George W. Scott
 

Biography #1

Note: See additional biography and research notes below

GEORGE W. SCOTT, one of the oldest and most experienced farmers and a leading citizen of Harrison township, Boone county, Ind., descends from one of the old colonial families of Virginia. His great-grandfather, John Scott, came from Scotland and settled in the Old Dominion, where his son, Samuel Scott, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born on a farm near Staunton, and grew up a true patriot, becoming a soldier under Gen. George Washington in the Revolutionary war. Samuel married Alice Muncie, was much respected as a model Christian, being a devout member of the Presbyterian church, which he aided liberally. with his means and influence, and in the faith of which he died, in Lee county, Va., at the ripe age of eighty-three years. Nathaniel M. Scott, son of Samuel, was born in Giles county, Va., July 14, 1796, was reared on the home farm, and in 1824 married Miss Sarah E. Caldwell, daughter of William and Sarah Caldwell, and in 1831 brought his young family to Indiana; he first located in Morgan county, whence he moved to Hendricks county, where he entered eighty acres of land, on which he resided six years, and then settled in Boone county, where he entered 160 acres, on which his son, George W., now resides. Nathaniel, like his father, was a patriotic soldier, and assisted in repelling the vicious invasion of the states by the overbearing British in 1812, young as he was at the time. Returning to the pursuit of agriculture with the return of a time of peace, he accumulated 240 acres of land, and followed farming until the day of his death, October 22, 1878. He had led a virtuous life and did all in his power to advance the educational interests of his section and in building up the splendid school system of the present day. His charity was illimitable. At heart a Presbyterian, he adhered to the tenets of the church, but still was not a member, for the simple reason that there was no regularly organized society of that faith in his neighborhood. In the exercise of his practical acts of charity, he would often kill a hog, divide it into portions suited to the occasion, and bear them off to the poor who resided near him -- give them bushels of apples, potatoes, and other provisions, with which to eke out an existence. No better man ever lived. His exemplary widow survived until April 1, 1883, when passing from earth to a higher sphere, she left behind her a name endowed with the memory of charitable deeds. Her religious faith was within the pale of the Methodist church, and her every step through life gave evidence of the purity of her belief in its teachings. Her five children, whom she reared in the way they should go, were named Morning K., Rachel S., George W., Reuben M. and John M. George W. Scott, whose name heads this biographical notice, was born in Lee county, Va., January 2, 1826; he received a fair education for his early day and grew up a practical farmer, improving his literary knowledge by self-study as the years passed away. He early manifested a tendency toward religion and became a member of the Methodist church, of which he has since been a faithful adherent and is now a class leader. To this church he is a liberal contributor of his means and is one of its most substantial pillars. In politics he is a substantial democrat, with a lingering affection for the Jackson school, but following the party and aiding it in its modern progress. Socially, he has been an Odd Fellow since 1870. October 6, 1865, Mr. Scott was married to Sarah Jane Lower, daughter of Andrew I. and Elizabeth (Brown) Lower. This lady's grandfather, John Lower, was a German by birth, and on coming to the United States with his own father, settled in Claiborne county, Tenn. John Lower soon absorbed the American view of the rights of Americans and willingly lent his aid in their support at the battle of New Orleans, under Jackson. He married Ollie DeHart, a lady of French extraction, and both lived to be aged in years and honored by all who knew them; they were leading members of the United Brethren church, and in the Masonic order Mr. Lower held a very high rank. He served his fellow-citizens as county commissioner for several years, and was never behindhand in yielding up his services when the public good required them. Andrew T. Lower, son of John and father of Mrs. Scott, was born in Claiborne county, Tenn., and after a married life of fifty years died February 22, 1876, at the age of sixty-eight years--his widow, Elizabeth, dying in 1878, at the age of sixty-nine years. Sarah Jane (Lower) Scott was born in Hendricks county, Ind., January 12, 1848, was reared to the wholesome life of the farm, and bore her husband the following children Morning A., John H., Nathaniel T., Adelia A., Littie L., Minnie 0., Charles K., George W., Guy B., Eddie B. and Roy Cleveland. These children have been carefully educated, Mr. and Mrs. Scott being strong advocates of mental progress and hearty supporters of the educational system of Harrison township. Mr. Scott has done faithful service as school trustee time and time again, and never tires in his efforts to promote educational interests. He is a model farmer and has acquired a fine reputation throughout his township for his agricultural skill and thrift, and of his farm of 240 acres he has earned 200 acres by his own labor.

