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Show Section No. 8 Page 11 Narrative Statement of Significance cont. In 1909, May Rich Taylor (his first wife) took over possession of the house in Farmington. The wives had become dependent upon their own resources financially. Nettie could no longer afford the home and she and John W. decided it would be better for her to go to Provo. Taylor bought Nettie a white brick mansion located at 287 East 2nd No. in Provo and Nellie a red sandstone house just two blocks west. He paid cash for these. May's possession of the Farmington house took her away from the social life of Salt Lake City and her lovely two story house. In 1884, John W. Taylor had bought the William r-t:>rrow house on 390 Quince Street for May. Her name was inscribed on a stone and remains on the front of the house today. The move to Farmington did prove to be beneficial in that it was peaceful there and she could rest from the anxieties that she faced as a result of people's questions about her husband. May kept the home in top condition. The home contained many beautiful pieces of furniture, beautiful fireplaces, silver service and rugs. The yard was also very well kept, with it's large orchards and gardens. As a young girl, Marvel Mayfield of Farmington remembers going to the big house and polishing and cleaning. She said that it was hard to tell what needed cleaning as everything was already so meticulous. The chance to be in such a beautiful house made it all worthwhile. John W. Taylor died of cancer at his home in Forest Dale, Salt Lake, Utah on October 10, 1916. After Taylor's death, Nettie and her family stayed in Provo. Business failures had since taken away the white brick mansion and red sandstone house, so Nettie bought a cheaper home. She took in boarders for income. When the children were grown, she divided the house into four apartments and lived in one of them. She raised ~gbt children and gave each of them an opportunity for higher education. She died in Provo on January 8, 1956 and was buried in the Provo City Cemetery. May moved to Salt Lake City in 1920 and in 1925, she sold the Farmington house to Andy Christensen. Christensen had leased Lagoon Amusement Park for five years and lived in the house at that time. While he owned the house, a fire started on the roof as a result of sparks from a fireworks display at Lagoon. The winds had been sfung and had blown them several blocks to the roof of the house. In about 1922, May moved to Los Angeles, california to live with her daughter May, where she spent the remainder of her life, fifty years as a widow. She had many trials to bear, as she lived to see four of her children pass away. She died on August 15, 1966 at the age of 101~ years old. |