John Taylor was born in Westport, Connecticut on August 13th, 1826. In 1848 he joined a party of fifteen young men called "The Empire State Mining Company" who were determined to reach California. They set sail on the ship "Orpheus" on January 30th, 1849 and arrived in San Francisco on July 8th. Upon arrival they camped in Happy Valley and spent two weeks getting their supplies off the ship. They then transferred their supplies to the Bark, "Mary Stewart", and started for Sacramento. Mr. Taylor severed ties with "The Empire State Mining Company" and joined his brother who was already mining at Barnes Bar, on the North Fork of the American River. He mined with his brother for a short time and then joined the "Oregon Bar Mining Company" three miles down the river. He held the position of Treasurer for the company, until it disbanded at which point Mr. Taylor went to Sacramento with a companion. There they attempted to start a business but their goods were destroyed in a flood. Mr. Taylor and his associates later settled an area in the Sacramento Valley, though Mr. Taylor returned to San Francisco after contracting an illness. From Sacramento he took the Steamer, the "Senator", and arrived in San Francisco in February of 1851. In San Francisco, Mr. Taylor was reunited with his brother and regained his health. After being employed in a hardware store, he soon opened his own business under the name of "John Taylor & Co." Mr. Taylor was a member of the San Francisco Vigilance Committee in 1856.
From the description of Autobiography and Reminiscence of John Taylor, San Francisco, 1901. (The Society of California Pioneers). WorldCat record id: 55979266
