Born: c. 1866
Died: c. April 3, 1938
Married: Jessica Harwar Keene (divorced), Marie Isabella Zane Cowles
Children: Foxhall Keene Taylor, James Robert Keene Taylor, Talbot Jones Taylor Jr. and Dorothy Keene Taylor
Talbot J. Taylor was a New York stockbroker who owned property on the south shore of Fish Creek Bay on Upper Saranac Lake. He apparently had plans to build a luxurious camp on the site, but financial reverses led to the land being purchased by Pennsylvania Governor George H. Earle, Jr. who built two camps there.
New York Times, April 3, 1938
TALBOT J. TAYLOR, EX-BROKER, DEAD
Former Head of a Stock Firm Here Bearing His Name Is Stricken in France
BEGAN HIS CAREER AT 16
Spent Time Since Retirement in the Cultivation of Prize Flowers on Riviera
Talbot Jones Taylor, former New York stock broker, died Friday night of pneumonia at his home in Nice, France, it was learned yesterday by a son, Foxhall Keene Taylor of New York. The retired broker, who until several years ago headed the firm bearing his name, was 72 years old.
Born in Baltimore, Mr. Taylor began working there in a brokerage office at the age of 16 and later came to New York. His associates in his firm here were his brother, James Blackstone Taylor, and a brother-in-law, Foxhall P. Keene, son of the late James R. Keene, noted Wall Street operator.
On May 15, 1892, Mr. Taylor married the only daughter of James R. Keene, Jessica Harwar Keene, and established a home at Cedarhurst. L. I., which he made one of the finest Long Island estates of the period. In 1908 that marriage ended in divorce and Mr. Taylor subsequently married Marie Isabella Zane Cowles of San Francisco.
In recent years Mr. Taylor had devoted himself to beautifying his home at Nice. In this endeavor he dwelt especially on the growing of flowers and his horticultural specimens took many first prizes In the Riviera shows.
Surviving are his widow and four children, Foxhall Keene Taylor, James Robert Keene Taylor, Talbot Jones Taylor Jr. and Dorothy Keene Taylor; his brother and a sister, Mrs. T. K. Miller of Baltimore.
Malone Farmer, September 17, 1902
Talbot J. Taylor, son-in-law of James R. Keene. of New York city, has bought a tract of 700 acres on Upper Saranac Lake, having a shore frontage of two miles. Mr. Taylor will establish a camp on the ground, to be ready for occupancy next season.
Plattsburgh Sentinel and Clinton County Farmer, July 31, 1903
BIG STOCKBROKERS FAIL
Two Wall Street Firms Ruined by Stock Slump.
JAMES R KEENE LOSES $1,500,000
Failure Due to Speculative Panic and Will Not Affect Business Generally. Liabilities Estimated at Between $8,000,000 and $9,000,000.
Now York. July 25.—Two important failures involving millions of dollars have been announced on The Stock Exchange. The firms forced to make an assignment were those of Talbot J. Taylor & Co. of Broad street and W. L,. Stow & Co. of 44 Exchange place.
The firm of Talbot J. Taylor & Co. is composed of Talbot J. Taylor, a son-in-law of James K. Keene; James B. Taylor and Foxhall Keene, a son of James R. Keene, who was a special partner.
The disaster which has overwhelmed these two Stock Exchange houses was the disastrous crisis long anticipated because of the long continued and persistent liquidation which has forced prices of stocks to lowest levels.
No statement of Taylor & Co.'s assets and liabilities has been made, but from the president of a leading national bank it is learned that the liabilities may be well on to $6,000,000.
Estimates of Stow & Co.'s liabilities range from $1,250,000 to $2,500.000.
Francis L. Hine, vice president of the First National bank, said, "The failures were speculative episodes and in nowise affect the business situation, which I believe to be thoroughly sound."
An interesting: incident in connection with the failure was the sending of $15,000 to the firm for Investment by Sidney J. Perry, whose manager reached the Broad street offices Just two minutes after the brokers' troubles were made public.
"A good stroke of luck." remarked the messenger as he returned with the $15,000.
James R. Keene in his apartments in the Waldorf-Astoria talked of the failure of his son-in-law's firm.
"My own fortune and the fortune of my family is not impaired," said Mr. Keene. "I lost about $1,500,000 for I the largest unsecured creditor of the firm of Talbot J. Taylor; but as I said, my fortune is safe. I never saw such a hopeless market as we have. When you can get such stocks as United States Steel preferred for 68 cents, is there any wonder that I refuse to help my son-in-law out any longer?"
Geneva daily times, August 13, 1903
…I heard a curious prophecy of the Keene catastrophe two or three weeks before it happened. Up in the Adirondacks Talbot J. Taylor, Keene's son-in-law and head of the shattered stockbroking firm, had bought for $60,000 a magnificent point of mountain land jutting out into Upper Saranac lake. Costly furniture expressed to Mr. Taylor was lying about the dock of the little steamboat, but there was no sign of their owner.
"I guess I know why he isn't building that big camp he talked about so much last year" said an Adirondack guide, pointing out the site selected for a cottage which would have surpassed those of Levi P. Morton and the Lewisohn brothers. "He's lost a million or so through Keene. He's pretty near the end of his rope, I hear."
The Adirondack guide is no fool, and he keeps his ears open.
Altamont Enterprise, April 16, 1909
Mrs. Talbot J. Taylor, daughter of James R. Keene. was granted an absolute divorce from her millionaire husband by the New York supreme court. She named Mrs. Mary Z. Cowles as corespondent
Adirondack Record, March 30, 1917
CAMPS COSTING $150,000 TO BE BUILT
George H. Earle of Philadelphia, who already has extensive camps on the St. Regis and Osgood Lakes, has begun the construction of a series of camps on the Upper Saranac Lake, which, when completed, will have cost upward of $150,000. The camps of Mr. Earle on the Upper Saranac Lake will be located on Fish Creek Bay on the Talbot Taylor property, which he recently purchased.
