E. J.Taylor newspaper article

   My grandfather Elmer Jim Taylor appeared to spend a lot time fishing on the Missouri river. It appears this newspaper article was around the late 1920‘s because my mother was born in 1926 in Dakota City, Nebraska.  

The Sioux City Journal

Farmer Finds Third Body in River in Three Months;

Name of Victim Remains a Mystery

Authorities Are Trying to Identify the Man’s Corpse

When E. J. Taylor, Dakota county, Neb., farmer found the body of a drowned man floating in the Missouri river Monday. It was the third such gruesome discovery he had made in three months.

The corpse, which was fished from the stream under the direction of county officials, at first was thought to be that of Frank Clark, Sioux City express man, who was drowned in the Missouri about a week ago.

This belief, however, soon was disproved and now Dakota county officers and Sioux City authorities are attempting to solve the mystery of the dead man’s identity.

Another possible identity of the body was suggested by H. W. Davis, 2420 East Fourth Street, who viewed the corpse at the Westcott undertaking parlors to ascertain if it was the body of his son, who disappeared while hunting on July 20.

Mr. Davis suggested that the body might be that of “Indian Tom,” a Winnebago Indian which he met in Nebraska some time ago while searching for his missing son. He based his belief that it was “Indian Tom” on the fact that fingers were missing from both hands, as they were on “Indian Tom’s.”

The fact that the corpse was badly decomposed indicated that it had been in the water for considerable time. The man was about 5 feet 6 inches in height and apparently weighed about 150 pounds.

Fingers Are Missing

The thumb and forefinger of the dead man’s right hand and the thumb of his left hand had been amputated. Besides overalls and a coat the body was garbed in a blue shirt and leather shoes with rubber soles and heels. In the pockets were found a towel, a razor, shaving brush and soap, a comb, a pipe and a can of tobacco.

Although a part of the corpse was visible above the surface of the shallow water considerable difficulty was experienced in getting the body into a boat from midstream because of sandbars and current.

Taylor went out Monday to search about the river about one and one-half miles downstream from Dakota City for the body of Clark. He was in a boat and rowed about in the vicinity of where in the past few months he has helped to recover two other bodies.

On discovering the body, Taylor said he used a long piece of wire in an effort to tow the body away from the sandbar, which partially covered it. He was unable to get the body loose from the mooring, however he said, and then failed in an effort to lift it directly into the boat.

Taylor said that the man partly had removed the coat and that it was wound about one arm, indicating that he struggled to get free of the cumbersome blouse in the water and possibly had drowned when his arm became tangled in the coat.

Failing to loosen the body, Taylor fastened it to a stake in the river bed to keep it from drifting until others could aid in taking the body to shore.

River a Mile Wide

The river in that vicinity is nearly a mile wide and is filled with sand bars, which added to the inconvenience of rescue workers.

Nelson Smith, Dakota county coroner, who was notified of the discovery late Monday, summoned Dr. J. H. Robbins, Woodbury county coroner to assist in the investigation, believing then that the body was Clark’s.

Coroner Robbins began an investigation Tuesday after the body was brought to shore in an effort to establish, if possible, circumstances surrounding the cause of drowning.

Taylor several months ago assisted in rescue of the body in that same vicinity of Emil Alverado, Sioux City youth, who was drowned August 7 at the foot of Howard street and whose body was discovered a week later.

A few weeks before that part of the body of another person was discovered by Taylor on a sandbar in the river. It was taken to Homer, Neb., and buried, as it was so badly decomposed that it was beyond identification.

About three years ago Taylor also aided in the recovery of the body of another drowning victim in the Missouri river near Dakota City.

A letter from Corporal E.J. Taylor

On November 16, 1918 when World War I ended, my grandfather Corporal E.J. Taylor wrote a letter to his mother Mary Alice Arnett Taylor Baker. Below is the letter and my attempt to put the cursive writing into a printed format.

Nov 16, 1918

some where in france

Mrs. Mary Alice Baker

Dear Mother

I will send you a copy of a letter with a german officer rote about the first division. Well I am in the first division and shore glad of it for it was the first in france and the first to do every thing that was done in this mans war and I am shore proud of it. Well mother the war ended to day at 6 am and I shore was glad to hear it was over for I will be coming home soon. I think any how I hope so and hope is a picture of my self it  hant very good it cost one two dollars for six of them. Say mother some one called me up over the telepone the other day. But I didn’t get to talk with them. I don’t now ho it was thay told the Clerk that thay just come from the states and wanted to now if Corpal Taylor hear and he told him yess. Well I am going down town to morrow and see if I can find hou it was for I hant seen any body I new since I left Iowa. Say mother I am going to send you one hunard and 85 dollars just as soon as I get paid  Well how is Dad tell him I will be home in time to help him make hay before forth of July any way tell Nannie to look out for me for I am coming and she had better come our home and stay a month or two to tell her what I have done for my country. Well mother I will close so ancer soon. from a loving son to Mother and father and Brothers and sisters. Kiss for you all

