Preston Taylor (1849 - 1931)

Born 7 Nov 1849 in Shreveport, Caddo, Louisiana, United States

Husband of Ellen (Spradling) Taylor — married 7 Apr 1870 in Jefferson, Kentucky, United States

Husband of Anna (Hoffman) Vivian — married about 1880 in Kentucky, United States

Husband of Georgia (Gordon) Taylor — married 7 May 1890 (to 7 Jun 1913) in Davidson, Tennessee, United States

Husband of Ida D (Mallory) Taylor — married 21 Jun 1916 (to 13 Apr 1931) in Davidson, Tennessee, United States

Descendants

Died 13 Apr 1931 at age 81 in Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee, United States

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Biography

Preston Taylor is Notable.

Private Preston Taylor served in the United States Civil War.
Enlisted: 23 Sept 1864
Mustered out: 17 Jan 1867
Side: USA
Regiment(s): Co G, 116th US Colored Infantry

Preston Taylor was a prominent and influential businessman, minister and philanthropist. He is credited with the founding of Greenwood Cemetery ^[1] and Greenwood Park in Nashville, Tennessee.^[2][3]

Born into slavery at Shreveport, Louisiana, to Zed and Betty Taylor^[4], Preston was brought in his first year of life to Kentucky. At four years old he heard a sermon in Lexington, Kentucky, and decided he wanted to be a preacher.

He enlisted in Company G, 116th US Colored Infantry on 23 September 1864. He served as a regimental musician and as the regimental clerk. He was discharged on 17 January 1867.^[5]

After the war he learned stone cutting and became a skilled monument sculptor in Louisville, Kentucky, but white men refused to work with him.^[6] He then was offered a porter's position on the Louisville & Cincinnati railroad.

He married Ellen/Ella Spradling on 7 April 1870 in Jefferson County, Kentucky.^[7]

In the 1870 census Preston Taylor, railroad porter, is found with wife Ella Taylor in Louisville's 11th Ward.^[8]

He next spent fifteen years in the pastorate of the Christian church at Mount Sterling, Kentucky, building a large congregation and later chosen as the General Evangelist of the United States by his denomination. In 1878 Rev. Taylor and H. Malcom Ayers organized a convention for Black Disciples, as the previous Freedmen's Missionary Society had existed only from 1867–1870. Though African Americans had been excluded from Reconstruction efforts, Taylor was able to secure a contract to build sections of the Big Sandy Railway from Mt. Sterling to Richmond, VA. He also purchased property in New Castle, KY, where he established the Christian Bible College.^[6][9].

In July 1884, the Semi-Weekly South Kentuckian reported that Rev. Taylor was fined $25 and sentenced to 40 days hard work for whipping his wife.^[10] In October 1884, The Courier-Journal published a scathing and racist article accusing Ohio Republicans of arranging Rev. Preston Taylor of Mt. Sterling and A. W. Redd of arranging for Kentucky African-Americans to travel to Cincinnati, Ohio, under the guise of an Odd Fellows reunion, for fraudulent voting there on October 14.^[11]

By 1885, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and began preaching at Gay-street Christian Church. In Nashville he was one of the most influential and wealthiest in the city. "In 1887, Taylor purchased thirty-seven acres of land at Elm Hill Pike and Spence Lane and established Greenwood Cemetery, Nashville’s second oldest black cemetery, on the property. On 1 October 1887 the elders of the Gay-street Christian Church informed Rev. Taylor he would no longer be needed after 1 January 1888. They believed he had caused dissension in the church (and loss of members) with his innovations in the mode of worship, such as by having the organ played during communion. The elders accused him of then preaching against their authority to dismiss him. A meeting of the congregation was held on 3 January to remedy matters, but no official business could be conducted due to the disagreement. On 7 March 1888 the elders filed a bill in Chancery Court, and Chancellor Allen granted a temporary injunction restraining Rev. Taylor from occupying the pulpit or performing as its pastor.^[12]

In 1888 he founded Taylor Funeral Company at 449 North Cherry Street (now Fourth Avenue). In 1904, Preston was a founder of One Cent Savings Bank, the longest-running minority-owned bank in the country.

