John B. Scott

As printed in 1901

JOHN B. SCOTT.

After many years of active labor, first as a contractor and builder, and later as a farmer, John B. Scott is now living a retired life in Marion, Iowa, enjoying a well-earned rest. He was born in Knox county, Ohiii, on the 12th of August, 1825, and is a worthy representative of a prominent pioneer family of that state. His father, Allen Scott, was born in York county, Pennsylvania, April 17, 1780, of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and was married, January 21, 1808, to Jane Newell, who was born in Washington county. Cross Creek village, that state, No- Aember 8, 1784. Soon after their marriage they removed to Ohio, making the journey on horse back, and settled on a heavily timbered tract of land in Knox county, where they endured many of the hardships and privations incident to pioneer life. In those early days people coming west always settled in the woods, shunning the prairie land where fever and ague was more prevalent. To clear the land and convert it into well cultivated fields was an arduous task, but the spirit of adventure which filled the sails of the Mayflower has ever been the soul of American pioneer enterprise, and has been the means of making this nation one of the greatest on earth. Largely by his own work Allen Scott opened up farms in Knox county, Ohio, where he continued to make his home until death. He had a fine orchard of thirty acres of apple and each trees, and in those early days gave away thousands of bushels of his best fruit to those who had none. He always took a great delight in fruit culture, and was never more happy than when distributing his apples and peaches among the poor. At present in that part of Ohio peaches cannot be raised, and the apple crop is poor. Mr. Scott was a very kindhearted man of generous and noble impulses, and no one ever had a truer friend or better neighbor than he. For a number of years he was an elder in the Presbyterian church, but on account of the slavery question the elders of the church to which he belonged formed a free church, which was later merged into the Congregational church, which is now the leading church of Mt. Vernon, Ohio. He was a strong abolitionist, and a soldier of the war of 1812. His wife was a member of the same church and was a most estimable lady. She died while on a visit to her son in Marion, Iowa, in 1855, at the age of seventy-two years, but his death occurred in Mt. Vernon. Knox county, Ohio, in 1848, when sixty-eight years of age.

In the family of this worthy couple were ten children, of whom only our subject and his oldest sister, Mary, are now living. She is the widow of Israel Murphy, and the mother of ten children. Although ninety years of age she is well preserved both in mind and body, except that her hearing is somewhat impaired. Recently she came alone from Hastings, Nebraska, to Chariton, Iowa, and is now spending the winter with her brother. The names and dates of birth of those of the family now deceased are Hugh, March 27, 1809; Margaret, February 19, 1813; Eliza J., married George W. Madden, and died in Plumas county, California, in 1815; Eleanor, 181 7; James A., a farmer of Linn county, March 24, 1820; Thomas S., October 2, 1822; and Harriet, March 15, 1829, died in the spring of 1900.

John B. Scott's early educational advantages were somewhat meager, as it was then believed by most people that the study of the "three R's" was sufficient for most boys. 'hen nearly grown, however, he attended an academy for three months. \Vhile there he boarded with his uncle. Judge McGibboney, who kept a station on the famous "underground railroad." For nine days nine negroes were concealed under hay in the Judge's barn, and our subject carried food to them. They were almost white, having very little African blood in their veins, and were among the finest looking men physically that Mr. Scott has ever seen, but their mother was a slave and consequently they were held in bondage. They had escaped from their master in Virginia and were on their way to Canada, when cared for by Judge McGibboney.

At the age of twenty-one Mr. Scott commenced learning the brickmason's trade, which he followed in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, fop about nine years. He then, in February, 1853, located in Muscatine, Iowa, where he remained until July 3, 1854. It was on that date that he came to Marion. Here he followed his trade for five years, and among the buildings he erected is the Hotel Daniels.

In Ocloher, 1859. lie located (jn his farm in Marion township, where he has four hundred and twenty acres of valuable land on sections 8 and 17, well improved with good buildings. In connection with farming he engaged in stock raising, his specialty being shorthorn cattle, of which he had a fine herd. He continued active farming until the spring of 1890, when he removed to Marion and purchased a comfortable home on the corner of Eleventh street and Fourteenth avenue, where he has since resided.

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

E. married A\'. W. Vaughn, a prominent stock dealer of Marion township, and they have four children, Howard, Edward, Mary and Ruth. (4) John B. is a resident of Tacoma, Washington.

Mr. Scott and his wife both hold membership in the Congregational church, and he is also connected with the Alasonic fraternity. At one time he was also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and took an active interest in the same. He was one of the organizers of the Republican party in this county, and has always been one of its stanch supporters, but never a politician in the sense of office seeking. He has served as road master and school director for many years, but has never cared for political honors. He has also been a director of the First National Bank of Alarion and of the Agricultural Societv. As a citizen he ever stands ready to discharge any duty devolving upon him, and justly deserves the high regard in which he is held by all who know him.

As printed in Biographical records of Linn County, Iowa .. (1901). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.