John Scott

As printed in 1894

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 Memorial record of Butler County, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of representative citizens of the county together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States (1894). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.