Lewis Taylor
Lewis Taylor, farmer, P. O. Centerville, son of John and Rosanna (Alexander) Taylor, was born June 5, 1813, in Washington Township, Montgomery County, Ohio. With the exception of a few years, has resided in his native township. In boyhood, attended school in the log cabin where greased paper was used instead of glass for windows. The branches taught were reading, writing and arithmetic. Teachers were then paid by subscription and board, dividing their time with the patrons. Books used were the spelling book and Bible. For copy books the scholar had, what would now be considered, a very poor article of unruled foolscap, and the scholars provided themselves with a lead pencil and rule to the lining required in the copy book. The teacher set all the copies, made and repaired the pens from goose quills as steel and gold pens were not in use. Ink was manufactured at home, from maple bark and copperas. Lewis’ occupation is that of a farmer, and is now one of the few men in this township owning and occupying the land purchased by their fathers from the United States. The above tract was deeded by James Madison, President of the United States, to John Taylor, December 15, 1810. Lewis has never had any political aspirations, and never was on a jury. The amusements in his early days were corn huskings, log-rollings, and raising the log cabin for the new settler, which would be accomplished in one day, ready for the family occupancy at night. Lewis claims that the frame house he now occupies was about he first, if not the first one built in the township in 1808. It is a two-story; in the second story religious meetings used to be held by the Presbyterian, Baptist and Christian Churches. His parents were both natives of Mifflin County, Penn., and were married February 19, 1801. From this union were eight sons and one daughter, of whom four sons only are now living. The parents, with three children, came to Montgomery County, Ohio, in September, 1806, and purchased above-named tract of land soon after their arrival, on which was a double log cabin, with a puncheon floor, and about one acre of land, about half cleared; balance, heavily timbered. Some years afterward, Mr. Taylor made another purchase of 410 acres of land, on the Miami Great Bend, and laid out the town of Alexandersville, the name being suggested by Mrs. Taylor, as a compliment to their eldest son, Alexander. Dr. David Bailey did the surveying and platting of the town. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor donated one of the lots to the Christian Church; Mr. Taylor was one of the Largest stockholders in Woodbourn Cotton Factory, in which speculation he lost not less than $20,000, which, at that time, was a heavy loss. Mr. Taylor was drafted in the war of 1812; marched to Greenville under Capt. Richard Sunderland; his stay, however, was short; sickness called him home. He soon procured a substitute, Samuel Mattocks, paying him $60 cash and an outfit. Mr. Taylor died November 29, 1843, aged sixty-five years nine months and eleven days. Mrs. Taylor died August 17, 1878, aged ninety-four years four months and two days.
From History of Montgomery County, Ohio, W. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1882