My Genealogy Hound

SAMUEL W. TALIAFERRO is a resident of Guthrie Precinct, and lives upon the farm where he was born April 15, 1843. He is the fifth child of a family of six, born to Samuel W. and Sallie (Moore) Taliaferro. The father was born in Albemarle County, Va., July 19, 1798. In youth he came to Greene County, Ky., a few years later he came to Todd County and settled on this farm, where his widow now resides; he died October 11, 1879. On coming here he worked at the brick-laying trade, and at the end of a few years had earned sufficient means to buy 150 acres of land, which has since been increased to about 500 acres, he applied himself diligently to agricultural pursuits, and as a result was enabled to leave his surviving children each a handsome legacy; he was rigidly honest and exacting, both as to paying and collecting honest debts. An incident may be related which goes to show his honesty. In 1819 he borrowed from a young man a pair of saddle-bags and an umbrella in Kentucky, to take on his trip to Virginia. On his return to Kentucky the young man was gone, and could not be found; after a lapse of over fifty years, he accidentally heard that this friend was living in Hart County, Ky.; these articles being worth about $8, Mr. Taliaferro computed the interest for this length of time with the principal, and deputized a Methodist preacher to call on this man and pay him for these articles with interest; he at first refused but was finally persuaded to accept pay. Though naturally indisposed to give, he had become by the grace of God, one of the largest, most regular and reliable contributors to the enterprises of the church (Methodist Episcopal Church South), with which he was connected. He was married June 24, 1829, to Sallie (McClung) Moore; she was born in August, 1804, in Virginia; her parents were David Moore and Jennie McClung; they came to what is now Todd County in 1807, and settled near Trenton on Spring Creek; this family consisted of ten children: Polley, Jennie, Nancy, Isabella, Andrew, David, Patsey, John, Betsey and Sallie; the latter is the only surviving member of this family and mother of six children: David, for the past thirty years a resident of Warren County, Ill.; Isabella, Samuel W., Frank, Leroy and Sallie Mac. Leroy died July 18, 1859, aged twenty-four; Samuel W. was married in 1870 to Alice Millen of Todd County; she died June 11, 1880, leaving two children: Samuel W. and Jennie Mac. S. W. owns the farm known as the Squire Terry Place, which consists of 450 acres, and also has charge of his mother’s farm. About six years ago he engaged in breeding Jersey cattle and Poland China pigs; his herd of cattle is valued now at about $10,000. See portrait of S. W. Taliaferro, Sr., on another page.