Person:George Scott (74)

Hon. George W. Scott, Bio

"From Vol 2 History of Davenport and Scott County" by Harry E. Downer - S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. 1910 Chicago Hon. George W. Scott, mayor of the city of Davenport, whose experiences have been wide and whose course has been maked by continuous progress, was born on a farm near Le Roy, in Oldtown township, McLean county, Illinois, January 31, 1861. His parents were William H. and Eunice B. (Lebo) Scott, the former of Irish descent and the latter of French lineage. The maternal grandfather was born in France, and some of the Lebo family were participants in the Revolutionary war and the war of 1812, while brothers of Eunice B. Lebo served in the Civil War.

William H. Scott was a farmer by occupation and carried on agricultural pursuits and stock-raising on an extensive scale. He died March 19, 1889, near Lincoln, Nebraska, which city was at that time his home. His widow now resides with a daughter near Enid, Oklahoma. Their family numbered four sons and two daughters, five of whom are living: George W.; Ira, who is on a farm near Cashion, Oklahoma; Wilson H., livingnear La Cygne, Kansas; Orris, whose home is near Norfolk, Nebraska; and Emma, the wife of John Hollar, near Enid, Oklahoma.

George W. Scott was reared to farm life and attended the district schools until nineteen years of age, when he continued his studies in the Evergreen City Business College, at Bloomington, Illinois, pursuing a commercial course. He afterward entered the Illinois State Normal University at Normal, Illinois, and there pursued a two years' course. He afterward engaged in teaching in the country and graded schools for three years and, making advance in this field of labor as he has in every other to which he has directed his attention, he became principal of the graded schools at Morton, Illinois. After a short time he was appointed superintendent of the Indian school and special disbursement agent at Fort Stevenson, Dakota, now North Dakota. He continued in that position from October 28, 1885, until January 8, 1889, when he was appointed superintendent by Hon. J. D. C. Atkins, commissioner of Indian affairs, and at the same time received appointment as special disbursing agent from the Hon. L. Q. C. Lamar, secretary of the interior during President Cleveland's first administration.

Shortly after reaching Fort Stevenson Mr. Scott was appointed first postmaster of the fort by General Adlai E. Stevenson, first assistant postmaster-general. This was an old military fort established in 1868 and when Mr. Scott received this appointment the military reservation was set off, in charge of the interior department, for school purposes and he was placed in charge as its first bonded officer. He not only had charge of the school and reservation but also established an industrial school to which he brought many Indian children who were there taught the different trades and industries. On the 8th of January, 1889, by order of the secretary of the interior and commissioner of Indian affairs, Mr. Scott was transferred to the superintendency of the Chilocco Indian Training School at Chilocco, Indian Territory, with an annual increase of salary of three hundred dollars. At the time that was one of the largest Indian training schools in the service, having an enrollment of some three hundred boys and girls. General John H. Oberly had charge of the Indian affairs and the Hon. William Vilas was secretary of the interior. Mr. Scott remained in charge of the school until december 1, 1889, when he resigned to devote his attention to the reading of law. At the school he had had thirty-five employes under him, had conducted a farm of five hundred acres, had carried on stock-raising quite extensively and had superintended all the manual and graded school work. He was one of the pioneers in the work of the Indian training schools and succeeded in demonstrating their worth in the civilizing of the red race.

