William "Bill" Patterson Taylor

Paternal Great-Grandfather William P. Taylor

When I was born in 1951, my sweet "Little Grandpa" was already 80 years old.  I only knew him for 13 years, but memories of visiting on his and Grandma's farm in Ellensburg are some of my dearest.

Baby Bill Taylor, circa 1873

My great-Grandfather, William Patterson Taylor was born July 24, 1871, in Taylor, Lewis County, Missouri. He was the second son of William Inskip Taylor and Ellen Elizabeth Williams Taylor. Professional photos of baby boys and girls often featured christening gowns or dresses with styled hair. Here is baby Bill, perhaps two years old.

My great-Grandfather's parents were William Inskip Taylor (the son of Jeremiah Martin & Clarissa Lovelace Taylor) and Ellen Elizabeth Williams Taylor (daughter of Spotswood S. & Elizabeth R. Sharp Williams.) William Inskip was born Nov. 18, 1837.  Ellen was born Feb. 25, 1845. Both were born in Marion County, Missouri. They married Dec. 27, 1866.

Image enhanced by Gary Lowe

Their home was in the town of Taylor, Lewis County, Missouri. The town was named after the Taylor family and still exists on maps. The home below was built in 1863.

Great-grandfather William P., his father William I., mother Ellen, sister Lulu Mae - Taylor Homestead c. 1890-1895

Photo above is from a xerox copy made in the 1970's. Many family members have copies, but the whereabouts of the original is unknown. When my great-grandparents married, they would have come to this homestead to live. Their first son, Lucius "Lou" was born here, March 13, 1900.  My paternal grandmother, Lillian Lee, was born here November 17, 1902.

Bruce and I met with family here and took a tour inside and around the grounds. Beautiful!

Photo of homestead as it now looks. The outside has been clad in "school brick". Some of the original clapboard can be seen inside the closets. Some windows have been changed and the "slave quarters" removed from the back of the house.  It is still owned by a Taylor family member, Cathy Taylor. Her lineage is through Leander "Lee" Winston Taylor, son of William Inskip Taylor and older brother of my great-Grandfather, William "Bill" Patterson Taylor. A younger sister, Lulu or Lula Mae Taylor McIntyre also grew up in this home. The home and land was held through three generations of Taylor family members, William Inskip, Lee Winston, and Lee Winchester. Of the acreage, 284 acres were sold by Lee Winchester Taylor. It's good to know that a fifth generation Taylor, Cathy, daughter of Robert Lee, has ownership of the home.

An interesting photo was found among the Taylor collection. The Missouri Giantess - Ella Kate Ewing, posed with family in Missouri. From left, great-Grandmother Allie with my grandmother Lillian (the baby) on her lap, great-Grandfather Bill with son Lucius on his lap. The next couple, woman and the man behind her, may be my great-Grandfather's older brother Lee and his wife. The fellow with the full and bushy beard is a mystery, (though he looks like William Inskip Taylor - who died in 1897). Note the fellow in front with a cap. Inscribed on the cap is Ella Ewing. He may be D.J. Buford, Ella's manager. The others are unknown to me at this time, but I suspect they are other Taylor family members. Photo circa 1903. Research shows that Reverend Jeremiah Taylor (1774 - 1848) was an organizer of the Harmony Grove Church that Ella (1872 - 1913) attended, and where she was buried.





Oldest Children -

Lillian Lee (about 1 year old), Lucius Patterson (about 3 years old)

Lucius "Lou" Patterson Taylor was born in March 1900, in Taylor, Lewis Co. MO.

Lillian Lee Taylor, my Grandmother, was born November 1902, in Taylor, Lewis Co. MO.  They would have spent the first few years on the homestead there, with family.














Moving to Canada

William Inskip Taylor died in 1897, leaving the Taylor Homestead to his two sons, Lee and Bill. From family stories told here and there, it seems that the two brothers did not agree on the division and use of the property.

