Marshall Walter Taylor was born on the outskirts of Indianapolis
on November 26, 1878. He was one of eight children. Raised in
the Indianapolis home of a wealthy white family, that employed
his father, Marshall was destined for greatness. At a young age,
he was given the gift of a bicycle from the family. In 1891, at
the age of thirteen he began to earn his first few dollars
delivering newspapers. In his free time, Taylor would spend
hours out back teaching himself to ride the bicycle. Day in and
day out, he would practice balancing perfectly on the bike. He
soon became so skilled at the art and took his riding a step
further. He began teaching himself stunts. Spectators would
often find him cycling through town performing his tricks.
Crowds would gather around him in awe of his athleticism. He had
a knack for making cycling look easy and fun. Bike shop owner,
Tom Hay, heard the crowds clamoring around Marshall and offered
the young sensation a job. He offered to pay Marshall to perform
his stunts each day in