Biography of A. C. Gaylord

A representative business man of Peck, being now engaged in the hardware business, a real pioneer in different regions where he has shown that dauntless spirit which ever characterizes the true frontiersman, a man of integrity and worth and always allied on the side of progress and up building of the country, we are constrained to grant to the subject of this article a representation in the history of Nez Perces County.

A. C. Gaylord was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, on January 19, 1845, being the son of Giles and Nancy (Taylor) Gaylord. The father was born in Pennsylvania in 1816 and died in 1880. He was a pioneer of Carroll County, Illinois; his parents were pioneers of Bradford, Pennsylvania, and both lived to be one hundred years old. The mother of our subject was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, in 1818 and still lives with our subject, being aged eighty-four years. Her parents were pioneers of Pennsylvania. When this son was two years old, the family came to Carroll County, Illinois, and there he grew to manhood and received his education.

In 1862, though still a lad, he was stirred by the call of patriotism, and enlisted in the Ninety-second Illinois, afterwards going to join the Seventh Cavalry, in which latter he fought until the close of the war. He was under General Thomas a good portion of the time.

Mr. Gaylord was active in the taking of Fort Donelson, in all the conflicts in the raid at Nashville, and in many other struggles, ever conducting himself with the true spirit of bravery and faithfulness of a patriotic soldier and man of courage and intrepidity. At the close of the war he laid aside the weapons of carnage and went to Manning, Iowa, and there took up the livery business. Seven years later, he went to Springfield, Nebraska, engaging himself in the hotel and livery business combined. Soon we see him in the Hot Springs country, South Dakota, where he acquired title to three thousand acres of land and devoted himself to raising stock. He continued steadily at that as well as buying and shipping for seventeen years. It was 1901 that he sold his estates and stock in Dakota and came to Nez Perces County. He bought a farm on Russell ridge and then opened a hardware store in Peck, where he is doing a good business now.

In 1882, while in Dakota, Mr. Gaylord married Miss Mary, daughter of John Bingham, of Illinois. Mrs. Gaylord was born in New York City, in 1863, and has three brothers and two sisters. Mr. Gaylord has three brothers, Orlando, an old soldier, Preston, Joseph. To Mr. and Mrs. Gaylord, one child, Ackie, has been born.

Mr. Gaylord is a member of the I. O. O. F., and is a Republican, being active in the realm of politics. He is generally an attendant at the conventions and is always on record for good men, while in school matters, Mr. Gaylord labors for better facilities and education of the masses more fully.

Source: An Illustrated History of North Idaho: Embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone counties, state of Idaho; Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903

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