The Scott Families of Butler County, Ohio

JOHN SCOTT. Such was the prominence of this gentleman in the agricultural circles of Butler County, that it is fitting a brief memorial of his life should appear herein. Connected throughout his entire life with the history of this part of the state, he contributed to its material development and aided in its progress. He was born August 15, 1810, and passed away May 7, 1891, at his home on section 25, Milford Township.

For some time the residence of the Scott family was in Pennsylvania, whence they went to Kentucky, and thence, probably in the spring of 1797, our subject’s grandfather, John Scott, and father, James Scott, crossed the Ohio and planted a crop of corn at the mouth of Indian Creek, near the fort. In the fall of the same year, they returned for the harvest, and the next year repeated this operation. In 1798 they became actual settlers of this state, leaving Kentucky for Ohio the day after Christmas, accompanied by Mary Richey, wife of James Scott, and the other members of the family. Disappointed in securing the tract they had hoped to obtain and where they* had grown two crops, they came, in 1803, to Milford Township, Butler County, locating on the Watama, or Seven Mile Creek. On the trip either our subject’s mother carried her babe in her arms, and in after years often told how the first night (a rainy one) she spent sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree, while her husband was getting together the material for a shelter for the family. Grandfather John Scott died in 1810, at the age of eighty-two years, and his was the first body buried in the Scott Cemetery. His wife, Rebecca, passed away in 1813, aged seventy-nine.

In the family of John and Rebecca Scott were the following named children: Robert, who for years was proprietor of a tannery, and whose home was on the site of the present residence of R. S. McClintock; Jeanette, who married James Young; David, who was killed in early manhood by a runaway team; John, who settled on a farm adjoining the homestead; Richard, whose home was north of Darrtown; William, who died at the age of fourteen; and James, father of our subject. The last-named was born February 12, 1771, on the Susquehanna River, and grew to manhood in Pennsylvania. He was married in Kentucky, Christmas Day of 1798, to Miss Mary Richey, a native of Ireland, who was reared to womanhood in the Sherman Valley, Pa. The day after their marriage the young couple started for Ohio with the elder Mr. Scott and Robert Richey, the father of Mary, who came to this state and spent his remaining years.

It will thus be seen that the Scott family was among the pioneer settlers of Butler County. They endured the vicissitudes of frontier life, and to their efforts is largely due the prosperity of their descendants. Among the early settlers of this locality our subject’s grandfather and father were well known as upright, hospitable, energetic men, fitted by nature for the hard task of hewing a home out of the wilderness. One of their neighbors was David Beatty, another pioneer, who was born September 13, 1746, and entered land in the western part of Hamilton, before the site of the court house was located. His wife, Ann Chamberlain, was buried in the court house yard, before the cemetery was located. He was advanced in years at the time of his coming to Ohio, and his death took place in January, 1816, at the age of seventy.

Another of the pioneers of the county, well known to the Scott family, was Judge Lytle, whose home was situated on the bank of the Watama, adjoining the Scott farm. He was a very prominent man, active in all public enterprises, and assisted in the erection, in 1816, of the first United Presbyterian Church in that part of the state. The site of that old house of worship is now marked tvy a small square enclosure, called with stone, and containing the bodies of himself and family. Near his place, and about where the present railroad bridge on the Panhandle spans the Watama, was a clearing of a few acres that was used as a campingground by the Indians, soldiers and emigrants. On this spot General St. Clair, on his return from his defeat at Ft. Recovery, was camped, resting his men, when attacked by Indians, under the famous Little Turtle, and four of his soldiers were killed. When excavating for the railroad bridge, their bodies were exhumed and identified as those of soldiers by the brass buttons and shreds of clothing. It is also said that at another time a party of four white men camped on these grounds and were unexpectedly assaulted by Indians, a tomahawk thrown by an Indian striking one man in the back; and in the excitement it was not withdrawn until the man had reached Hamilton on foot.

As may be imagined by the readers, life in pioneer days was not without its perils, but those settlers who attained to a good old age and witnessed the marvelous improvements made in the passing years were often heard to say that their happiest days were when, with few comforts and many hardships, they lived in their rude cabins at the edge of the wide-stretching timber. The parents of our subject attained to advanced years, the father dying May 19, 1857, aged eighty-six years, three months and seven days, and the mother November 7, 1856, aged eighty-seven years, ten months and seven days. Both are buried in the Scott Cemetery.

Our subject is one of the following children: Rebecca, who was born in 1800, and died in 1821; Robert, whose birth occurred in 1802; Jane, born in 1804, who married Archibald McDill, and died in 1823; Betsey, born in 1806, who married James Brown, of Preble County, and died in 1887; Maria, born in 1808, who married William Reed; John, whose birth occurred in 1810; and James, who was born in 1813, and died m 1835.

