Taylor is a small town in Lafayette County. Comprised of just over four square miles in the northern Mississippi, Taylor is the only place name that William Faulkner didn’t change in his novels. The town’s namesake, John Taylor came to the area with his wife in 1832, settling north of the Yocona River on land that he purchased from the Chickasaws, and building a mill there. His wife gave birth to the first of the eight children they would have in Taylor. Before long, they were joined by other European-American settlers. A few large plantations were developed in the area, but mostly there were small farms worked by the owners and their families. The settlement was referred to as Yocona Station. Soon, there was a school, a church, and a cemetery. Stage Coach Road, linking Taylor to Oxford and Memphis, was the first main roadway. Between 1856 and 1858, the Mississippi Central Railroad was built, including a depot, which brought businesses to town. In 1862, the town was occupied by General Grant’s army. More than ten thousand Union soldiers occupied local plantations and farms, taking everything that was worth taking, and burning several homes. After the war, the Taylors built a two-story house along the railroad for travelers to rest and eat. The town was incorporated as Taylor’s Depot in 1873, and its name was shortened in 1907. In 1910, a fire destroyed nearly all of the homes and stores in the town center, beginning a decline. A boll weevil plague wiped out its cotton crops in 1914, forcing several sharecroppers to move north for work in the factories. By 1970, the town’s population had decreased to 92, less than the 100 necessary to remain incorporated, and its charter was revoked in 1972. The following year, the legislature was persuaded to reduce the required population to 92, and its charter was restored. Today, the town enjoys a reputation as an artist’s community. In 2010, a werewolf movie,Night of the Loup Garou, was set in Taylor.
Recommended Resources
Set in the small Mississippi town of Taylor, Mississippi, the movie was written by and directed by Micah Ginn and Matthew Notheifer, telling the story of an out-of-work and discredited anthropologist investigating the murder of six college students in Taylor, said to have been killed by a Cajun werewolf known as the Loup Garou. A trailer, photographs, and the legend that it is based upon are featured, with movie posters and showtimes.
http://www.mississippiwerewolf.com/
Built around 1889, the Taylor, Mississippi store was a dry goods store until 1930, when it became a general store, and it currently serves as a general store and catfish restaurant. Directions, hours of operation, a gallery of photographs, a menu, and information about its catering services are put forward.
http://www.taylorgrocery.com/
Taylor United Methodist Church
Established in 1901, the UMC congregation meets at its circa 1920s facility in Taylor, Mississippi, about seven miles south of Oxford. Directions, a calendar of upcoming programs and events, a brief history and profile of the church, contact information, and announcements are included.
http://www.taylorumc.net/
David Simmons, a Boulder, Colorado-based software engineer, has presented a photographic introduction to the village of Taylor, Mississippi, highlighting its role as a place for artists and writers, with descriptions of the scenes that are presented, all taken in February of 2002.
http://www.davidsimmons.com/pers/photo/taylor/
Taylor is a small town in northern Mississippi. The official town web site presents a history and a profile of the community, demographics, maps, photographs, and a calendar of upcoming events. Its board of aldermen and planning commission are introduced, and court and budget information is included.
http://www.villageoftaylor.org/
