Early
Memories of
Author: Heath, May Francis
Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company;
ALFRED B.
TAYLOR
One of the oldest and
most reliable merchants in Saugatuck for more than fifty years was Alfred B.
Taylor. He was born in
When but fifteen years
of age he came with his father to Allegan,, when he was employed in a general
store and in 1868 the family moved to Saugatuck where he was employed in H. D.
Moore's general store and later was taken into partnership, the firm being
known as H. D. Moore & Co., which partnership continued until 1873 when he
entered the partnership with D. L. Barber, which ceased in 1879 when he went
into business for himself in the store of the then new I. O O.
F. building
In 1874 he was married
to Miss Julia B. Russell of Chautauqua, N. Y., and they became the parents of
three children, Russell Rice, Bessie Henrietta and Alfred B., Jr.
Mr. Taylor built up a
most successful mercantile business and though seriously afflicted with
rheumatism in the early eighties, which kept him in an invalid's chair the rest
of is life, his splendid wife entered the business and together continued, and
in 1896 established a banking business which afterward became the Fruit Growers
State Bank of Saugatuck. He was the first president of the bank and so continued
until 1912 when he moved to