Taylor, Texas History page 1 History in Williamson County

TAYLOR, W.C. TEXAS est. 1876

Population: 14,636 (2004)

Downtown Taylor, Texas in 1906, looking south. Taylor is the birthplace of several noted men including Bill Pickett, the black cowboy who invented bulldogging. Governor Dan Moody, also born in Taylor in 1893, first gained statewide recognition when he successfully prosecuted the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s. Elmer “Pet” Brown, the 1914 middleweight champion of the world was also a native of Taylor.

Courtesy of Taylor, Texas Public Library

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image 1018 William Henry Pumphrey of Taylor attended the prestigious Peacock Military Institute about 1925. Pumphrey was a lifelong resident of Taylor. image 1080 Taylor Parade, Fireman Racing Team from Granger, July 4, 1922 image 1103 Thompson Children on Hoxie Bridge image 1140 Johns B. Pumphrey	image 1036 1930's Parade in Downtown Taylor, Texas image 1055 Birdseye view of Taylor,Texas ca.1878, taken from water tower on Main St. looking West. rt. front: Raven Home, middle front: Negro House, left front: Jim Threadgill Home [corner of 6th and Main], left center: Professor McMurrray's School and Sunday School [building with 5 windows] image 1054 Pet Brown 1888-1923, World Middleweight Wrestling Champion image 1110 Raymond Garrett, DVM in Taylor in 1964	image 1048 Ross Wilder & Family after returning from Doolittle Raid 1942 image 1051 Taylor Flyers In WW II image 1056 Taylor Fire Trucks image 1057 Flood of 1921, Looking South on Washburn St. Taylor Texas image 1058 Flood of 1921, Looking West on Austin-Hutto Road, Taylor, Texas image 3057 Kautz Store, Taylor, Festival ca. 1910's	image 1049 Daniel J. Moody 1834-1910, father of Dan Moody Jr., Taylor, Texas. Commonly referred to as Judge Dan'l because of his position of Justice of the Peace. Moody had come to Taylor as a railroad agent to sell lots and start the town in 1876. He became its first Mayor and after holding an election, started Taylor's public school and served as Chairman of the School Board. In 1890 he married Nancy Elizabeth Robertson a Math teacher at the school. He enlarged the house her family had built 3 years before. Judge Moody lost all his money when the business in which he had invested went broke, so he started a dairy at their home in which his son, Dan, began working when he was 8 years old. They rented rooms to Taylor teachers and several times shared their home with family members who were recently married and would come and live with the Moodys for a few years. Judge Dan died in 1915, the year Dan, Jr. graduated from high school.
image 1050 Political Post with LBJ Signature Dated 1971	image 1172 4th of July Parade -Main Street in Taylor, Texas image 3074 Street Scene	image 1175 A beautiful young Mexican American girl, Lorraine Castro was Queen of the Taylor DIEZ Y Seis Celebration in the 1930’s. In 1940 she married Daniel Camacho in Taylor, Texas	image 1203 Daniel Camacho & Lorraine Castro Wedding, Taylor, Texas, ca.1940
image 1204 Dr. J. L. Dickey, image 8148 Wife of Dr. Dickey image 3053 Dickey Medical Clinic, Taylor, Texas, ca. 1955, Founded by Dr. James Lee Dickey [1893-1959] who was Taylor's Outstanding Citizen in 1952 and on Time Magazine Cover, Jan 1953	image 1205 Dr. J. L. Dickey & wife, Magnolia & son James image 2073 Trade Days in Taylor, Texas, street scene w/ many cars, ca. 1920's image 2008 John & Fannie Robinson, Founder Members of AME Church, with the help of Rev. Atchelee.	image 2007 Francisco Castro driving his mule drawn trash wagon in downtown Taylor in the 1940’s. One of Taylor’s most popular businessmen, when he had to convert to tractor power, he did so reluctantly. He and his wife Helen Fuentes Castro raised five children in Taylor. Mr. Castro was the only trash collector for businesses in Taylor from 1935-1952. image 3035 Dry Goods Store	image 2074 Barnstormer airplane at Gunnar Rydell Farm, NW of Taylor , Texas image 2075 Youth Group Hayride w/ Horse Drawn Wagon, Taylor, Texas, ca. 1910's image 2164 Two Ladies in Old Car
image 2076 Catholic Daughters of America in Parade in Imagekup, Taylor, Texas.	image 2077 1950's Taylor 1950's Parade 2077 Horses & Carriage in Parade. Taylor, Texas, ca. 1910's	image 2078 Girl Scout Troop on Float in Christmas Parade, Taylor, Texas ca. 1955	image 2079 Old Car Decorated for Parade, July 4, 1909, Louise Grace, little girl in back seat, photo at 505 Washburn St., Taylor, Texas
image 2080 " The 9 Vagabons Band" Taylor, Texas, ca. 1934, photo was taken for the dedication of "Longhorn Cavern". Carman Yanero-sax, Walter Beck-sax, Allen Klaus-trumpet, Bob Kautz-tenor sax/clarinet [was manager/director], Bob Hays-guitar, Walter Klaus-trombone, Carl Graupiano, Bill Frisch-drums, and Frank Westling- horn. The band was based in Taylor and played for masonic lodge, SPJST, etc., they played ballroom music. Band was formed in 1933 and lasted until 1940, with Bob Kautz and Carmen Yanero forming another band	image 2081 Gathering at the "Taylor Cafe", Taylor, Texas, ca. 1950's image 2083 Lorraine Castro Camacho [sitting] as Diez y Seis Queen, ca. 1930's image 5040 God's Flowerland, Church Pagent, Taylor, Texas, ca. 1920's	image 2086 Nurses at Wedemeyer Hospital, Taylor, Texas, ca. 1920's, in car l-r: Mamie Rusch, Edna Ahlbright, Alemda Kelidorf, running board l-r: Ethel Sanders, Selma Wolf, seated front l-r: Annie Schubert, Carrie Nelson Kerr, Elsie Storey, Schroeder, Savilla Modessett Lane, Annie Bohls image 3041 Dry Goods Store, Taylor Texas	image 2087 4th of July, 1926 Beauty Pageant at Murphy Park Swimming Pool, Taylor image 2088 Decorated Carriage for Taylor Fair Parade, Taylor, Texas ca. 1913 image 3050 Ed Hunke Bakery Wagon & Horses, ca. 1890's
image 2101 Don Hill as Santa, Taylor, Texas	image 2155 Wm. Pipkin w/ Ben Hur Hat - Taylor, Texas	image 3022 Imperial Bakery in Taylor, Texas, at 204 1/2 Main St., Daniel C. Camacho and John Velecka, ca. 1942.	image 3042 Sturgis Goldstein Grocery, 2nd St., Taylor, Texas, ca. 1914
image 2165 Flo Kruger, at age 16, 4th of July Beauty Pageant, Taylor, Texas, ca. 1946	image 2158 Flo Kruger on cotton bale - 1940's image 3036 Kautz Dry Goods Store, Taylor, Texas	image 3023 Ed Fuentes, in front of Fuentes Grocery Store, 319 Pine [Dickey], Sept 1939, One of the first Hispanic businesses in Taylor, Texas, ca. 1920, adjacent to his home.	image 3031 "Candy Jim's" Store, 303 N. Main St., Taylor, Texas, ca. 1910 image 3034 General Store, Taylor Texas, ca. 1910
image 3033 General Store w/ Buggies, Taylor, Texas - 1920's	image 3046 Chief Brady, Central Barber Shop	image 3037 Grocery Store, R.A Kautz & Mother, Taylor, Texas	image 3038 Cotton Hauling Truck w/ Bales, from Seed Barn, south of Taylor, ca. 1920
image 3039 Ed Konarek Blacksmith Shop, South Main St., Taylor, Texas, left Ed Konauk, ca. 1919	image 3040 Marse & Husta Saloon, 113 North Main St. , Taylor, Texas ca. 1905	image 3049 Daily Democrat & Weekly Texan Newspaper, 4th & Talbot St. , Taylor, Texas, ca. 1900's	image 3052 Texas Power & Light Substation on North Main, Taylor, Texas
image 3047 G.E. King's Mule Barn, D.U. Teaff's Wagon Yard, M.B. Norman [center with mustache], ca. 1890's	image 3048 Waterworks & Taylor Ice Co. on East First St., Taylor, Texas, Taylor Ice. Co, Dan Murphy & George Burkitt started Taylor Waterworks & Ice Company, 1882-1883	image 3054 I & GN Railroad Station ca. 1911, laying pine blocks for street, Taylor Texas, Murphy Hotel on right	Howard Bland Sr. plaque

