Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1909-03-24
FORMER GOVERNOR
W. R. TAYLOR DEAD
Was Famous as Granger Execu~
tive 35 Years Ago.
Inmate of State Home for the Aged
Near Madison at the Time
of His Death.

Madison, Wis, March 1S-Former
Governor William R. Taylor, Wis
consin's famous granger governor Of
80 years ago, died at the Gisholt
Home for the Aged, four miles east OF
Madison, at five O'Clock Wednesday
afternoon at the age of SO years.
Governor Taylor came to the Homes
from his farm in the town of Cottage
Grove little over three years ago
and had been there since. He had
been rapidly failing for a few days
and passed away without any relatives
at his bedside. Funeral arrangements
have not yet been made but the burial
will probably be at Forest Hill GENE
terry, where his first wife is buried
and will probably occur on Saturday.
Some action by the state will an
doubtedly be taken, although nothing.
has yet been determined. Governor
Taylor was a typical self-made man
of the pioneer era type. He was born
in Connecticut July 20, 1920. His
mother died when he was but three
weeks old and his father was Loss aS.
sea six years later So he was brought
up by relatives from New York amid
great hardships. Being ambitious for
an education he saved money by haul-
ing eleven hundred bar rels Of sugar
sap and at sixteen entered Union
College, Schenectady, N. Y. Later.
he taught school and in 1916 entered
the medical school as Cleveland.
Ohio, but had to cease his studies be-
cause of failing eyesight. Ia 1885,
when Wisconsin was admitted to the
Union, he came to this state and
settled onS farm in the town Of
Cottage Grove. He quickly became
prominent in agricultural circles
held various local Offices. was for
many years chairman of his town.
twice chairman of the county board OF
supervisors, II years county superin-
tendent of the poor, member of both
houses of the legislature, president OF
the state agricultural society. ETC.
When the granger movement hogan i'm
the early seventies he quickly became
prominent and was swept into the
governorship in 1878 by the fusion
of the grangers and democrats In e
stormy legislative session much anti
railroad legislation was enacted in
Guiding an anti-pass law and the
famous Potter law, creating railroad
rate commission. Governor Taylor
was defeated for reelection by the
railroads and the Potter law was re-
peaIed by the next legislature
although the supreme court sustained
the doctrine of state regulation of
corporations.
After retiring as governor Taylor
lived on his Cottage Grove farm unti2
entering the Home for the Aged three
years ago Governor Taylor was
twice married, in 1912 to Miss Cath
arine Herb who died leaving three
daughters, and in 1886 to Viola Titus
of Madison. who survives him with
one son, William r. Taylor, a ma
ch1nist employed by the GishoIdt Co. p
of Madison. Justice R. M. Bashfordy
formerly of the supreme court, was.
private secretary to Governor Taylor
and married bis daughter. She, how
ever, died many years ago.
Governor Taylor was interested in
many financial enterprises, among
them cranberry growing. He died a
poor man, however, having lost the
greater part of his property in his last,
uears thrnnoh stock snacnlatinn