While thus engaged Mr. Scott read law in his leisure moments. His reading was directed by C. T. Atkinson, at Arkansas City, Kansas, and after his admission to the bar, on the 20th of April, 1890, he practiced there until April, 1891, when he was elected justice of the peace, which position he continued to fill until elected county attorney, January 1, 1893. He filled the latter position for two years and following his retirement from office removed to Davenport on the 1st of February, 1895, and has since been a representative of the bar in this city. While engaged in teaching and also while pursuing his studies Mr. Scott devoted some time to the newspaper business, being correspondent for the Bloomington Bulletin. He also worked for the Pekin (Illinois) Times and while in Kansas he was for a time associate editor of the Arkansas City Valley Democrat and correspondent for a number of years for other papers. During the fifteen years of his connection with the legal profession of Davenport he has made substantial advance and has conducted many important litigated interests. He formed a partnership with William Theophilus which continued until April 1, 1898, when Mr. Scott was appointed city attorney at Davenport, holding the position until April 1, 1900. He was then engaged in the practice of law alone until January 1, 1905, when he formed partnership relations with B. I. Salinger and William Theophilus under the firm name of Salinger, Scott & Theophilus, which relation was maintained until May 17, 1909. On the 1st of April, 1906, Mr. Scott was appointed city attorney of Davneport, which office he held until the election of 1908, when he was chosen to the highest official position in the gift of the city, being elected mayor for a two years' term. In 1904 he was the democratic nominee for county attorney but was defeated by one hundred and eight-one votes. He ran far ahead of his ticket, however, as is indicated in the fact that Roosevelt in the same year was given a majority of twenty-five hundred.

On the 5th of January, 1887, Mr. Scott was married to Miss Rosemary Spier, of Peoria, Illinois, and they have six children: Walter Howell, Maris Stella, Coaina Marie, Eunice Marie, Sylvester Hackney, and George Winans. The family are members of the Catholic church and Mr. Scott holds membership with the Modern Woodmen of America, the Woodmen of the World, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the National Union, the Modern Brotherhood of America, the Odd Fellows' society and the Elks, and has filled nearly all of the chairs in nearly all of these organizations. He was exalted ruler of the Elks lodge for two years, was district deputy of the southern division of Iowa and was one of the board of directors of the Elks Building Association. He has also been a member of the Elks grand lodge. He has taken a very active part in society and political affairs and has been called upon to deliver many speeches and orations, both in the lodges and during political campaings. He has been attorney for a number of corporations in this city and has met with eminent success as a criminal lawyer. He stands as a splendid representative of the men whose strength of character and ability have enabled them to work their way upward. Mr. Scott provided for his own education and though he has met with many hardships and difficulties in life, he has made continuous advancement and is today a forceful character in the professional and political circles of his adopted city.

http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ia/ScottBios?read=919[Board.FBC.FBK.FTW]

Hon. George W. Scott, Bio

"From Vol 2 History of Davenport and Scott County" by Harry E. Downer - S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. 1910 Chicago Hon. George W. Scott, mayor of the city of Davenport, whose experiences have been wide and whose course has been maked by continuous progress, was born on a farm near Le Roy, in Oldtown township, McLean county, Illinois, January 31, 1861. His parents were William H. and Eunice B. (Lebo) Scott, the former of Irish descent and the latter of French lineage. The maternal grandfather was born in France, and some of the Lebo family were participants in the Revolutionary war and the war of 1812, while brothers of Eunice B. Lebo served in the Civil War.

William H. Scott was a farmer by occupation and carried on agricultural pursuits and stock-raising on an extensive scale. He died March 19, 1889, near Lincoln, Nebraska, which city was at that time his home. His widow now resides with a daughter near Enid, Oklahoma. Their family numbered four sons and two daughters, five of whom are living: George W.; Ira, who is on a farm near Cashion, Oklahoma; Wilson H., livingnear La Cygne, Kansas; Orris, whose home is near Norfolk, Nebraska; and Emma, the wife of John Hollar, near Enid, Oklahoma.

George W. Scott was reared to farm life and attended the district schools until nineteen years of age, when he continued his studies in the Evergreen City Business College, at Bloomington, Illinois, pursuing a commercial course. He afterward entered the Illinois State Normal University at Normal, Illinois, and there pursued a two years' course. He afterward engaged in teaching in the country and graded schools for three years and, making advance in this field of labor as he has in every other to which he has directed his attention, he became principal of the graded schools at Morton, Illinois. After a short time he was appointed superintendent of the Indian school and special disbursement agent at Fort Stevenson, Dakota, now North Dakota. He continued in that position from October 28, 1885, until January 8, 1889, when he was appointed superintendent by Hon. J. D. C. Atkins, commissioner of Indian affairs, and at the same time received appointment as special disbursing agent from the Hon. L. Q. C. Lamar, secretary of the interior during President Cleveland's first administration.