On 7 May 1890, he married Georgia Gordon in Davidson County, Tennessee.^[13]

In 1905 Taylor purchased land at the corner of Spence Lane and Lebanon Road and established the Greenwood Recreational Park for Negroes. The park contained elaborate fountains, gardens, a baseball park, rides, bandstands, and special attractions. The annual State Colored Fair, which attracted as many as fourteen thousand attendees in a single day, was held on the site. Taylor’s horse-drawn “pleasure wagons” met streetcars at the Green-Fairfield Street turnaround and took customers to the Lebanon Road park entrance. Twice mysterious fires threatened to destroy the park. Otherwise, there was no challenge to Greenwood Park until Hadley Park, the first city-owned park for blacks, opened in 1912.^[14]

At age 63, Preston applied for an invalid's pension based on his Civil War service on 11 November 1912 from Tennessee. A pension was granted on certificate 1,172,271.^[15]

He married Ida D. Mallory on 21 June 1916 in Davidson County.^[16]

Rev. Taylor was president of the National Convention of Colored Disciples from its founding about 1919.^[17] By 1931, Rev. Taylor had been ill for a long time. The "Wide-Awake" group of YWCA Girls Reserve carried Easter eggs to Rev. Taylor to show appreciation for his kind attention to the Girl Reserves.^[18]

Rev. Taylor died on 13 April 1931 in Nashville, Tennessee.^[19] Funeral services were conducted by Rev. H. L. Herod, vice-president of the National Convention of Colored Disciples, of which Rev. Taylor remained president until his death. Mrs. Herod also traveled to the funeral, and was an officer in the women's division of the convention.^[17] He was buried at Greenwood Cemetery.^[20][21]

Slave Owner

According to Preston's Compiled Military Service Record, "Name of reputed owner Holand Elbert."^[5]

Preston's Freedman's Bank record lists his "mistress" as Margaret Elbert. The line for "name of master" is blank.^[4]

Research Notes

Parents:
Preston's record in the Freedman's Bank records lists his mother as Bettie Taylor. "Father" is crossed out, as is the word "married."^[4]

First Two Marriages:
His biography in Men of Mark states that he lived in Louisville, Kentucky after the Civil War and worked as a porter for the L&C Railroad. The Preston Taylor found in Louisville in 1870 worked as a porter; that census also shows that he was married in April 1870. Preston Taylor married Ellen Spradling in Jefferson County on 7 April 1870. His occupation, age, residence, and birthplace all point to this being the correct Preston Taylor. By extension, Ellen Spradling is this Preston Taylor's wife.

Although no marriage record has been found for Preston Taylor and Anna Hoffman, this marriage has been confirmed via their daughter Hattie Taylor, who was born in 1881. Her death certificate names her parents as Preston Taylor and Anna Hoffman, and that Hattie's birth place was Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, which is where this Preston Taylor had a church for several years.^[22] Her census records also list her father's birth place as being Louisiana, the same as this Preston.

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwood_Cemetery_(Nashville,_Tennessee)
2. ↑ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwood_Park_(Tennessee).
3. ↑ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preston_Taylor
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Bank Record: "U.S., Freedman's Bank Records, 1865-1874", database with images
   The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC; Registers of Signatures of Depositors in Branches of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company, 1865-1874; ARC Identifier: 566522; Record Group Number: 101; Record Group: Records of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 1863-2006
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 8755 #215301 (accessed 3 December 2023)
   Name: Preston Taylor; Gender: Male; Birth Place: Lexington, Kentucky; Account Date: 8 Feb 1867; Residence Address: Lexington, Kentucky; Residence: Lexington, Kentucky; Application Date: 8 Feb 1867; Bank Location: Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, USA; Relation to Head: Self (Head); Complexion: 5f. 5in. Light; Military Company: Co. G. 116th U. S. I.; Mother: Bettie Taylor; Description: Roll 11: Louisville, Kentucky; Sep 15, 1865-Jul 8, 1874; Account Number: 1278; Household (Name)
   Relationship: Preston Taylor Self (Head)
   Bettie Taylor Mother.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Compiled Military Service Record: Taylor, Preston, Compiled Military Service Record, 116th US Colored Infantry. Images available on Fold3.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Simmons, William J., and Henry McNeal Turner. "Chapter XXXIII. Rev. Preston Taylor." In Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising. GM Rewell & Company, 1887. page 296–301.
7. ↑ Marriage: "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954", database with images
   citing Digital film/folder number: 005558641; FHL microfilm: 000819634; Image number: 152; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: M01184-8
   FamilySearch Record: Q2Q6-MVKJ (accessed 2 December 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: 3QS7-89SQ-6BTQ
   Preston Taylor marriage to Ellen Spradling on 7 Apr 1870 in Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States.
8. ↑ 1870 Census: "United States Census, 1870"
   citing Page: 318; Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Affiliate Publication Number: M593; Line: 26; Digital film/folder number: 004269327; FHL microfilm: 000545975; Image number: 322; Packet letter: A; Indexing batch: N01519-3
   FamilySearch Record: MXWX-DBX (accessed 30 November 2023)
   FamilySearch Image: S3HT-DR99-H32
   Preston Taylor (23) in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky, United States. Born in Louisiana.