John was reared to maturity on the home farm, and on the 28 Lh of May, 1835, was united in marriage with Jane C. Gaston, who was born in Hamilton County, on the 19th of October 1812, and was named after the first white child born in

Cincinnati. She was the daughter of John R. and Mary (Beatty) Gaston, members of Pennsylvania families, the latter being a daughter of David Beatty, above mentioned. John R. Gaston removed from Northampton County Pa., to Kentucky, where he married in 1797, and thence went to Hamilton County, Ohio, there spending Ins remaining years. Our subject and his wife died upon the farm in Milford Township where for so long they had resided, his death occurring May 7, 1891, and that of his wife February 28, 1883. They were buried side by side in the Scott Cemetery. Of their ten children, six are now living. One son, David, makes his home near Seven Mile, and William T. and Anna L. still reside upon the old homestead.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

PROF. JOHN W. SCOTT.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

At sixteen years of age, after completing his preparatory education, to which his father had limited his school, and not wishing to graduate at so early and immature an age, he began to teach. The first year was in Eastern Ohio, and the last two years in Beaver and Washington Counties, Pennsylvania, the last eighteen months as principal of the Beaver Academy. In the Fall of 1821 he entered Washington College as a junior, and was graduated in September, 1823. His intention was to go into Kentucky and make a little money teaching, but as he was about to leave, the venerable Dr. Wylie, pivsi dent of the college, came to him and told him that it was his desire that he should prepare lumsdf Or the chair of mathematics and natural sciences, in place of Professor Reed, the incumbent at that time, who was feeble that Mr. Scott was often employed by the board to give him assistance.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JOHN BARTON SCOTT, M. D. The physician comes closer to the confidence of his patients than any other person is privileged to do with his fellow-man. In the hour of agony which comes to the household when a loved one is stricken with a dread disease, the doctor is the stay and hope of the family. He who is skilled in the diagnosis of difficult cases and efficient in their treatment justly merits and occupies a high place in the regard of the people. Among those who for many years have devoted their lives to the cause of suffering humanity Dr. Scott may be regarded as among the foremost, and in pursuing the noble calling of a physician he has won golden laurels for himself. Coming to Hamilton in 1874, he has since then conducted practice with marked and well deserved success, and probably no physician in the county is better known than he.

In Fayette County, Pa., January 10, 1849, the subject of this sketch was born to the union of Wilson and Anna (Woodward) Scott. His grandfather, Thomas C. Scott,.was one of a family of thirteen children, all of whom came to the United States, settling in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. He made his home in Pennsylvania, where, after his marriage, he engaged in farming in Fayette County. When advanced in years he came to Ohio, and from that time made his home among his children, until his death in Carroll County, at the age of about eighty-eight. He was a Presbyterian in religious faith. His family consisted of twelve children, all of whom attained years of maturity, there being nine sons and three daughters.

Wilson Scott was born in 1808, and passed the years of boyhood upon the home farm. He learned in youth the trades of blacksmith and machinist, which he followed more or less until his death in Fayette County, in March, 1891. Although fifty-three years old when the Rebellion broke out, his chivalrous and loyal spirit was fired with devotion to the Stars and Stripes, and he enlisted for service, becoming wagon-master of the Eighty-fifth Pennsylvania Infantry. After having served for eighteen months, his health failed and he was obliged to return home. Having accumulated a competency his latter years were spent in ease. He was one of the founders of the Republican party in Fayette County, and was ever loyal to its principles. His religious connections were with the Presbyterian Church. His wife died in 1879, aged sixty-seven years.

The parental family consisted of fourteen children, of whom nine attained mature years. Joshua is a retired merchant of Fayette County. Mary is deceased. Crawford H., now engaged in the mercantile business at Dayton, Ohio, was a soldier in the Union army during the Civil War, enlisting in Company I, Eighty-fifth Pennsylvania Infantry. At the battle of Deep Bottom, August 14, 1863, he was shot through the left lung and carried off the field as dead; however, the wound was not a fatal one, though he still carries the ball in his body. Sarah Ann is the wife of Joseph Woodward, of Fayette County, Pa. Clark B. is a merchant of Bethany, W. Va., and one of the Trustees of Bethany College. John B. is the next in order of birth. Winfield is a missionary, located in Oregon. Wilson L. is a physician of Hartford City, Ind. Alice, the wife of Lester Gilmore, resides in Connellsville, Pa.

I Upon a farm in Fayette County our subject passed the years of youth. After graduating from the normal school he engaged in teaching for several years. He commenced the study of medicine in Connellsville, Pa., and in 1869 was graduated from the Cincinnati Literary and Scientific Institute and the Physio-Medical College. In 1874 he completed the course at the Physio-Medical Institute, though from 1869 he had been engaged in practice in Fay'ette County, Pa. He dates his residence in Hamilton from 1874, and his career here has been one of great success.

In 1878 Dr. Scott married Addie M. Brady, who was born in Butler County, and is a daughter of the late Christian Brady, of Hamilton, who died July 14, 1894. Two children complete the family circle, Anna G. and Violet M. The family occupies an elegant residence at No. 726 High Street, which the Doctor built and owns. Politically, he is a Republican, but while he never fails to cast his ballot, he does not, further than that, participate in public affairs. In addition to valuable property in Hamilton, he owns some line farming lands in Ohio and Indiana. He is a frequent contributor to physio-medical journals, and at one time served as President of the Physio-Medical State Society, of which lie is still a member. He is now filling the position of Vice-President of that organization, and is one of its most active and inliuential workers. He is held in high regard by all who know him, and both as a physician and as a citizen merits the high esteem in which he is held.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.