Scott, Maria L. Doud - 1828-1870

DOUD, HAYDEN, SCOTT

Posted By: JCGS Volunteer
Date: 7/13/2021 at 21:35:30

Mrs. M. L. Scott – A “Greencastle Girl”
Maria L. Doud was born in Tioga County, Pa. June 26, 1828. Her parents were Philemen Henry and Louisa (Hayden) Doud. She was one of 10 children. The family moved to Jefferson County, Ohio in 1853.
Her first attempts at poetry were kept secret because many of her friends and acquaintances considered poets to be “Crack-brained”.
While attending school in Richmond, Ohio, she started on a literary career, contributing articles to the seminary paper. Her old home town paper, “The Tioga County Agitator”, published some of her work under the pen name of “Ella Wade”. The “Lackawanna Herald” published at Hyde Park, Pa., printed some of her articles.
When her parents moved to Polk County, Iowa in 1854, Maria remained in Ohio, teaching school. She was of a deeply religious nature and considered her teaching as the job God had given her to do. The following year, her health started failing, and she came to Iowa, following her family. They moved to Greencastle in 1855.
In October of 1862, Maria was married to Addison Scott. They moved to Ohio in 1866, but by the next year, her health had begun to deteriorate, and she longed for her family, so they moved back to Greencastle. Although they were not blessed with children, and her life was filled with much pain, theirs was a happy marriage. She died on August 26, 1870, aged 42 years, of consumption.
Friends had long asked her to publish her poetry, and a few years before her death, she reluctantly agreed. Her health prevented her from getting it ready to publish, and it was abandoned. After her death, someone who decided to remain anonymous, prepared the material, and a book of her poems, “Autumn Leaves”, was published by Mills and Company of Des Moines in 1880.
(Mrs. Earl Shadley of Colfax loaned me the copy of “Autumn Leaves” that the above poem was taken from. I have no idea how many of these books were published, but I would like to obtain a copy for my own use. I would appreciate hearing from anyone owning a copy, or that could give me more information concerning the circumstances of its printing.
Source: The Jasper County Tribune, Colfax, Ia.; Thursday, May 24, 1979, page 10 (extracted from Gleanings From The Past by Catharine Henderson)
(Note: Maria L. Doud Scott is buried in the Greencastle Cemetery, Jasper Co, Iowa)