Transcribed by Chris Brown
Source: "A Portrait And Biographical Record of Boone and Clinton Counties, Ind.," pp 445-449, published in 1895 by A. W. Bowen & CO. Chicago

George W. Scott

Biography #2

GEORGE W. SCOTT,

Of Harrison Township, was born in Virginia, January 2, 1826, in Lee County; came with his parents to Morgan County, Ind., in 1831, remained there two years; then to Hendricks County, remained there six years, when the family came, in 1840, to Boone County, settling in Harrison Township in January of that year. His father’s name was Nathaniel Scott, his mother’s name before marriage was Sarah E. Coldwell. Nathaniel Scott was born in Giles County, Va., July 14, 1796; was married to Sarah E. Coldwell, in Virginia, in 1823. Mr. Scott was in the war of 1812. He died October 22, 1877, aged eighty-three years, three months. Mrs. Scott died April 1, 1884, aged eighty-one years; both are buried at Union Cemetery in Jackson Township. The following are the names of this pioneer family: Rachel S., Marion K., George W., Reuben M., John M., all dead except George W. Scott, the subject of this sketch, who resides in Harrison Township. George W. Scott was married to Druzilly James, January, 1847. She died August, 1875, and is buried at Mt. Union Cemetery. Three children were born to them. Mr. Scott was the second time married to Miss Sarah J. Lower. Seven children were born to them. Mr. Scott served ten years as township trustee with general acceptability, and was nominated in 1886 for county commissioner by the Democratic party, but was defeated a few votes by William C. Crump. In 1872 Mr. Scott had the misfortune to lose one of his legs in a runaway with horses. He is pleasantly located on the pike between New Brunswick and Lebanon, where he owns a fine farm and enjoys the confidence of the people he has so long been associated with. To him and family we are greatly indebted to for favors shown in the canvass for this work.

Source Citation: Boone County Biographies [database online] Boone County INGenWeb. 2007. <http://www.rootsweb.com/~inboone> Original data: Harden & Spahr. "Early life and times in Boone County, Indiana." Lebanon, Indiana. May, 1887, pp. 370-371.

Transcribed by: Julie S. Townsend - July 6, 2007

Research / Look-up Notes

Sometimes a Boone County researcher contacts me requesting information and I do a look-up. Rather than "toss" the record information I locate, I post it here on the website with the hope it might benefit others in the future.

Look-up by: T. Stover - Boone County Coordinator - 9/25/2007

Below are census, marriage and death record information for the family of George W. Scott and his parents Nathaniel and Sarah Elizabeth (Caldwell) Scott, along with personal notations.

Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941
 
Marriage 1
Name: George W Scott
Spouse Name: Drusilla James
Marriage Date: 21 Jan 1847
Marriage County: Boone
Source Title 1: Boone County, Indiana
Source Title 2: Index to Marriage Record 1844 - 1920 Inclusive Vol
Source Title 3: W. P. A. Original Record Located: County Clerk's Office
Book: C-2
OS Page: 63

In the biography above it states Drucilla Scott died in 1875, but marriage records show George married for the second time to Sarah Lower in 1865, so it is possible that Drucilla and George divorced between 1860-1865. On the 1870 census, see below, George is living with his 2nd wife, and Drucilla is shown living in the household of John and Pauline [?] Webb in Boone County. She's listed as, "insane."
 

