The Scott Family
A brief history of Robert Scott and family, as far as known, by William Scott.
The Scott family came to Holmes (then Coshocton) County, Ohio, in 1816. Robert, the earliest settler of the family,was born August 25, 1780, in Northern Ireland, and was brought by his parents to America when he (Robert) was an infant. The father, George Scott, settled in Washington County, Penn., where the early days of Robert were spent in getting an education by his own industry. His father died when Robert was a boy of nine or ten years of age. In 1803 he married Keziah Joy, who was born in Washington County, Penn., March 24, 1878, and in a few years they moved to New Lisbon, Columbiana Co., Ohio, and by industry and ecconomy they kept up with the times of that day. At the breaking out of the war with Great Britain in 1812, Robert volunteered in defending his country, and was assigned to Gen. Harrison's corps on the Northwest frontier. He spent the winter of 1813 in camp with Gen. Harrison near Detroit, Mich. At the close of the war and before settling permanently, Mr. Scott as a home seeker explored central Ohio, and entered a quarter-section of Government land in Section 1, Range 14, Township 17. In the spring of 1816 he with his wife and four children moved on horseback, accompanied by his brother Mathew, to Poulson's Bridge, near his land purchase, and in a few days a cabin was erected, and he and his wife commenced clearing up a farm. The country at that time was a wilderness and they had to endure many hardships, bears and wolves were common, and often at night they could hear the wolves prowling around the house eager for prey. Deer was plenty and served the family venison. The first two years was a trying time to those early pioneers. The wife with noble impulse and heroic fortitude would often journey on horseback through an unbroken forest six or seven miles to a rude mill on Salt Creek near where Fredericksburgh now stands, called Guins Mill, to get meal for the family. Neighbors were few and a great ways apart, Morgans and Butlers on Killbuck Creek six miles distant, and Thomas McConkey, near where Shreve now is, were their nearest neighbors. In the course of a few years the families of Leidom, Moorhead, Gorrell, Boner, Laylander, Johnston and Lee settled in Mr. Scott's neighborhood and formed a very agreeable place to live. Mr. and Mrs. Scott were reasonably successful and had the means that most pioneers had. He died in 1844, aged sixty-four years, and was interred in the Gorrell Cemetery where many of the old pioneers sleep. His wife, the good mother, survived until 1870 and was eighty-three years old at the time of her death. She was laid to rest by the side of her husband. Their children were Frances (afterward Mrs. Poulson), Catherine (afterward Mrs. Wright), Edward, Mary (afterward Mrs. Woods), Jemima, Jesse, Keziah (afterward Mrs. Torbet), James and William. These brothers and sisters became widely separated, and all were in comfortable circumstances in life. Mrs. Torbet, Jesse and William are the only surviving members of the family. This brief sketch but feebly illustrates the lives of our noble ancestors who braved so many hardships that their families might reap the rewards of their industry. May we then never hesitate to cherish and praise their memory.
From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Wayne and Holmes, Ohio, J. H. Beers & Co., Chicago, 1889