Shelby D. Taylor. A large tract of Champaign County’s fertile acres have been developed and improved by Shelby D. Taylor, who still owns one of the valuable farms of the county, though for a number of years he has lived retired at Champaign.
Mr. Taylor came to Champaign County thirty-five years ago. He was born in Morgan County, Illinois, May 15, 1851. His parents, both natives of Kentucky, were George and Polly E. (Tucker) Taylor. His father was born July 20, 1805, and died September 23, 1886, and his mother was born August 15, 1807, and died January 22, 1894. Both of them died in Jacksonville, Illinois. George Taylor spent his active years as a farmer. He and his wife had ten children: Maxmillie, who was born January 6, 1831, and died in February, 1916; Edward A., born January 9, 1833, and died in February, 1912; Benjamin H., born October 2, 1835, and died October 26, 1892; William P., born December 22, 1837, now lives at Springfield, Illinois; Casabianca B., born December 2, 1839, is a resident of Jacksonville; Phoebe, born March 13, 1842, wife of George Scott of Norfolk, Virginia; Sarah F., born May 5, 1844, wife of Edward E. Telling of Champaign County; George Z., born September 20, 1846, died October 21, 1907; John H., born February 20, 1849, a resident of Mattoon, Illinois; and Shelby D., who was the tenth and youngest of these children.
Shelby D. Taylor was reared on his father’s farm in Morgan County, attended the public schools there, and his early experience was farm work. After his marriage he continued farming in Sangamon County about six years, and in 1882 removed to Champaign County, locating on a farm in Homer Township. From Homer Township he removed to Broadland, and on his farm of about 300 acres continued actively as a stock raiser and general farmer for many years, until he retired into Champaign.
Mr. Taylor was married March 27, 1882, to Mary L. Anderton. She was born in Morgan County, Illinois, daughter of William and Margaret (Seymour) Anderton, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Morgan County, Illinois. Her father was a farmer and died in 1865, and her mother lived until December 29, 1912. Mrs. Taylor was the oldest of three children. The other two are Bird W. of Franklin, Morgan County; and Levina, who died in 1900.
Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have no children of their own. They reared a little girl, Lela May Ladd, from the time she was left motherless at the age of eleven years. She is a daughter of James A. Ladd of Urbana. On October 2, 1916, this foster daughter married Leslie W. Faulkner of Champaign, and the young people still live with Mr. and Mrs. Taylor.
Mr. Taylor is a Republican in politics. While living in the country he served as township supervisor and as assistant supervisor in the city of Champaign. He has attained the thirty-second degree of Scottish Rite Masonry, and is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the. Modern Woodmen of America.