John and Mahala (Atherton) Scott

I have stored my genealogy, I haven't had time to work on it in years. It would probably be a lot easier today with the internet.   No more microfiche and sending self-addressed stamped envelopes to County Clerks hoping for a reply...my brain is becoming a little fuzzy on who is connected to who and how...but I do know my ggggg-grandfather was John Wilson Scott, this would be about one of his grandsons. It also discusses his son, also a John and his wife, Mary Keith (our gggg-grandfather and grandmother.)

John Wilson Scott served in the American Revolution (on the winning side.) and is buried in Rock Creek Cemetery in Ill. Anyway, Greg's grandmother sent me this copy of pages from Portrait and Biographical Album of De Witt and Piatt Counties, Ill" from 1891. It seemed to stray from the boxes of genealogy information and is about one of his sons (also named John.) This isn't as much fun to read as his grandfather's pension application (it discusses the Battle of King's Mountain and chasing a Tory down to hang him from a tree for murder, but it is interesting (if you're a descendant...probably not so much if you aren't.) Also, a small tidbit of information, my dad was named for the "Scott" side of the family. I remember when I was in about 3rd grade visiting Missouri and we were going to go to Scotland before lunch...I could not figure out how we could do that since one needed to cross an ocean to get there...."Scotland was the cemetery next to the Church where all the Scotts were buried...in Daviess Co., Mo.

John W. Scott Is an old and venerated resident of De Witt County, who has done a great deal to develop the section of the county where he resides, and it gives us pleasure to place a sketch of his life on the pages of this BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM. He is now living in retirement from the active, busy life necessitated by his calling as a farmer and is passing  his days in the enjoyment of quiet comforts of a cozy home on the southwest quarter of section 32, Wapella Township. 

Mr. Scott is a native of Jackson, Tenn. where he was born January 22, 1815. His father, whose name was also John, was of Virginia birth, and he was the son of another John, who was likewise a native of Virginia. The Scott family came originally from Scotland. The grandfather of our subject was engaged or many years as a farmer and died upwards of eighty years of age in 1847. During the great struggle of the Colonists for Independence he was a volunteer soldier and did his part toward securing the freedom of his country. He was a devoted Christian and was a member of the church of that name.

The father of our subject was one of a large family of children and his early life was passed on his father's farm. When a young man he became a pioneer of Tennessee and resided on a farm there till the Spring of 1827 when he came to Southern Illinois and located in Jefferson County, coming by wagon and camping at night along the way. He only remained there until the Fall of the same year when he located near Waynesville in this county, which then formed a part of Tazewell County. He thus became on of the pioneers of this section of the State, and was very useful in helping advance its growth.  He had a grist and sawmill on the Kickapoo Creek west of Waynesville, which he operated for about two years, but there were so few settlers in that vicinity, that it did not prove a success and he sold it.  He next settled near Long Point, in Wapella Township. He entered land there and erected a log house to shelter his family, which he afterward replaced by a more commodious frame dwelling, in which he made his home until death called him hence at the age of sixty years. He was one of the earnest members of the Christian Church and was a staunch Democrat politically. 

The mother of our subject was, in her maiden days, Mary Keith, and she was a native of Alabama. She was a sincere Christian and took quite an interest in church matters, being one of the most zealous members of the Christian Church. She lived to the venerable age of eighty four years, spending her last days in Missouri. Of her eight children, seven grew to maturity. Alec Keith, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was of English descent and was native of Alabama, where he was engaged in farming for many years. He spent his last days in Tennessee, dying there at the age of more than eighty years. His father, Daniel Keith, was also a native of Alabama, a sone of one ofit early Colonial families. During some period of his life he became a pioneer farmer of Tennessee, and there died when more than ninety years old. He was deprived of his eyesight for sometime before his death.

John Scott, the subject of this review, lived in Tennessee until he was twelve or thirteen years old, and gained a part of his education in the rude log schoolhouses of that day. He attended school some after he came with his parents to this County. There were then but few settlers here and those were located along the creeks on the outskirts of the timber. Deer, turkey, wolves and other wild animals abounded, but as our subject had to work hard to help his father in the development of a farm, he seldom had an opportunity to indulge in hunting. But he sometimes killed deer and in the winter of the deep snow had much sport, as he and his companions used to get the deer down in the snow and tying their feet together, dragged them home with a horse. There were some Kickapoo Indians here when he came but they left soon after.  He used to have to go to Pekin on the Illinois River to obtain groceries fo the family and he also marketed grain at that time.  There were then no established roads here and only a few Indian trails which the settlers usually followed.  Mr. Scott began life on his own account at the age of twenty years. He first worked out, finding employment with a man who lived at Bloomington Grove, who gave him $12 a month for his work, and he continued with him for a year and a half.  He was often engaged in the hard pioneer task of breaking prairie and used drive four and five yoke of oxen for that purpose.  After he left the employ of the gentleman referred to he was engaged in breaking prairie for a considerable time and received $1.50 to $2.50 an acre for it. Mr. Scott finally entered land, first in this township on section 20. He actively entered upon its improvement, building first a small frame house in which to live. He later entered another place on section 31, and also improved that farm. He afterward obtained a land warrant which gave him the southwest quarter of section 32, where he now lives. This farm he has placed under substantial improvement.  Its fields are well tilled and aneat set of farm buildings adorn the place including his present house, which he erected in 1861 at a cost of $900 aside from his own labor --- and also the frame barn that he built in 1862. 

Mr. Scott at one time owned two hundred and forty acres of land, but has divided it among his children and now lives with his son, Thomas F., in honorable retirement from the cares and labors that beset his early days, surrounded by every comfort that heart could desire.  He farmed one hundred and sixty acres till 1870, when he abandoned his occupation, having accumulated a handsome competence. Mr. Scott and Miss Mahala Atherton were married in 1844 and for forty-six years they have shared life's joys and troubles. Their marriage has been greatly blessed to them, especially in the birth of children, of whom they have had seven, four sons, and three daughters, of whom five grew to maturity: Laura (Mrs Maxwell), William, James, Frank, and Elizabeth (deceased). 

Mr. and Mrs. Scott are people whose warm hearts and kindly interest in the welfare of those around them have gained them a warm place in the affections of their neighbors and friends and they are regarded with the highest respect. For a great many years they have been true and devout members of the Christian Church as is shown by their conduct in all the affairs of life.  Mr. Scott is a Democrat in politics and as a good citizen should be, is earnestly interested in all that pertains to his country.  He is one of the few new living who have witnessed almost the entire growth of De Witt County, and it may well be his pride that has done what he could to advance its agricultural interests.