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Show Section No. 8 Page 9 Narrative Statement of Significance cont. HIS'lDRY John Whittaker Taylor was born May 15, 1858 in Provo, utah. His parents were John Taylor, the third President of the L.D.S. Church, and Sophia Whittaker. The family had abandoned their heme in Salt Lake City as Johnson's Anny approached. The family later returned to Salt Lake City, where John W. spent his early life. He worked at fanning and spent considerable time laboring in his father's saw mill which was near Kamas, toward the headwaters of the Provo River. He was also active in church affairs as a young man. He was an employee of the Salt Lake County Recorders Office and afterwards was employed in the office of the Deseret News as a penman. John W. Taylor had six wives and thirty-six children. He married his first wife, May Leona Rich, on October 19, 1882 in the Endowment House in Salt Lake City. John Taylor, his father, performed the marriage. May was born February 17, 1865 in st. John, Tooele, Utah to John Taylor Rich and Angnes F.Dla O. Young. On April 9, 1884, Taylor was ordained a member of the Twelve Apostles in the L.D.S. Church. In that same year, he had the chance to speak with Grover Cleveland in Washington D.C.. They discussed the rights of the Latter Day Saints. He was also called on a missio~ for; the church to Mexico, and while there, had the privilege of meeting president~~? Upon his return from Mexico, Taylor served in the Utah State Legislature for one term. Taylor's business interests were spread from Canada to Mexico. He was involved in ranches, farms and irrigation companies, sold Navajo rugs and ~ step ladders. These did not all prove profitable,. bgrJev~ and led M!iQ. to financial problems. In 1887, Taylor had the opportunity of meeting with Sir John A. McDonald, the Premier of Canada. In 1888, Taylor took a second wife, Nellie Eva Todd, and started to live Ule p!O":tfteiple of p3:urel~aE3e-. Nellie was 9traR~.Y fiiU;;}~h., the aunt of his first wife, May Rich. ~i-ed-t;e-ifetm-w.:-l::>y~c-i'S-M:-'byma:rlritlS't:0Iw'e£ tR~{Jl;l,i.teQ sta,t.es-ane-.·€afla6a-OOIFEl~Fl. ."tfIe-eanadi:aIT"'s±de-;-~ The marriage took place on a steamship:"'(I4:-~Js III ld:lgefta, C!anada toot-Nellie was to s~e eilrly years of her ftla:F:ro'i~. On October 1 0, 1889, Janet Maria Woolley became the third wife of John W. Taylor. She was born January 5, 1870 in Grantsville, Tooele, Utah, to Samuel Wickersham Woolley and Rachael cahoon", :RedIae}: WQ!!" the second wife of Samuel. ~Janet grew up knowing the difficulties of those who were persecuted because of their religious beliefs. On the day of her marriage, John \'1. came for her in a carriage with another Apostle as a chaperon. They proceeded down a lonely lane in Liberty Park where they were united. It was imperative at that time that secrecy be kept. This way of life for men and women practicing plural marriage was knowrlas lithe underground". Janet Maria Woolley \-X)uld from then on be known as"Nettie May" In 1896, Nettie accompanied Taylor to open a mission in Colorado. Upon returning from this event, they purchased the adobe house in Fannington. Taylor built the stone foundation of the addition and then left Nettie with the plans WV""'to supervise the building ~ile he was away on church assignments and business. Nettie Hired Edward A. Cofrell and \villiam Levedall to do the brick VK)rk on the new addition. ? x see continuation sheet . |
