[Illustration: Photo of Annie Edson Taylor standing next to her barrel.]
Mrs. Annie Edson Taylor, born October 24, 1855, near Auburn, N. Y., on
the bank of Owasco Lake, the country seat of her father, Merrick Edson,
who was of English descent, born in Massachusetts. Her mother, Lucretia
Warren, was born in Albany, N. Y., and was connected with some of the
oldest and best families of that day. Merick Edson owned large milling
interests on Owasco River, which runs through the city of Auburn. In
winter the family lived in the city, in summer on the farm, where
little Annie went to the district school, and in winter to the city
school. She was of a dreamy, imaginative disposition, fond of out-door
sports and of books, especially those which run on adventures, such as
“Life in Australia,” historical novels, and at the age when most girls
were thinking of lovers, was reading Roman History and Plutarch’s lives.
Merick Edson, her father, died when Annie was about 10 years of age.
From that time up to 14 life was uneventful. At that age she and two
older brothers were sent by their guardian to Charlottville, Schoharie
County, to a seminary for boys and girls. This was an excellent school,
discipline rigid, under the auspices of 24 selected teachers. There
friendships were formed which changed the current of Annie’s whole
life. Among the older girls was a Miss Jennie Taylor, a fine and
accomplished scholar, who was chosen as a room mate for Annie.