Shortly after reaching Fort Stevenson Mr. Scott was appointed first postmaster of the fort by General Adlai E. Stevenson, first assistant postmaster-general. This was an old military fort established in 1868 and when Mr. Scott received this appointment the military reservation was set off, in charge of the interior department, for school purposes and he was placed in charge as its first bonded officer. He not only had charge of the school and reservation but also established an industrial school to which he brought many Indian children who were there taught the different trades and industries. On the 8th of January, 1889, by order of the secretary of the interior and commissioner of Indian affairs, Mr. Scott was transferred to the superintendency of the Chilocco Indian Training School at Chilocco, Indian Territory, with an annual increase of salary of three hundred dollars. At the time that was one of the largest Indian training schools in the service, having an enrollment of some three hundred boys and girls. General John H. Oberly had charge of the Indian affairs and the Hon. William Vilas was secretary of the interior. Mr. Scott remained in charge of the school until december 1, 1889, when he resigned to devote his attention to the reading of law. At the school he had had thirty-five employes under him, had conducted a farm of five hundred acres, had carried on stock-raising quite extensively and had superintended all the manual and graded school work. He was one of the pioneers in the work of the Indian training schools and succeeded in demonstrating their worth in the civilizing of the red race.

While thus engaged Mr. Scott read law in his leisure moments. His reading was directed by C. T. Atkinson, at Arkansas City, Kansas, and after his admission to the bar, on the 20th of April, 1890, he practiced there until April, 1891, when he was elected justice of the peace, which position he continued to fill until elected county attorney, January 1, 1893. He filled the latter position for two years and following his retirement from office removed to Davenport on the 1st of February, 1895, and has since been a representative of the bar in this city. While engaged in teaching and also while pursuing his studies Mr. Scott devoted some time to the newspaper business, being correspondent for the Bloomington Bulletin. He also worked for the Pekin (Illinois) Times and while in Kansas he was for a time associate editor of the Arkansas City Valley Democrat and correspondent for a number of years for other papers. During the fifteen years of his connection with the legal profession of Davenport he has made substantial advance and has conducted many important litigated interests. He formed a partnership with William Theophilus which continued until April 1, 1898, when Mr. Scott was appointed city attorney at Davenport, holding the position until April 1, 1900. He was then engaged in the practice of law alone until January 1, 1905, when he formed partnership relations with B. I. Salinger and William Theophilus under the firm name of Salinger, Scott & Theophilus, which relation was maintained until May 17, 1909. On the 1st of April, 1906, Mr. Scott was appointed city attorney of Davneport, which office he held until the election of 1908, when he was chosen to the highest official position in the gift of the city, being elected mayor for a two years' term. In 1904 he was the democratic nominee for county attorney but was defeated by one hundred and eight-one votes. He ran far ahead of his ticket, however, as is indicated in the fact that Roosevelt in the same year was given a majority of twenty-five hundred.

On the 5th of January, 1887, Mr. Scott was married to Miss Rosemary Spier, of Peoria, Illinois, and they have six children: Walter Howell, Maris Stella, Coaina Marie, Eunice Marie, Sylvester Hackney, and George Winans. The family are members of the Catholic church and Mr. Scott holds membership with the Modern Woodmen of America, the Woodmen of the World, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the National Union, the Modern Brotherhood of America, the Odd Fellows' society and the Elks, and has filled nearly all of the chairs in nearly all of these organizations. He was exalted ruler of the Elks lodge for two years, was district deputy of the southern division of Iowa and was one of the board of directors of the Elks Building Association. He has also been a member of the Elks grand lodge. He has taken a very active part in society and political affairs and has been called upon to deliver many speeches and orations, both in the lodges and during political campaings. He has been attorney for a number of corporations in this city and has met with eminent success as a criminal lawyer. He stands as a splendid representative of the men whose strength of character and ability have enabled them to work their way upward. Mr. Scott provided for his own education and though he has met with many hardships and difficulties in life, he has made continuous advancement and is today a forceful character in the professional and political circles of his adopted city.

http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ia/ScottBios?read=919

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Board.FBC.FBK.FTW.

   Date of Import: 14 May 2004