The History of the Yakima Valley, Washington, Comprising Yakima, Kittitas and Benton Counties, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1919, Volume II, page 403 OVAN A. TAYLOR. Ovan A. Taylor, an orchardist devoting his attention to the further development of five acres of land a mile and a half northwest of Buena that is planted to apples, was born in Queens county, New Brunswick, December 26, 1848, and is a son of John W. and Rachel (Price) Taylor, who were also natives of that country. The father was a farmer and lumberman and both he and his wife spent their entire lives in New Brunswick. Ovan A. Taylor acquired a public school education in his youth and on starting out in the business world sought employment in the lumber woods, where he remained to the age of twenty-seven. He crossed the border into the United States in 1871, making his way to Minnesota. He afterward took up government land in Kingsbury county, South Dakota, in 1881 and there engaged in farming until 1908, when he came to Yakima county, Washington, and for two years thereafter managed the Hilton ranch. He subsequently spent one year in British Columbia and in 1913 he returned to Yakima county, where he purchased five acres a mile and a half northwest of Buena, already planted to orchards. He has built a good home upon this place and personally cares for his ranch, although he has now passed the Psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten. His land was all in orchards when he purchased it and he raises Jonathan and Winesap apples. On the 31st of October, 1875, Mr. Taylor was married to Miss Minda Rundle, a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Edwards) Rundle. Fraternally Mr. Taylor is a prominent Mason. He became a member of De Smet Lodge No. 55, A. F. & A. M., in South Dakota, has since taken the Chapter degrees and is a thirty-second degree Mason. He likewise belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he has filled all of the chairs and has served as a delegate to the grand lodge. His wife is identified with the Eastern Star and with the Rebekahs, the ladies' auxiliaries of the Masons and the Odd Fellows. She also has membership in the Congregational church, while the religious faith of Mr. Taylor is that of the Baptist church. In politics he is a republican, giving stalwart support to the party because of his firm belief in its principles as factors in good government. He served as deputy sheriff while in South Dakota but has never sought or desired office in Washington, preferring to concentrate his time and attention upon his orcharding interests, which are now bringing to him a substantial income. ******************************** Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in December 2007 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.