Despite compiling such a lengthy work, Taylor included very little about himself in it. He does say:
The author's christened name is Theodore Asa Taylor, nicknamed Tom and most generally known by the appellation. My mother was an English woman from the family of Blakes in England. My father was Scotch-Irish whose middle name was Mc Clenethenan, whose forefather claimed a plaid and clan. My hobbies are photography and wild flowers.
Taylor was Mayor of Grand Rapids in 1893 and served on the Library Board 1925-1947.
from the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, Monday, August 21, 1961, Page 11
T A TAYLOR 1866-1961
Word has been received here of the death at Long Beach (Los Angeles Co), CA of T. A. "Tom" Taylor, 94, a former Wisconsin Rapids resident who has long been prominent in business and civic life of this community.
The date of his death and the time and place of funeral services were not stated in the communication from a member of his family.
Mr Taylor was born at Menasha on Nov 15, 1866 and came here as a young man, about 1890, and engaged in the insurance business over a span of some fifty years. Prior to his opening his own agency, he had been employed in the insurance department of First National Bank.
After retiring from the insurance field, he served Consolidated Water, Power and Paper Company for several years as an agent in land acquisitions. He moved to California about 15 years ago. During residence here he was a member of the First Congregational Church, Elks Lodge and Masonic Order. At the time of his death he was considered to be one of the oldest Shriners and Knights Templar in the world. He was instrumental in construction of the Witter Vocational School.
Recognized as an authority on local history, Mr Taylor was commissioned by the City Council in 1934 to compile a pictorial history of Wisconsin Rapids. This large volume of photos and additional volume of accompanying text were placed in the T B Scott Public Library, where they are still available to persons interested in historic research.
Mr Taylor is survived by two daughters, Mrs Helen Lindsley, Corona Del Ray, CA and Mrs Jane Youngman, Omaha, NE; three grandsons, William Colburn, Laurence Arpin and Webb Arpin, and three other grandchildren.