History
On March 11, 1862, George Thomas (Tom) Taylor was born in Linden, Tennessee in Perry County. Treasurer Taylor was the son of Alfred Meredith Taylor and Sarah Dodson Taylor and they raised him on a farm near Linden. After being educated in the local schools in Linden, Treasurer Taylor became a traveling representative for a Nashville firm when he was twenty years old. For ten years, Treasurer Taylor served as a traveling commercial salesman.
After serving many years on the road, Treasurer Taylor eventually established a home in Union City, Tennessee where he began to be involved in the grain and mercantile business. In 1890, Treasurer Taylor married Mattie Lee Irvine of Dresden, Tennessee. The couple had two sons, Bob Irvine Taylor and Wood Taylor.
In addition to his business ventures, Treasurer Taylor became active in politics during his lifetime. In 1896, Treasurer Taylor became a member of the state Republican committee from his congressional district. While serving in state politics, he also was an active delegate and supporter of national politics. During the presidential campaign of William McKinley, Treasurer Taylor served as one of the campaign managers.
In January of 1911, Treasurer Taylor was elected as State Treasurer for Tennessee by the state legislature. After his term as treasurer finished, Treasurer Taylor moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he became involved in the grain business and the automobile business. In addition to those business ventures, he served as the postmaster in Memphis. Over time, Treasurer Taylor also acquired large farm holdings in the Mississippi Delta and in Obion County, Tennessee. On May 7, 1949, G. Treasurer Taylor passed away at the age of 87.
Reference: Tennessee: The Volunteer State, 1769-1923, Vol. IV (Chicago, IL: The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1923); Will T. Hale and Dixon L. Merritt, A History of Tennessee and Tennesseans, Vol. IV (Chicago, IL: Lewis Publishing Company, 1913); John Allison, Notable Men of Tennessee; Personal and Genealogical (Atlanta, GA: Southern Historical Association, 1905); James I. Finney, “Reau E. Folk, Treasurer of Tennessee” Nashville Tennessean, 7 June 1908, p.A6; “Reau Estes Folk,” Tennessee Death Records, 1908-1958, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, TN.