Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin) Taylor

author

Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin) Taylor

1819–1887

A lively 19th-century journalist and poet, he became widely known for his Civil War reporting for Chicago newspapers and later for travel writing, lectures, and verse. His work helped carry the voice of the American Midwest to a national audience.

1 Audiobook

The World on Wheels, and Other Sketches

by Benjamin F. (Benjamin Franklin) Taylor

About the author

Benjamin Franklin Taylor was an American poet, journalist, and lecturer born in Lowville, New York, in 1819. He studied at Madison University, later known as Colgate, and early in his career worked in education before moving into newspaper work.

Taylor spent many years with the Chicago Daily Journal, where he served as a literary editor and gained national attention as a Civil War correspondent. The Library of Congress notes that he won renown for his war reporting, and in later years he wrote as a freelancer, lecturer, and poet.

He published poetry, travel writing, and other prose, including Between the Gates and Complete Poetical Works of Benj. F. Taylor. He died in 1887, and he is still remembered as a distinctive 19th-century literary voice with strong ties to both New York and Chicago.