San Francisco County
Biographies
JAMES M. TAYLOR
JAMES M. TAYLOR, a
prominent attorney of San Francisco,
is an honored member of the Society of California Pioneers, and a native of Vermont,
born in Manchester, Bennington
county, December
29, 1821. His parents were
early settlers of New England. His maternal grandfather was a soldier in the
Revolutionary struggle, participating in the battle of Bunker Hill,
and the subject of this sketch bears the name of his heroic grandfather. He received his education in Vermont
and New York, and studied his
profession in the latter State. Upon the
discovery of gold in California attracting the attention of the whole world,
sailed from New York, March 8, 1849, on the steam-ship Falcon, and from Panama
on this side on the whale-ship Sylph, Captain Gardner, and arrived here July
26. He joined the throng and went to the
mines, but his mining experience was brief, as he remained there only six weeks,
and then returned to San Francisco. He was elected Representative from this city
to the State Legislative as a Whig in 1852, and served in the sessions of 1853
and 1854, and again elected the same year, the second time after his
resignation, for opposing the extension of the water front 600 feet beyond what
it is now. After he resigned he was
unanimously re-elected. In 1858 he was
again elected Representative, as a Republican, from this city to the State
Legislature. He has been actively
identified in the progress and development of the city and State.
Transcribed
by Cathi Skyles.
Source: "The Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 2,
page 315-316, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2005 Cathi Skyles.
California Biography Project
San Francisco County
California Statewide
Golden Nugget Library