Eventually great-Grandfather Bill Taylor sold his share of the property in Taylor, Missouri, to his older brother Lee. Then he and my great-Grandmother Allie moved to Acme, Alberta, Canada, arriving on April 19, 1905, to take advantage of the Dominion Lands Act for Canadian homesteading. They traveled with their two young children, Lucius (Lou), by now age 5, and Lillian, age 3. Great-great-grandfather William Bates (Allie's father) also joined them in Canada. Later they all moved to Carstairs, Alberta, Canada, where in April 1906, they took up personal residence on their homestead. Great-Grandfather Bill became a Naturalized Citizen of Canada, June 15th, 1908.

W.P. Taylor & his first winning Buff Cochin - Scored 94 1/2 circa 1909

On the Statutory Declaration of his Homestead, great-Grandfather Bill Taylor wrote of the dates he was setting up residence: "Apr.5.06 to May 26.06. Then on sec.31-29-27, which I bought, from May 27 06 to Octr.25 06. I then sold this land, but had already bought E.1/2 5-30-27, and lived on the latter from October 26th 06 to present date, except the period from Novr.15th 1907 to Mar.15th 1908, when my wife was living in town, but during this period I was back and forth to the farm, and it was really my home, and furniture, stock &c, were all there."

When asked what month and year that his present house was erected he answered thus: "October 1906. Previous to this I lived in my house on 31-29-27, except the period from Apr.5 06 to May 26 06, when living in a temporary shack on my homestead."

Regarding buildings and fencing he had erected, he wrote: "1 and 1/2 miles of fence, part 2 and part 3 wires. Value $120. Cattle shed 18 x 36. Value $50.00."

Regarding animals he owned, he wrote: "9 horses, 10 cattle. 22 hogs."

In the same Declaration he explained how much land was broken and how much was cropped. "In 1906 broke 10 acres, in 1907 broke 21 acres, in 1908 cropped 31 acres, in 1909 cropped 31 acres, in 1910 will have broke 30 acres on my other land, and cropped same last year." To the question, What area of said homestead can be brought under cultivation? He answered, "135 acres."
Dated at Carstairs, 18th January 1909.

Great-grandfather Bill at the far left.

Three more children were born -
Ruby Alice - December 28, 1907, Bates Inskip - May 5, 1909,  and William Robert - July 13, 1911.

From the back of the photo: Bates, Ruby and Billy at Green Acre on the farm, 16 miles east of Carstairs, Alberta, Canada. The cat in the background is old yellow Sam.

And, last but not least,
Little brother Albert Dudley joined the family September 11, 1913.

 Left to right, baby Dudley (about 1), Ruby (about 7), my grandmother Lillian (about 12), their father - Bill Taylor, Bates (about 5) and Billy (about 3). Photo circa 1914.

Great Grandfather William Patterson Taylor - photo taken in Carstairs, Alberta, Canada

Going back to the United States -

In 1918, great-Grandfather Bill and great-Grandmother Allie began to think of returning to the United States, with their four youngest children. Their son Lucius was already employed. My Grandmother Lillian was a teenager, living in Seattle with her Aunt Lulu Mae and Uncle Albert McIntyre, attending high school there.

First Grandfather made an application for a "Permit to Leave Canada", in which he stated that he was "to go to Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa & Illinois for the purpose of purchasing pure bred Percheron horses" ..... and that he wished "to be absent from Canada for sixty days." The permit was granted on February 8, 1918.










Great-Grandmother Mary Alice "Allie" re-entered the United States through Eastport, Idaho on April 19, 1919. The family soon moved to Hyak, WA, where great-Grandfather Bill was a sub-station operator on the electric train tracks that went over Snoqualmie Pass.  His position was Electrician Helper working between Cedar Falls to Hyak & Cle Elum, April 1919 - October 1919. From October 1919 - June 1922, his position was Operator.



















This photo was taken August 24, 1923, by Asahel Curtis. It's of the Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway passenger train on track in Kittitas County, Hyak, WA.  Sub-station #16 near Hyak, where my great-Grandfather Bill Taylor worked from 1919 - 1922.







When my Grandmother Lillian Lee Taylor graduated from Ellensburg Normal School, she became a school teacher in the one room school at Hyak. It is likely that she taught her own sister, Ruby and brothers, Bates, Billy and Dudley.

