Representative Vincent Albert Taylor - Contact Information

Vincent Albert Taylor (December 6, 1845 – December 2, 1922) was an American soldier, businessman, state legislator, and single-term U.S. Representative from Ohio who served in Congress from 1891 to 1893. A member of the Republican Party, he represented his Ohio constituents in the United States House of Representatives during a significant period in American history, contributing to the legislative process over one term in office.

Taylor was born on December 6, 1845, in Bedford, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. He was educated in the local common schools, receiving the basic formal education typical of mid-nineteenth-century Ohio communities. His early years in Bedford, a growing community near Cleveland, provided the foundation for his later pursuits in manufacturing, business leadership, and public service.

During the American Civil War, Taylor entered military service for the Union. He enlisted in May 1864 in Company H of the 150th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, one of the so-called “Hundred Days” regiments raised for short-term service to relieve veteran troops for front-line duty. In August 1864, he reenlisted in Company H of the 177th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served with this unit until the close of the war, mustering out after the end of hostilities. His wartime experience as a young soldier helped shape his sense of public duty and civic responsibility.

After mustering out of the service, Taylor returned to his hometown of Bedford. There he engaged in manufacturing pursuits, entering what would become his principal line of work. He became involved in the furniture industry and rose to prominence in local business circles. His success as a manufacturer and businessman in Bedford laid the groundwork for his later leadership of the Taylor Chair Company, a well-known local enterprise, and enhanced his standing in the community as an employer and civic figure.

Taylor’s growing prominence in business and local affairs led him into state politics. He served as a member of the Ohio Senate from 1888 to 1890, representing his district in the state legislature. In the Senate, he participated in the formulation of state laws and policies during a period of industrial growth and political realignment in Ohio, further establishing his reputation as a Republican leader and public servant.

Building on his state legislative experience, Taylor was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-second Congress. He served as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from March 4, 1891, to March 3, 1893. During his single term in the House of Representatives, he took part in the democratic process at the national level, representing the interests of his Ohio constituents and contributing to the legislative deliberations of the era. He did not seek renomination in 1892 and thus concluded his congressional service at the end of that term.

After leaving Congress, Taylor returned to his business interests in Bedford. He served as president of the Taylor Chair Company, guiding the firm as a leading local manufacturer and continuing his role as a prominent figure in the community’s economic life. He remained in this position until his death, maintaining active involvement in the company’s affairs well into the early twentieth century.

Vincent Albert Taylor died in Bedford, Ohio, on December 2, 1922, just four days short of his seventy-seventh birthday. He was interred in Bedford Cemetery. His life encompassed service as a Civil War soldier, a manufacturer and business executive, a member of the Ohio Senate, and a Republican U.S. Representative from Ohio during the Fifty-second Congress from 1891 to 1893.