|
a.
|
Note: The 1850 Census of Seneca, Ontario, NY shows: Walter T. Taylor 47 School Teacher $2500 born NY
Charlott 47
Margaret 23
Ann 21
Charlott 18
Hugh W. 16 Student
Marcah L. 12 (female)
Edward H. 10
William 7
Francis C 2
Anna 81
About a page away is Joseph Stow 76 born Mass and Cyntha 73 MA and next
page is Mary A Stowe 50 b. MA living alone.
Walter Teller Taylor was born in the Mohawk Valley near Schenectady, NY, of Dutch and English ancestors. His parents were farmers, and his earliest childhood was much like that of other farm boys, except that he, from his earliest childhood, had an unquenchable thirst to become a thorough scholar. The means and opportunity to accomplish such a result were, of course, woefully lacking in that neighborhood at that early date, yet such was the boy's determination that when he was but fourteen years of age, and almost entirely self-taught, he successfully passed the examination required of public school teachers, but was not given a school, being considered too young to govern scholars who would naturally be under his charge. He continued his studies, however, devoting his spare time from his occupation as clerk in a general store.
He was married to Charlotte Dobbin and shortly thereafter abandoned his business pursuits and took up his life work, that of an educator. He established a classical academy at Geneva, NY, which he conducted with marked success from an educational if not from a financial point of view. By his unflagging industry he became, what he started out to be, a scholar, in mathematics, history, polite literature and the sciences. His broad scholarship and great ability as an educator was not only recognized by Geneva (now Hobart) College, which bestowed upon his the degree of MA honoris causa, but his reputation extended throughout the East.
Mr Taylor was a deacon and afterwards an elder in the Reformed Church that then flourished in Geneva.
In the fall of 1850 he accepted a position of principal of the Holland Academy then about to be established in Holland, MI and closing his academy at Geneva moved with his family to the new "colony" as it was then called. The Holland Academy was at first located in a rather small building and only boys and young men were received within its walls. About a year later Mr. Taylor undertook to conduct not only the academy but also the free public school as one institution so that the public school building which was of considerable size became the new academy. This change gave some of the benefits, at least, of the academy to the girls of the Colony as well, and was the beginning of what has resulted in splendid co-educational system now existing in Hope College and its preparatory department.
In conducting the school (for in one sense there were two distinct schools) he was assisted by his daughter, Margaret W. and his son Hugh W. Taylor. Margaret, his oldest daughter, was a very highly educated woman, having been her father's pupil, and in some subjects his assistant in his own academy of Geneva. She died in July of 1852 at the early age of 25.
Mr. Taylor was a teacher of the "old school" - very strict, sometimes, very stern, but also very just. He had no favorites and his younger children, who attended the school, received the same punishment as the other pupils for infractions of rules or neglected study or lack of attention; in fact, they sometimes thought that they got a little extra punishment because they were his children, and should therefore set a better example.
The first students from the Colony that graduated from Tutger's College were prepared by Mr Taylor. The names of these students are too well known to the old residents of Holland to require special mention here, and doubtless that are already, or will be, included in the series of papers of which this is one.
In the fall of 1853, Mr Taylor resigned his position as principal of Holland Academy, and returned to New York with his family. The death of his daughter Margaret had no doubt much to do with his leaving Holland and its academy at that time. On his return, his own home in Geneva being rented, he took charge of the academy at Avon Springs, NY and after remaining there about a year returned to Geneva and reopened his own academy. Not long after that he died after a brief illness. The words chosen for his tombstone were requested by some of his pupils: "Integer vitae, scelerisque pursus"
Source: Genealogical notes by Edward W.D. Taylor, Walter's grandson
|