In the years of 1922 - 1924 Grandpa Taylor worked for Exide Battery of Walla Walla, until the company sold out.

In 1924 he worked as a Forest Ranger under McKenzie D.R. at Rocky Run, which is located 1.4 miles SSE of Hyak, on Keechelus Lake.

In the fall of 1924 Grandpa was hired to work for the Highway Department in paving and construction. He held these various positions until retiring in 1934: Ax-man, Chain-man & Rod-man.

Alice Taylor, Lillian Taylor Lowe, Bill Taylor

In their later years, Bill and Allie moved to Ellensburg, where they and their daughter Lillian, bought a 10 acre farm and farmhouse at 715 E. Manitoba Street. Great-grandfather Bill  became a farmer in Ellensburg, WA. The farm is now the location of Ellensburg's hospital, but the home is still there, across the street and just as welcoming.

Bruce and I visited the Taylor home in October 2012.

Bates Taylor, Pat & Willie Lowe, Bill Taylor, Harrell Shull, Lillian Taylor Lowe

Christmas 1950 at the Taylor's home in Ellensburg, WA. This photo was taken in the main living room. Stairway led to three bedrooms, a parlor was off to the right, and the kitchen behind the photographer - Ruby Shull. My parents Pat and Willie Lowe had married in August 1950. Both look young and nervous. Out of sight of the photo, Dudley & Irene Taylor, great-Grandmother Alice and Grandmother Lillian's daughter, Norma Lee. By this time, there were so many Williams, Bills, and Billys, that my father chose to call himself Willie. And the name has stuck for 62 years.

Christmas Tree in the sitting room at Taylor's

Grandchildren from Thorp and Ellensburg gathered around great-Grandpa and great-Grandma Taylor.

Norma Lee & Lillian Taylor Lowe.

Bette, Diane, Keith & Jim, with their mother & father Irene and Dudley Taylor of Thorp.

Sharon & Joe Shull of Ellensburg.











And Here's Where I Come In -

Step-Grandpa Leonard Brown, great-Grandma Alice Taylor, Grandma Lillian Brown

My first real memories of visiting my great-Grandpa, who I affectionately called "Little Grandpa" and my great-Grandma Alice were around the time I was five years old. I was the first grandchild for Grandma Lillian Brown. Here I look a little spoiled. All the other cousins in the Taylor family ranged from 4 to 10 years old than me.This photo is at the home and farm in Ellensburg.

My Grandmother Lillian lost her husband/my Dad's father, Thomas Lee Lowe in 1947. In 1952, she married Leonard Douglas Brown, who she had known since she was a small girl traveling from Taylor, MO to Acme, Alberta Canada. Here are my little brother Bobby and me, with our grandparents, in Ellensburg.

Leonard D. Brown had an older brother, Walter, here on the left. Grandpa Brown is holding my little brother Bobby who looks none too happy. And on the right, my beloved "Little Grandpa" Bill Taylor.

Christmas 1959 at Taylor's home in Ellensburg

Great-Grandma Alice and Great-Grandpa Bill in the center. Their children, Bill Taylor, Lillian Lee Taylor Brown - newly married to Leonard Douglas Brown and Dudley & Irene Taylor. Cousins from Thorp and Ellensburg - Bette, Diane, Keith & Jim Taylor. Sharon and Joe Shull.










As I research the colorful life of my "Little Grandpa" William "Bill" Patterson Taylor, there are so many questions I would like to ask, if I could. This was a very bright man, who found a lovely wife, Mary Alice "Allie" Bates, and kept her happy and satisfied for 70 years. Together they raised six well-educated, kind and loving children. Over their lifetimes they loved and welcomed 12+ grandchildren.  Grandpa Taylor, this is for you.  I love you so much.


William Patterson Taylor passed away November 16, 1964. His beloved wife of 71 years, Mary Alice Bates Taylor passed away February 6, 1964. They are buried in the Taylor family plot at the IOOF Cemetery in Ellensburg, WA.


Ella Kate Ewing - Missouri Giantess

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella_Ewing