Dates
Biographical History
Hawkins Taylor (1811-1893) was a politician and lawman in the 1800's.
Hawkins Taylor was born on November 15, 1811, in Barren County, Kentucky to Samuel and Catherine Taylor. He married Melinda Walker in the spring of 1834. He was elected to the House of Representatives of the territorry of Iowa in 1838, and in 1840 he was elected Sheriff of Lee County.
Taylor was famous for arresting Hyrum Smith, the brother of Joseph Smith, as well being part of the group that drove the Mormons from Nauvoo in 1846 during the Battle of Nauvoo. In 1846 he moved to West Point, Iowa, and became mayor in 1857.
He was also a very good friend to President Abraham Lincoln, and served in several political capacities during his tenure, including as a convention delegate (1860); chairman of a federal commission (1862); and, federal mail agent for the state of Kansas (1864).
Hawkins Taylor died in November, 1893, in Washington, D.C.
Citation:
UPB files, December 3, 2014 (b. Nov. 15, 1811, in Barren County, Kentucky to Samuel and Catherine Taylor; m. Melinda Walker in the spring of 1834; elected to the House of Representatives of the territorry of Iowa in 1838, and in 1840 he was elected Sheriff of Lee County; famous for arresting Hyrum Smith the brother of Joseph Smith, as well being part of the group that drove the Mormons from Nauvoo in 1846; friend to the President Abraham Lincoln, in 1860 he was a convention delegate, and in 1862 was appointed chairman of a federal commission, and in 1864 Lincoln appointed him federal mail agent for the state of Kansas; d. Nov., 1893, in Washington D.C.)
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197235233647]
Identifier: MSS 8616
Content Description
Materials include a photocopy of a typewritten transcription of Hawkins Taylor autobiography. The memoirs include information throughout his whole life, including early life in Kentucky and political activities in Iowa and Nauvoo. He describes several interactions related to law enforcement with the Mormons, including arresting Hyrum Smith and being involved in the Battle of Nauvoo when the Saints were driven out in 1846. He ends describing his later political career with Abraham Lincoln....
Dates:
approximately 1880's
