Holt in Ingham County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
John Taylor
John Taylor was born into slavery in Kentucky and was liberated by Union troops during the Civil War. In August 1864, he enlisted in the 1st Michigan Colored Infantry. After the war, Taylor worked for farmer John Buck in Delhi Township. When Taylor left to seek employment elsewhere, Buck refused to pay him for his work. On the night of August 23, 1866, Taylor returned to the farm to collect his wages. Buck was not there, but Taylor came upon Buck’s wife, daughter and mother-in-law in the dark. He struck at them with an axe and fled. No one was seriously injured, but newspapers reported that Taylor had murdered Buck’s daughter and attempted to kill all three women. Some accounts said Taylor confessed to acting “in his fright and confusion,” with no intent to kill anyone. Taylor was caught and placed in the Ingham County Jail in Mason to await trial.
(Side 2)
Reacting to inaccurate news reports of a supposed triple-murder attempt, a mob seized teenaged John Taylor from his jail cell on August 27, 1866, and brutally lynched him near the railroad depot in Mason. Several local papers criticized the lynching’s “inhumanity and lawlessness,” but others excused the event by declaring the law would have been too lenient. The citizens of Mason passed a resolution to condemn the killing and formally “disclaim any participation in the horrible crime.” A mob leader was tried but acquitted. Taylor was buried and likely reburied somewhere along the “hogsback,” a glacial esker between Mason and Holt. Though this park came to be known as Deadman’s Hill, it was probably not Taylor’s final resting place. Delhi Charter Township acquired the park by donation in 1972, and it was renamed John Taylor Memorial Park in 2018.
Erected 2019 by Michigan Historical Commission - Michigan History Center. (Marker Number L2328.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • War, US Civil. A significant historical date for this entry is August 27, 1866.
Location. 42° 37.934′ N, 84° 30.663′ W. Marker is in Holt, Michigan, in Ingham County. Marker can be reached from Cedar Street north of Holbrook Drive, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located in John Taylor Memorial Park just north of 1721 Cedar Street and south of 1705 Cedar Street. The marker is near the parking lot a distance off the road behind Cedar Street Church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4221 Charlar Drive, Holt MI 48842, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Gunn School (approx. 3 miles away); Roswell Everett / Roswell Everett House (approx. 3.4 miles away); Michigan Retail Hardware Association (approx. 4.2 miles away); The Pink School (approx. 4.7 miles away); Mason Depot (approx. 4.7 miles away); Little Family Homesite / Malcolm X (approx. 4.7 miles away); Maple Grove Cemetery (approx. 4.8 miles away); In Honor of All Who Have Served (approx. 5 miles away).
Also see . . . Holt's Deadman's Hill...rededicated as John Taylor Memorial Park. (Submitted on September 19, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.)
Credits. This page was last revised on September 20, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 19, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 549 times since then and 59 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 19, 2021, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.