Samuel M. Taggart
It is proper to judge of the success of a man's life by the estimation in which he is held by his fellow citizens. They see him at his work, in his family circle, hear his views on public questions, observe the operations of his code of morals, witness how he conducts himself in all the relations of society and civilization, and are therefore competent to judge of his merits and his demerits. After a long course of years of such observation, it would be out of the question for his neighbors not to know of his worth, for, as has been said, "actions speak louder than words." In this connection it is not too much to say that the subject of this sketch passed a life of unusual honor, that he was industrious and had the confidence of all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. He was born on a farm that is now a part of Orrville, his natal day having been the 14th of July, 1828, and he died on the 17th of August, 1907, in the eightieth year of his age. His paternal grandfather, James Taggart, was a native of County Antrim, Ireland, and emigrated to America prior to the war of the Revolution. The subject's father, Samuel Taggart, was born December 17, 1790, and died April 24, 1853. He came to Wayne county in April, 1815, and settled on a quarter section of land near Orrville, where he reared his family of twelve children.
Samuel M. Taggart was reared under the parental roof and secured his education in the primitive schools of that early day. He was early inured to the labors of farming, which in those pioneer days meant the clearing of the land and the cultivation of the same under conditions which would in the present day be considered almost impossible. He continued to carry on farming operations until about twenty-five years ago, when, feeling the weight of years and being in a financial condition which justified him in throwing off the active duties of the farm, he retired to the beautiful town of Orrville, where he had erected a comfortable home and there he resided until his death. He was practical and methodical in his farming operations, giving his personal attention to every detail of the work, and was considered a very successful man.
Mr. Taggart married, on October 31, 1854, Sarah Jane Slusser, a daughter of Jacob and Anna Maria (Ilgenfritz) Slusser, her birth having occurred on March 15, 1835, at Wooster, Wayne county. She was reared in York, Pennsylvania Her parents were natives of Ohio, and her father was a very successful tobacconist, coming to Wayne county in an early day. They were the parents of seven children, of whom the only survivor, besides Mrs. Taggart, is Mrs. Harrison Wertz, of Dalton, Ohio. Mrs. Taggart's family is of German origin, her great-grandfather having been a resident of Baden, Germany, where a principal street was named in his honor. To Mr. and Mrs. Taggart were born seven children, of whom brief mention is as follows: (1) Laura Ellen, who was born November 25, 1855, died in infancy. (2) Francis Darwin, born January 16, 1857, is a graduate of Wooster University and now resides at Denver, Colorado. (3) Major Elmore Finley, who was born October 6, 1858, was educated at Wooster University and at the West Point Military Academy, having graduated from the latter institution. He was appointed to the academy by the late President McKinley, of whom he was a special favorite. Major Taggart is now stationed at Fort Ontario, New York. (4) One died in infancy unnamed. (5) Mrs. Alice Amelia Kimberlin, who is a widow and now lives with her five children near Orville. (6) David s, born May 10, 1865, is now deceased. (7) Howard, born April 21, 1875, lives at Baltimore, Maryland.
At the outbreak of the Civil war, Mr. Taggart gave unmistakable evidence of his patriotism by enlisting for military service, but because of ill health he was discharged before being mustered into the service. He was a faithful member and liberal supporter of the Presbyterain church, and Mrs. Taggart has held membership in this body since her young girlhood. She is deeply interested in the society and is generous in her support of its various interests. Fraternally, Mr. Taggart was identified with the Knights of Honor and the Royal Areanum. A man of many splendid qualities of character, throughout the community. Mrs. Tagggart now resides in the family homestead on South Main Street, which was erected by her late husband on ground that had formerly been a part of his farm. She is a woman of culture and learning and takes an abiding interest in all moral and educational subjects, being especially opposed to the liquor traffic. She is a delightful conversationalist and a Christian woman of high and noble ideals.
From The History of Wayne County, Ohio, Vol. 1, B. E. Bowen & Co., Indianapolis, 1910