Frank Taggart
In touching upon the life history of Frank Taggart, one of the best-known members of the bar in northern Ohio, the biographer aims to avoid fulsome encomium and extravagant praise, yet he desires to hold up for consideration those facts which have shown the distinction of a true, useful and honorable life--a life characterized by perseverance, energy, broad charity and well-defined purpose. To do this will be but to reiterate the dictum pronounced upon him by the people who have known him so long and well. And it is safe to say that no man in Wayne county occupies a more enviable position in his civic and professional life, not alone on account of the success he has achieved, but also on account of the honorable, straightforward business policy he has ever followed, both in public and private life.
Judge Frank Taggart was born in Smithville, Wayne county, June 6, 1852, and is the son of Dr. W. W. Taggart, now deceased. The elder Taggart married Margaret McCaughey. He came to Wayne county, Ohio, in 1840, from Belmont county, this state, locating near the village of Smithville, and at once entered upon the practice of his profession, in which he was very successful. He was a man of strong, logical mind, a scholar and especially well grounded in historical and scientific subjects, a profound and methodical thinker and a mathematician of much more than ordinary attainments. During the past decade he abandoned the active duties of his profession, which he long honored during a very energetic and useful life, having, while advancing his own interests and that of his family, at the same time contributed in no paltry degree to the general advancement of his community, being liberal, generous, public-spirited and scrupulously honest.
When his son, Frank Taggart, was five years of age he moved to a farm he had purchased about one and one-half miles northeast of Wooster, and there young Taggart remained until 1868, assisting with the work of developing the home place, learning many valuable lessons that only he who "communes with nature" and breathes the pure air of the "sylvan wild" can imbibe, at the same time laying up a potential energy that has stood him well in hand during his trying career as a lawyer. His father was an advocate of thorough mental training and sought to encourage his son in whatever way possible, consequently the lad was first placed in the district schools, later the high school at Wooster, where he completed his preparatory work for entrance in the University of Wooster, which was soon to open its doors to the educational public, the date of its opening being September 8, 1870, and on that date Mr. Taggart had the distinction of being one of the first prospective students, registering as a freshman, remaining one of the original class of five that passed the prescribed course in the curriculum, receiving his degree in 1874. He made an excellent record in this institution and gave promise of a useful and successful career. His brother, Rush Taggart, a prominent lawyer of New York City, and a member of the firm of John B. Dillon, is general counsel of the Western Union Telegraph Company, and graduated in the class of 1871, the close of the first university year, and made the first graduating speech of the class.
After finishing his schooling, Frank Taggart began the study of the law, entering the office of Judge Joseph H. Downing, now deceased, and after a period of study there entered the law department of the university at Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1875, remaining for two years, and on July 4, 1876, he was admitted to practice in the district court of Wayne county, Judge Reed, of Millersburg, sitting on the bench of common pleas. He at once opened an office in Wooster without an associate in practice, which has rapidly grown from that day to this until he now holds front rank at the Wayne county bar. He is a loyal Republican, but never stoops to the tricks of the demagogue. In the year 1896 he was appointed to the responsible position of judge of the common pleas court by Gov. Asa S. Bushnell, and in the year 1905 was elected circuit judge of the fifth circuit of Ohio and in 1910 elected chief justice of the circuit courts of Ohio.
In the year 1888 Judge Taggart was married to Lizzie Wallace, daughter of David A. Wallace, D.D., LL. D. Their family consists of seven children, Margaret, Wiliam, Wallace, Martha F., Frank, Clementen, John F. and David.
From The History of Wayne County, Ohio, Vol. 1, B. E. Bowen & Co., Indianapolis, 1910