Elmer Jim Taylor in World War I

   My grandfather Elmer Jim Taylor enlisted in the United States Army April 20, 1917 in Souix City, Iowa. Elmer departed on June 15, 1917 for France. Elmer was in the 1st Expeditionary Division, 16th Infantry, Company G. In the month of May 1918 he fought in the Cantigny and Soissons battles in France. Elmer arrived back in States on December 22, 1918. The wounds he suffered during the war were shellshock and being gassed. Corporal Elmer J. Taylor was honorably discharged from service on January 27, 1919 in Camp Dodge, Iowa. The above photo of Elmer was taken in France at the close of World War I.

My grandfather Elmer Jim Taylor

   Elmer Jim Taylor was born October 30, 1896 in Joplin, Missouri. The third son of Ephriam and Mary Taylor. Elmer was only 6 years old when his father died. A few years after Ephraim’s death, Mary with her youngest children moved to Oklahoma. Mary Alice Arnett Taylor married Oliver George Baker February 4, 1906 in Thomas, Custer County, Oklahoma. 

   Elmer’s wife, Virgia Minton, was a neighbor in the 1910 census. They married soon after Elmer was discharged from the U. S. Army in 1919. 

   The picture above was taken after Elmer came back from France in 1918. Elmer is with his mother Mary Alice Arnett Taylor Baker. 

My great great grandmother Sarah Jane Conrow Taylor Powers

   A comment by “newkid” on my blog entry “Ephriam Taylor my Great Grandfather” has sent me into a new direction when it comes to trying to find Ephram’s parents.  “newkid” found on the familysearch website that Tabitha's sister, Sarah Jane, was married briefly to a William Z Taylor. They were married July 4, 1858 in Wapello County, Iowa. This could explain why Ephram Taylor is with the Samuel Conrow family in the 1860 census living in the Columbia township of Wapello County, Iowa.

     Sarah married Henry M. Powers around 1862. They lived in Iowa before moving to Illinois and finally settling in Missouri.  In the 1880 census, Sarah and Henry are living in Marion, Newton County, Missouri. Sarah’s mother, Rachel Conroy “Conrow”, age 74, is living with them. In the 1900 census, Sarah and Henry are living in Webb Ward 4, Newton County, Missouri. Sarah had given birth to 8 children with 7 still living. In the 1910 census, Sarah and Henry are living in Wyandotte, Ottawa County, Oklahoma. They have been married for 47 years and for both of them this is their second marriage. Sarah gave birth to 8 children with 6 still living. Ephram died in 1902.

     Reviewing the information gleaned from the census schedules, Sarah Jane Conrow is a good match as to being Ephram’s mother. Also my Grandfather Elmer Jim Taylor and Great Aunt Alice Taylor Long had mention that either we were related to a Zachary Taylor or that Zachary Taylor was a 3rd great uncle which is a 3rd great-granduncle. 

My great grandfather Ephriam Taylor

    I have researched my families genealogy since the early 1980’s. I use to rent microfiche rolls of federal census records and spend hours in the library scanning through them. I traced most of my relatives back to the 1700’s. Except for my great grandfather on my mother’s side, Ephriam Taylor. I found him in the 1880 and 1900 Missouri census. He was married and working as a mining engineer for the Saginaw Mining Company. He died August 14, 1902 in Saginaw, Missouri. Finding out who his mother and father is where I hit a dead end. In the census records, Ephriam says his Father was born in Ohio or Missouri and his Mother was born in Ohio. Ephriam says he himself was born in Iowa.

     Tracing back to the 1860 Iowa census we see a 1 year old Ephriam Taylor residing with a Samuel Conrow family. He is enumerated with a Tabitha Chambers, age 35, Samuel Pollock, age 8, Mary C.Pollock, age 6 Ann Pollock, age 4. I traced Samuel Conrow back to Scioto County, Ohio in the 1850 Census. Living next to him was William Pollock age 46 with a female T. Pollock age 24 and two children both age 1 (twins) Rachel and E. I found that William Pollock married Tabitha Conrow the 6th of July 1848 in Scioto County, Ohio. This places Tabitha Chambers with her father Samuel in the 1860 census. Is Tabitha Ephram’s mother?

     Another reason I think this Ephriam Taylor is my great grandfather is that Samuel Conrow and Ephriam both show up in Missouri. In the 1870 census Samuel is living with a John Conrow in Jasper County, Missouri. In the 1880 census Ephriam is living in Newton County, Missouri which lies just south of Jasper County.

    Of course new questions arise: What happen to Tabitha’s children Rachel and E. in the 1850 Ohio census? Did Tabitha have a son named Ephriam with a man named Taylor? What happen to Ephriam in the 1870 census? What happened to Tabitha? Why did the Conrow’s migrate to Missouri?