Taylor-Langworthy Families. Papers, 1817-1895, 1912 | Illinois History and Lincoln Collections

This collection contains the family papers of the Taylor-Langworthy families of Princeton, Illinois.

Joseph I. Taylor (1822-1876) was a lawyer from Princeton, Illinois. In 1850, he married Sarah Ann Langworthy (1824-1909). They eventually had seven daughters. Sarah's father, Cyrus Langworthy, had moved to Princeton, Illinois, in 1834, where he was elected sheriff in 1837, 1838, and 1840, and became a member of the state legislature in 1842. Sarah's brother, Lucius Lucene Langworthy, served in Company I, 12th Illinois Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War and fought in the battles of Fort Donelson and Shiloh; he also participated in Sherman's March to the Sea.

The Taylor family papers contain correspondence between Joseph and Sarah, including several letters written by Joseph during a European and Near Eastern tour in 1867; papers from his legal practice including case notes, bills, receipts, and a fee book; expense records and plans for the construction of Taylor's house and office; and Taylor's literary works, including the book he wrote on his tour, A Gyre Thro' the Orient. In addition, there are twenty diaries kept by Joseph from 1856 to 1876 containing his opinions on politics, the ethics of fellow members of the bar, the morals of the townspeople, the Civil War, military bounties, and the draft. There are also many interesting references to Abraham Lincoln, whom Taylor met on an Ohio raft trip in 1849.

The Langworthy family papers contain forty-five Civil War letters written by Lucius Langworthy to his parents, his sister, and other members of his family. In addition, the collection contains Cyrus Langworthy's land records, pension papers, and certificates of election. Also included are land records and receipts of various individuals, and a medal from the 1912 Grand Army of the Republic National Encampment.

The Illinois Historical Survey, predecessor to the Illinois History and Lincoln Collections, purchased this collection from Mary W. Walter, great-granddaughter of Joseph Taylor and Sarah Langworthy Taylor, in 1976.