Shelby County, Ohio is in western Ohio and was formed in 1819 from Miami County.
In the 1830s settlers began arriving in Iowa from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, Kentucky, and Virginia. Iowa became a state in 1846.
Jacob Taylor was born on August 23, 1819 in Fairfield, Bath Township, Greene County, Ohio. His parents were David Taylor and Anna Bolen. He was a triplet.
According to the Shelby County, Ohio Probate Court guardianship records Jacob was sixteen years old on August 24, 1835. His older brother, Abraham Taylor was chosen as his guardian and the guardian of his brother David. His brother, John Taylor and Reuben Staley were securities. On August 4, 1836, William J. Martin was appointed guardian to the Taylor children.
Jacob married Sarah Branstiter (Braunstiller) in 1845 when he was 26 years old in Shelby County. Their children and life together are described in the section on Jacob and Sarah Taylor. In 1846 Jacob became his sister, Margaret’s guardian.
In the 1850 census, he was listed as a cooper and in the 1860 and 1880 censuses he was a farmer. At the time of the 1880 census when he was age 60 and was was suffering from paralysis. It is interesting to note that his triplet, Mary Ann Barr, also suffered from paralysis later in life.
He died at the age of 64 on February 10, 1884 in Warren County, Iowa. He is buried in Carlisle Cemetery, Warren County, Iowa with Richard, Henry, and Mahalia who died young. Carlisle Cemetery is located in the southwest quarter and the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 10 of Allen Township. It is one-half mile south of the town of Carlisle.