Florance Walton Taylor

Born in Danville, Illinois, on July 19, 1889, Florance Walton Taylor built a career as an author after beginning with short stories for children that were sold to newspapers. The Illinois Authors Directory notes that her first book, With Fife and Drums, appeared in 1936.

She went on to write for different audiences. Among her children's books were Vermilion Clay, about the old salt works in Vermilion County, and Towpath Andy, centered on the Wabash and Erie Canal. After years of research and work, she also published Salt Streak, her first adult book.

Taylor's work is remembered for combining fiction with a strong sense of place and history, especially in stories connected to Illinois and the Midwest. She died on August 7, 1984.