George Washington Taggart was born in Hillsboro County, New Hampshire in 1816. He died in Richville, Utah in 1893. Over the course of a remarkable lifetime as patriot, churchman, pioneer, builder, and devoted husband and father, he left an example of faith, perseverance, strength and dignity that ennobles all who come after him.

We Taggarts are glad you have found us. As descendants of George Washington Taggart and members of the George Washington Taggart Family Organization we are immensely pleased to share with the world some small part of our beloved ancestor's life and times as they have been cherished and preserved by our family.

As you visit with us, we hope you will enjoy getting to know "GWT" as well as learning a bit about the Taggart family today. We are in every walk of life and scattered all around the globe, but we all share in a proud legacy handed down to us by this good man and we take seriously our obligations to honor that legacy.

In Honorable Remembrance . . .

As an officer in the United States Army of the West in 1846-47, George Washington Taggart  was a participant in the longest infantry march in history. At the beginning of his service our ancestor reflected on the momentous responsibility he had willingly taken up in a letter to his wife:

"I feel Fanny, as though I had made as great a sacrifice as I could well make, in that I have forsaken for the time being my possessions, my family and at the risk of life start for Mexico as a United States soldier with 500 of my brethren in order to show that the blood of my grandfathers who fought and bled in the Revolutionary War and the spirit of liberty and freedom still courses in the veins of some of their posterity that are called Mormons"

After a year-and-a-half of hardship, his duty done, GWT struggled home through winter snows to a joyous reunion with his wife and daughter. About GWT and his soldier compatriots  has been said:

"The Mormon Battalion will be held in honorable remembrance to the latest generation; and I will prophesy that the children of those who have been in the army, in defense of their country, will grow up and bless their fathers for what they did at that time. And men and nations will rise up and bless the men who went in that Battalion." -Brigham Young

At the moment we do not have an elected Family Coordinator, John Taggart, whose years of service are greatly appreciated, having had to step down from the leadership post.

The famous biennial Taggart Family Reunion was held Saturday, July 28th and was a rousing success. Over 200 Taggarts attended a day filled with fun and festivities. The theme of the reunion was "Harriet, Fanny and Clarissa - the Beloved Wives of George Washington Taggart." There were special visits from a descendant of each of our pioneer grandmothers who served as ambassadors, envoys and emissaries from their generation to ours. Historian and family member Joan Nay explained the Taggart/Nay connection and shared many humorous and poignant stories of the life and times of a pioneer woman in Nauvoo and Great Salt Lake City. The culmination was a remembrance in song and prayer with a Scottish bagpiper at the cemetery in late afternooon. Many willing hands brought the reunion to pass and a future article will provide more detail of an inspiring and joy-filled day.

Photographs of the reunion can be enjoyed on our own website here or viewed and downloaded full size here.

We'll leave the following information on this page for a while for those who might not have seen it yet:

The Morgan County Historical Society has a great deal of information pertinent to the area. Their website is well worth a visit. Two publications there are particularly interesting and can be downloaded and printed: 1.) Historical Overview Flyer and, 2.) Hastings Cutoff Brochure - includes information on the tragic Donner Party that passed through Morgan County.

Our Guest Book and Forum are not currently available. We regret that some other pages of the website are out-of-date and are working to correct it.

Documentary Film on DVD
George Washington Taggart - The Salt Lake City Years

Click Here

George Washington Taggart was a patriot who served his country at great personal sacrifice. We Taggarts remember.


9.11.2001

Drawing of George Washington Taggart at top of page
by Glen L. Edwards, Professor of Art, Utah State University

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