Scott Family

SCOTT, BELL, MASON, SAMPLE

Posted By: Mary H. Cochrane, Volunteer
Date: 7/8/2019 at 19:11:34

Biography ~ The Scott Family
Decatur County, Iowa

Leon Reporter, Leon, Iowa
November 29, 1900

Sunday's Chicago American contained the following account of MR. HERBERT SCOTT and family, of Navilleton, Ind. Two of the sons of this sturdy family reside in this county, W.W. SCOTT at Lamoni and CARTER SCOTT at Davis City. FRANK J. SCOTT, another son, was at one time Auditor of Decatur County.

New Albany, Ind., Nov. 24 -- The venerable HERBERT SCOTT, who lives at Navilleton, this county, is proud of the fact that his family cast more votes for William Jennings Bryan at the recent election than any other one family in the country.

The family of MR. SCOTT and his wife consists of fifteen children, nine of them boys and all voters. Therefore with the vote of the father, the democratic nominee for President received ten votes from this branch of the SCOTT family tree.

This family is remarkable in other ways. In addition to rearing successfully a family of fifteen children, MR. SCOTT is grateful for the fact that there has never been a death in the family. MR. and MRS. SCOTT have, in addition to this, reared to young manhood and womanhood four orphans.

MR. and MRS. SCOTT celebrated recently the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding and their fifteen children were present to help along the festivities.

This occasion was one which attracted attention all over Indiana. The story of the successful rearing of such a large family caused great interest, but, in addition, MR. SCOTT is one of ten brothers, each one of which has reared large families. All the relatives were present on the day the anniversary was celebrated, and no less than sixty members of the SCOTT family stood together after dinner and were photographed.

The members of HERBERT SCOTT's own family, seventeen in number, including the parents, were then photographed, as shown in the accompanying picture. There were represented at the gathering four generations of this family. That the members down to the fourth generation had never been called upon to mourn a death is probably the most remarkable of all the features connected with the family.

Until they gathered to celebrate the anniversary of their parents' wedding all the brothers and sisters had never met together under the family roof tree at the same time.

The children are as follows: FRANK J. SCOTT, who was formerly Auditor of one of the largest counties in Iowa; Professor SAMUEL SCOTT, Superintendent of Schools of Clark County, Ind.; Professor JOHN R. SCOTT, an instructor at the Indiana Reformatory; WILLIAM SCOTT, a lawyer; CARTER SCOTT, an Iowa merchant; WINFIELD, DANIEL, VOORHEES, ZENOR and GLEN SCOTT complete the list of boys.

The daughters are MRS. JENNIE BELL, Indianapolis, MRS. MELVINA MASON, MRS. EMMA SAMPLE and MISSES ELIZA, LIZZIE and EVA SCOTT. Two of the children have grandchildren.

HERBERT SCOTT's father, now long since dead, came from Virginia in the early part of the century, settling in Floyd County. He was a power in this locality and was looked upon as one of the leading men of early Indiana. His progeny is of the same sturdy stock. All of them are religiously inclined, most of them being followers of Alexander Campbell and members of the Christian Church.

For years the SCOTT families have been a dominant factor in local politics. So numerous is the relationship that when one of the name comes out as a candidate for a county office, their opponents usually see the handwriting on the wall and withdraw.

CHARLES SCOTT, a nephew of HERBERT, is now clerk of this county, and another nephew, LEVI SCOTT, is county superintendent of schools. Both MR. and MRS. HERBERT SCOTT are in excellent health, and bid fair to live many years longer.

Their pictures in the accompanying sketch will show them to be remarkably well preserved. They take a just pride in the success which has attended the efforts of those of their boys who have gone forth to battle with the world.

The two younger boys, now unmarried, are attendants at the normal school at Terre Haute, Ind.

Copied by Cordelia Suzann "With permission from the Leon Journal Reporter" ~ December 26, 2002
*Note: There are no accompanying pictures with this article; it might be possible to find the newspaper microfilm that originally published this article -- if anyone is related.. No promises.