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for more info click on Taylor, Texas by The Handbook of Texas Online

Taylor Mustang Creek Country Club
a special thanks to the Community Impact news paper and By Susan Komandosky and Suzanne Haberman for this snap-shot of our history

view Dedication Ceremony of Texas Historical Medallion at the
Preslar-Hewitt Building 321-323 N. Main St. Taylor, TX

view The Taylor Brethren Church Historical Marker Dedication

view more on the History of Taylor Texas

view The Blacklands

view Taylor Main Street Wins National Approval pdf

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"a special credit to the Williamson County Sun for this story"
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also view Dr. James Dickey - One of Taylor's Leading Civil Leaders

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also view The Hotel Blazilmar

also view Taylor National Bank Building

also view Taylor, Texas City Hall

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Taylor's beginnings are rooted in commerce:

The town was laid out by the Texas Land Company in anticipation of the coming of the railroad. It was originally named Taylor Station after a contemporary official of the International & Great Northern Railroad. Taylor Station was situated on a major cattle trail used by Texas ranchers to drive their stock to market. Within 60 days of the railroad reaching Taylor Station in 1876, 146 car loads of cattle were shipped north to market from this fledgling community.

The railroad brought other forms of commerce as well, and the town developed rapidly. Farmers arriving primarily from the Midwest and other southern states, soon discovered that the black land soil would support cotton. With the railroad at hand to ship the cotton to mills in the east, Taylor became the center of a thriving cotton trade.

A disastrous fire in 1879 destroyed most of the frame structures in the three-year-old town. Most of the burned-out buildings were replaced with the fine brick and stone structures that distinguish Taylor's appealing downtown to this day. Brisk trade in cattle and cotton brought stability, and a prosperous town took shape. Churches and private schools were established, and craftsmen and tradesmen set up shop in town to serve the flourishing farms and ranches.

In 1882, the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad extended tracks to link it to the great Missouri Pacific system. Less than ten years after the frontier station on the open range began to attract residents. Taylor established a public school and community water works to pipe fresh water to homes and businesses in town.

The first National Bank was organized in 1883. As testimony to the favorable economic climate of the day, the bank's initial stock offering of $50,000 sold out in less than one hour.

Taylor has always placed a premium on quality of life in the community. In 1884, the city fathers opened a dog pound on the public square to encourage residents to be more responsible with their pets. A small boy was paid 25 cents for each stray dog he rounded up. The enterprising city Marshall then sold the dogs back to owners for $1 with a numbered brass dog tag. The city used revenues from the dog pound to complete a sewer system.

Although Taylor's rate of growth has slowed from its earliest days, the city has shown a steady increase in population, even though the population of the country as a whole declined between 1930 and 1970.

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