Horace Dickinson Taylor

(1821-1890) At the age of 17 Horace Dickinson Taylor left his native Massachusetts with his brother, Edward, after the sudden death of their parents. They settled in Independence, Texas, in 1838, and in 1848 the Taylor brothers moved to Houston where they established a cotton business. Horace became sole owner of the business in 1850 and soon thereafter bought a warehouse near a steamboat landing on Buffalo Bayou. From this strategic location he could roll cotton down to boats waiting below and within a short time developed a thriving cotton brokerage enterprise. Horace married Emily Baker in 1852. They reared three sons and two daughters here on their 3.5 acre wooded homesite. Taylor became one of the city's influential citizens, serving as alderman in 1861-1862, mayor in 1866, and as an elder of the First Presbyterian Church. Buffalo Bayou, neglected during the Civil War, was dredged during Taylor's term as mayor, effectively re-establishing commerce to the Gulf. The bayou soon became the lifeline of Houston businesses, allowing the city to successfully compete with Galveston for trade. Taylor, who was one of the founders of the Board of Trade and Cotton Exchange in 1874, continued in the cotton business until his death.

Horace Dickinson Taylor is a historical marker in Houston, Harris County, dedicated in 1993. It is one of 422 historical markers documented in Harris County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 849 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 29.7639, -95.3651 near Houston. The nearest cataloged historic site is Hogg Building (historical marker), about 0.1 miles away. Others within a short drive include Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Auditorium Hotel, and Magnolia Brewery Building.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5201010787. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.