William Robert Taylor (July 10, 1820 March 17, 1909) was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 and the 12th Governor

Governor of Wisconsin

The Governor of Wisconsin is the highest executive authority in the government of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The position was first filled by Nelson Dewey on June 7, 1848, the year Wisconsin became a state...

 of Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

 from 1874 to 1876.

Taylor was born in Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

. He was orphaned at age 6 when his father's ship was lost at sea; his mother had died when he was an infant. He then lived with his guardians in Jefferson County, New York

Jefferson County, New York

Jefferson County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 116,229. It is named after Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States of America, and president at the time the county was created in 1805...

. In 1848 he moved to a farm in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin

Cottage Grove, Wisconsin

Cottage Grove is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 6,248 at the 2010 census. It is a fast growing suburb of Madison and shares a school district with Monona...

. He had served as president of the Dane County Agricultural Society and the State Agricultural Society. He served in both the Wisconsin State Senate

Wisconsin State Senate

The Wisconsin Senate, the powers of which are modeled after those of the U.S. Senate, is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature, smaller than the Wisconsin State Assembly...

 and Wisconsin State Assembly

Wisconsin State Assembly

The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....

 and served one term as Wisconsin's governor.

Taylor died in a nursing home in Burke, Wisconsin

Burke, Wisconsin

Burke is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,990 at the 2000 census. The town is set to be annexed by the City of Madison, the Village of De Forest, and the City of Sun Prairie by 2036.-Geography:...

, at age 88.