Indiana Marriage Collection, 1800-1941

Marriage 2
Name: George W Scott
Spouse Name: Sarah Jane Lower
Marriage Date: 6 Oct 1865
Marriage County: Boone
Source Title 1: Boone County, Indiana
Source Title 2: Index to Marriage Record 1844 - 1920 Inclusive Vol
Source Title 3: W. P. A. Original Record Located: County Clerk's Office
Book: C-4
OS Page: 393

Census Enumerations

Source Citation: Year: 1850; Census Place: District 7, Boone, Indiana; Roll: M432_136; Page: 120; Image: 569.

1850 United States Federal Census

Name: George W Scott
Age: 23
Estimated birth year: abt 1827
Birth Place: Virginia
Gender: Male
Home in 1850(City,County,State): District 7, Boone, Indiana
Household Members: Name / Age
George W. Scott - 23, b. VA
Drucilla Scott - 20, b. KY
Mary E. Scott - 1, b. IN

Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: Harrison, Boone, Indiana; Roll: M653_245; Page: 965; Image: 446.

On this census, George Scott, wife and child are living in the household of his parents, Nathaniel and Sarah Elizabeth (Caldwell) Scott. Drucilla Scott, George's wife is listed as, "insane from grief."

1860 United States Federal Census

Name: Nathnl M Scott [abbreviation for Nathaniel]
Age in 1860: 62
Birth Year: abt 1798
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1860: Harrison, Boone, Indiana
Gender: Male
Post Office: Lebanon
Household Members: Name / Age
Nathnl M Scott - 62, farmer, b. VA
Elizabeth Scott - 55, b. VA
Morning Scott - 33,  b. VA
George W Scott -  32, b. VA
Drusilla Scott - 30, b. IN, "insane from grief" [?]
Martha E Scott - 8, b. IN

Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Harrison, Boone, Indiana; Roll: M593_300; Page: 104; Image: 381.

1870 United States Federal Census

Name: George W Scott
Estimated birth year: abt 1826
Age in 1870: 44
Birthplace: Virginia
Home in 1870: Harrison, Boone, Indiana
Race: White
Gender: Male
Post Office: Lebanon

Family Members:

Sarah J. Scott - 22, b. IN
John Scott - 2, b. IN
Nathaniel Scott - 1, b. IN
Adelia Scott - 6/12, b. IN
Samuel Patterson - 14, b. KY [relationship not listed]

Living next to George W. Scott on the 1870 census are his parents and sister.

Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Harrison, Boone, Indiana; Roll: T9_267; Family History Film: 1254267; Page: 209.2000; Enumeration District: 124; Image: 0078.

1880 United States Federal Census
 
Name: George W. Scott
Home in 1880: Harrison, Boone, Indiana
Age: 54
Estimated birth year: abt 1826
Birthplace: Virginia
Relation to head-of-household: Self (Head)
Spouse's name: Sarah J.
Father's birthplace: Virginia
Mother's birthplace: Virginia
Occupation: Farmer
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Gender: Male

Household Members: Name / Age

George W. Scott, Sr. - 54, b. VA
Sarah J. Scott  - 30, b. wife, IN
John H. Scott - 12, b. IN
Nathaniel L. Scott - 11, b. IN
Littie Scott - 9, b. IN
Minnie Scott - 8, b. IN
Charles Scott - 6, b. IN
George W. Scott, Jr. - 5,  b. IN
Guy B. Scott - 2,  b. IN
Eddy B. Scott - 1, b. IN
D. W. Otenburgh - 23, farmhand, works on farm, b. OH

Prior to the 1880 census, Nathaniel Scott, father of George, must have died and his widow Elizabeth is living next door in the household of Charles and Martha E. Melton. Martha is likely her granddaughter, daughter of George and Drucilla Scott shown on the 1860 census.

George Scott is shown on the 1900 and 1910 Boone County census also, but I did not copy these enumerations.

Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920

Name: George W. Scott
Date: 21 Aug 1912
LOCATION: Harrison Township
Age: 86 yr
Gender: Male
Race: White
Source Location: Lebanon
Source Notes: The source of this record is the book R-22 on page 60 within the series produced by the Indiana Works Progress Administration.