisiana.
"His son C.W. was cashier of the Bank of Taylor and operated the store. He lived in the house west of the store until about 1925 when he moved his family into the Big House and lived there until he became cashier of the 1st Savings Bank in Palmyra, Mo.
"For a brief time Mr. John Dearing operated the mill in Palmyra and lived there. In 1926 he moved back to Taylor and lived in the small house west of the Store.
"In 1928 C.W. Dearing moved to Palmyra. The John A. Dearings moved back into the Big House where they continued to live until 1935. At that time they moved to Louisiana where Mr. Dearing could better care for his oil and real estate interests.
"At that time his son J.W. Dearing and family moved into the Big House from the house 1/2 mile east of Taylor that had at one time been the toll house on the Taylor toll road. J.W. continued to operate the farm.
"When Mr. John A. Dearing died in 1945 J.W. Dearing bought out his brothers interest in the farm and continued to live there for 34 years. During that period the house was wired for electricity and was insulated. Natural gas became available and a new heating plant was installed.. The highway was paved and the driveway was changed. [Surely the highway was paved before 1945 as I only remember a paved road. Might its paving have been a depression relief project? --LKL]
"The bathroom and kitchen were remodeled and a modern water system installed. In 1969 due to failing health J.W. Dearing sold the farm to Marvin Weigand and moved to Palmyra, Missouri. The house is being beautifully cared for by the present owners.
"I owe the information in the preceding pages to:
History of Marion County 1884
Atlad[sic.] of Lewis County 1870
Atlas of Marion County 1875
Also to hours of listening to stories told me by the following:
Mr. and Mrs L.D. Patterson
Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Taylor [parents of ABT & JET; grandparents of LKL]
Mrs John A. Dearing (my mother-in-law)
Mr. J.W. Dearing (my husband) who went to live in the Big House at the age of 10.
Also visits to cemeteries in this vicinity."
I have transcribed the above manuscript of Mrs. J.W. Dearing as written and punctuated except for changing the ampersands to "and." I have left her spellings of "Jerimiah" for "Jeremiah" and "Danial" for "Daniel." Occasionally, I have inserted information in square brackets ([]). I would judge that this was written in the early 1970's. --LKL
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Taylor Family Genealogy
Bef 1860 - 