When Wisconsin became a state in 1848, its densely forested north awaited railroad construction before settlement. Taylor County, the "Garden spot of Northern Wisconsin", was founded on March 4, 1875. The area was primarily forested with eastern hemlock. The county's early years were dominated by lumbering and leather tanning, the latter made possible by tannic acid leached from hemlock bark. Today, Taylor County's municipalities are home to diverse industries.

Since its establishment in 1844, Taylor County has known all too well the cycle of growth, decline, and hard-won renewal. Industries such as the railroad, as well as glass, pottery, and brick factories, once provided employment and opportunity for local families and spurred the development of the region. But when these businesses were lost and economic hardship followed, local residents fought mightily to revitalize their community and, through persistence and heart, made Taylor County a welcoming home to new generations of residents. Through the ups and downs of over a century, Taylor County has struggled and triumphed, making its own history in small towns and rural communities. Taylor County, the location of both of West Virginia's national cemeteries, was the site of the first Union casualty during the Civil War. The county's railroad heritage played a prominent role, and the town of Grafton once served as a railway hub and destination for city travelers. Perhaps the county's most influential native was Anna Jarvis, who founded Mother's Day when she initiated a church service in Grafton in 1908. This historic church and Jarvis's birthplace are now local landmarks and honor the vision and determination of the woman who created an international holiday.