James Scott Miller

MILLER SCOTT COLLINS CURTIN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/7/2010 at 00:05:30

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

James Scott Miller
By Florence (Miller) Madsen

James Scott Miller was one of Woodbury County’s pioneer settlers. In 1855, he bought land northeast of Oto, paying $1.25 an acre. Gradually he acquired more land and his quarter section grew until he was the owner of 750 acres. He raised hogs and cattle and sent them by train to Chicago to be sold. When Iowa became a state and the townships were named, Miller Township was named after him. The creek that ran through his farm also has his name. In his early days, the nearest post office was Council Bluffs, Iowa, from where supplies were hauled. During those early times, he saw two Indian uprisings including the Spirit Lake Massacre. He was remembered as being short in stature, with dark hair and blue eyes.

James Scott Miller was the son of Samuel and Margaretta Scott Miller. His parents were Americans by birth and of Scottish ancestry. The former was born in Indiana and the latter in Ohio. James was born January 4, 1830, at Tippecanoe Creek, Lafayette, Indiana. His father operated a grist mill (flour mill). In March 1839, while he was transporting burrs (grinding stones), they slipped and crushed him. Samuel is buried in a cemetery in Clinton, Iowa. Margaretta married Cornelius Dunham in 1840. They moved to Maquoketa, Jackson County, Iowa, in 1852.

In 1853, James S Miller married Ellen Collins at Maquoketa, Iowa. Ellen was tall and had auburn hair and brown eyes. She was born in County Cork, Ireland, March 12, 1835. She came the United States with her parents, John and Catherine Curtin Collins in 1844. It took six weeks to cross the Atlantic in a three-rigged sailing vessel. Her family lived first in New York state, then moved to Maquoketa, and finally settled near Danbury, Iowa.

Fourteen of James’ and Ellen’s fifteen children were born near Oto: Olive J, born June 20, 1854, at Dunlap, married Joe Francis; Mary Jane, born February 2, 1856, married Craig Dunham; Madera, born March 1, 1858, married William McKenna; Sarah E ‘Nellie’, born December 3, 1859, married William Thompson; Almond, born September 8, 1861, drowned at age 14 in the Little Sioux River, buried on Miller farm; Margaret S, born July 21, 1863, married Walter Moulin; Martha Lorina, born August 24, 1865, single; Henrietta, born December 29, 1867; married William Foster; Hanora ‘Nora’, born December 22, 1869, married Jess Foster; Eveline ‘Eva’, born December 5, 1871, married Charles Thompson; Phoebe E, born December 21, 1873, married Perry Coon; Patrick Henry, born 1875, died in infancy, buried on Miller farm; George E, born March 16, 1877, single, Nathan W, born April 17, 1879, married Ethel Fisher; John S, born September 3, 1881, single.

James Scott Miller and his wife, Ellen, both passed away at the family farm, east of Oto. He died November 17, 1909. Ellen died July 4, 1912.

On the death of his father, Nathan Miller continued farming on the 80 acres he inherited and the land he bought from his sisters until he owned 220 acres. He married Ethel Fisher, January 25, 1907, at Peiro Church, west of Oto. To this union were born ten children: Ethel, born November 17, 1907, died in infancy; Frances M, born February 1, 1909; Florence C, born October 8, 1910; James S, born May 14, 1912, died February 14, 1980; Walter N, born April 29, 1914, died February 17, 1924; Elsie J, born April 30, 1916; Dorothy E, born April 27, 1918; Emma M, born March 8, 1920, died May 25, 1930; Alice M, born May 22, 1922, died June 20, 1923; Wayne C, born October 11, 1925.

Nathan farmed until 1950 and then bough a home in Oto and moved there. He died November 21, 1953, and is buried at Oto. His wife preceded him, passing away November 14, 1947.