REPUBLICAN POST

November 23, 1900

 

SUICIDE OF A PIONEER

 

George W. Taggart of Weyauwega

One of the Early Settlers, Hangs Himself

 

Cor. Milwaukee Sentinel.

            Weyauwega, Wis., Nov. 10.  George Washington Taggart, Sr., committed suicide shortly before noon Sunday by hanging himself in the barn with a halter. He was very old and feeble and not being in the house at noon a search was made about the premises and he was found in the barn by his son, George. Mr. Taggart was in his eighty-seventh year and had become quite deaf, and was almost blind. His wife died last year, aged 84 years.  Since then Mr. Taggart has failed rapidly.

            Mr. Taggart was born in Cortland county, N.Y., Feb. 22, 1813.  In 1836 he took passage on the Julia Palmer at Buffalo, and eighteen days later landed at the then village of Chicago, working as a carpenter at that place and at Racine.  The latter place had then only three frame buildings.  He settled upon a farm in Rochester, Racine county, in 1838, and soon after became the second postmaster of the village.  He also taught the first school in Western Racine county.  He came to Lind, this county, in 1848 with a party of six who were the first to make claims here.  He became postmaster of Lind, which town he named after Jenny Lind, the then popular singer, and became the first postmaster.  Mr. Taggart was elected the first county surveyor of this county in 1851, and held the office of under-sheriff, sheriff, special deputy sheriff and justice.  In 1857 he moved to Weyauwega with his family.

            He was married at Ypsilanti, Mich., in 1837 to Miss Eunice L. Fulton, a distant relative of Robert Fulton of steamboat fame. The surviving children are Mrs. M.B Patchin of New London, Mrs. C. Caldwell of Waupaca, George and Robert Taggart of Weyauwega, and a sister, Mrs. Harriet White, of Waupaca.

 

 

            The old gentleman was in Waupaca last spring, but was nearly blind, his son-in-law, Col. C. Caldwell, having to pilot him around but his mind was active and he enjoyed calling on the newspaper men and other friends in this city.  It was always a pleasure to meet him as he was a regular mine of infor-mation about early reminiscences of Wisconsin and Waupaca county.  He must have become out of his right mind to have desired death by his own hand.  It is very sad and the community will deeply sympathize with those who are bereaved over the unfortunate occurrence.  Mr. Taggart was an Odd Fellow and was buried under the auspices of that order.  A number of members from this city attended the funeral, which was held at one o’clock Tuesday.