Taylor opened his law practice in 1860. He started the
Guernsey Times newspaper in 1861; he was its owner until 1871. Taylor rose in prominence as he made a name for himself in the courts as well as his newspaper articles. Leading up to the
Civil War, Taylor ran articles denouncing slavery and called for negotiation to eliminate the practice.
Civil War Joining the
Union Army during the Civil War he entered as a
captain in the
88th Ohio Infantry. Taylor became a
judge advocate from 1863 until 1865, when hostilities between the states ended. Taylor also served as a
prosecuting attorney for Guernsey County from 1863 to 1866.
Early political activities Taylor soon turned to the public welfare by entering politics. He served as delegate to the
National Union Convention in 1866, joined the
Cambridge School Board from 1870 to 1877, and even served as a delegate to the
Republican National Conventions in 1876 and 1880.
Congress Taylor was elected as a
Republican to the
Forty-seventh Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of
Jonathan T. Updegraff. During his reelection he was voted into the
Forty-eighth Congress and served until 1885, when he lost another reelection bid. This setback did not stop him as he campaigned and won his bid to the
Fiftieth,
Fifty-first, and
Fifty-second Congresses and served from March 4, 1887, until March 3, 1893.
Later career Taylor retired from politics but remained an influential force in the development and growth of Guernsey County and Cambridge in particular. == Personal life ==