Background
Correspondence, legal and financial documents, printed material, creative works, and ephemeral material created and collected by John Shackelford Taylor document the life of an early pioneer to Sonoma County. Taylor, an original forty-niner, had business interests in the Santa Rosa, California area. He established a popular resort, White Sulfur Springs, and owned valuable land in downtown Santa Rosa. He built the most substantial business block at that time, known as the Taylor Block. Taylor was closely identified with every movement that was for the advancement of the county. He was one of the organizers of the Santa Rosa Bank and served a term as its president. Mr. Taylor was also one of a group of citizens who constructed a race track in Santa Rosa.
Collection
Donated by Taylor's niece, Hazel Taylor, in 1970. The collection includes two boxes of printed matter, creative works, and ephemera. The largest body of material is legal and financial materials covering the years between 1850-1948. Correspondence between Taylor and other family members regards the genealogy of the Taylor family.
Access
The research material in the collection is available to view by appointment.