   Name	Sex	Age	Occupation	Birth Place
   Cedar Williams	F	56		North Carolina
   Jerry Williams	M	35		Louisiana
   Preston Taylor	M	23	Porter on R.R.	Louisiana
   Ella Taylor	F	20		Kentucky
   Theresa Spray	F	3		Kentucky

9. ↑ “Taylor, Preston,” Notable Kentucky African Americans Database, accessed August 27, 2022, https://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/1211.
10. ↑ "Kentucky Knowledge." Semi-Weekly South Kentuckian (Hopkinsville, Kentucky), Tuesday, July 1, 1884, page 2.
11. ↑ "Repeaters for Ohio." The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), Thursday, October 9, 1884, page 1.
12. ↑ "A Preacher Enjoined." The Courier-Journal Louisville, Kentucky), Thursday, 8 March 1888, page 1.
13. ↑ Marriage: "Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950", database with images
    citing Page: 399; Digital film/folder number: 004486013; FHL microfilm: 000200298; Image number: 209
    FamilySearch Record: KZ7T-D6J (accessed 30 November 2023)
    FamilySearch Image: S3HT-61W3-4H1
    Preston Taylor marriage to Georgia M Gordon on 7 May 1890 in Davidson, Tennessee, United States.
14. ↑ https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/preston-taylor/
15. ↑ Military: "U.S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934"
    The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; U.s., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934; NAI Title: General Index to Civil War and Later Pension Files, Ca. 1949-Ca. 1949; NAI Number: 563268; Record Group Title: Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, 1773-2007; Record Group Number: 15; Series Number: T288; Roll: 465
    Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 4654 #1589590 (accessed 4 December 2023)
    Name: Preston Taylor; Unit: G. 116 U.s.c. Infantry; Filing Date: 11 Nov 1912; Filing Place: Tennessee, USA; Relation to Head: Soldier.
16. ↑ Marriage: "Tennessee Marriages, 1796-1950", database
    citing Digital film/folder number: 004934178; FHL microfilm: 200322; Record number: 72; Packet letter: A
    FamilySearch Record: X8BP-XTB (accessed 30 November 2023)
    Preston Taylor (65) marriage to Ida D. Mallory (36) on 21 Jun 1916 in Davidson, Tennessee, United States.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} "Returns from Tennessee." The Indianapolis News (Indianapolis, Indiana) Saturday, April 25, 1931, page
18. ↑ Chavis, J. D. "News of Interest to Colored People: Y. W. C. A. Notes." Nashville Banner (Nashville, Tennessee), Sunday, April 05, 1931, page 10.
19. ↑ "Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSW1-YP8 : 1 March 2021), Preston Taylor, 13 Apr 1931; Death, Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee, United States, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.
20. ↑ Memorial: Find a Grave (has image)
    Find A Grave: Memorial #21382260 (accessed 7 April 2023)
    Memorial page for Dr. Preston Taylor (7 Nov 1849-13 Apr 1931), citing Greenwood Cemetery, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, USA; Maintained by Johnny History (contributor 49654896).
21. ↑ "BillionGraves Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVMZ-6P91 : 24 June 2015), Elder Preston Taylor, died 13 Apr 1931; citing BillionGraves (http://www.billiongraves.com : 2012), Burial at Greenwood Cemetery, Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee, United States.
22. ↑ Daughter Hattie's Death: "Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998", database
    citing Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, source reference , record number , Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm
    FamilySearch Record: Q2MZ-7XZS (accessed 2 December 2023)
    Hattie Whitley Tyree death 23 May 1929 (born 6 Jul 1882), daughter of Preston Taylor & Anna Hoffman, wife of Frank Tyree, in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States.

• https://archive.org/details/menmarkeminentp00turngoog/page/n329/mode/1up

• "United States Census, 1900", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS87-Q9H : Fri Oct 06 19:53:28 UTC 2023), Entry for Preston Taylor and Georgia Taylor, 1900.

• "United States Census, 1910", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGX5-P57 : Thu Oct 05 04:24:15 UTC 2023), Entry for Preston Taylor and Georgia Taylor, 1910.

• "United States Census, 1920", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN5B-1L3 : Wed Oct 04 17:22:35 UTC 2023), Entry for Preston Taylor and Ida B Taylor, 1920.

• "United States Census, 1930", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPWV-6GD : Thu Oct 05 11:47:20 UTC 2023), Entry for Preston Taylor and Ida D Taylor, 1930.