James Taylor of Houlton and Hodgdon was born in 1808 and worked on the first Military Road to Houlton, which was built to supply troops sent to Aroostook County to support Maine's territorial claims.

Before the Military Road was built the only way of providing suppies was to ship them up the St. John River through New Brunswick, Canada. Taylor was also a well known ox-team driver hauling shipments from Soldiers Landing to Houlton.