Yolo County Biographies GEORGE WASHINGTON SCOTT Transcribed by Kathy Sedler This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm one of the leading agriculturists and one of the foremost citizens of Yolo County, is a native of Seneca County, New York, born near the town of Ovid, between Cayuga and Seneca Lakes, October 19, 1828, his parents being Daniel and Sarah (Dunlap) Scott. The father, who was of a noted New England family, was born at Warwick, Connecticut, whence he removed to New York State, where he followed farming. The mother was born in Seneca County, New York. Of their family of fifteen children, twelve were boys, and eleven grew to maturity. Besides our subject, there are only two others of these now living, viz.: Charles, who lives by the side of his brother, George W., in Yolo County, and James B., a resident of Geneva, New York. The subject of this sketch grew up at his native place, under the watchful eye of his father, to the age of nineteen years, when he was allowed, in the fall of 1847, to take a trip to Wayne County, Michigan. It was not intended that he should stay longer than a few weeks, but the lake froze up, navigation closed, and he was good for an all winter�s stay with his Western relatives. The mails in the spring brought him instructions to return by the first steamer, but he decided to strike out on his own account, and to make his own start in the world. Instead of taking the route homeward, he started west, and proceeded to Kalamazoo, thence to St. Joseph, and finally to Chicago. He was very fond of flat turnips, and, seeing a supply displayed in a grocer�s establishment, he invested a shilling and got a half bushel of them. With these he filled the valise he carried, and all the available room in his pockets, and taking the few that remained in his hands he started to walk into the country in search of employment. He brought up in Columbia County, Wisconsin, 150 miles away, with $1.50 left of the $6 with which he had started, and six turnips out of the half-bushel. He secured work, and when his father learned that he was not going to return home he sent out another son, who bought for our subject 400 acres of land on Portage Prairie. There he remained until 1850, farming, and by that time he had the place in pretty good shape. He caught the California fever, however, and in the year mentioned he and two friends in Columbia County, named George Jess and E. K. Dunlap, together with another man started on the long trip to the Golden State. They had four horses hitched to a small, light wagon, and three saddle horses, and, taking only such supplies as they deemed absolutely necessary, the start was made. The result showed that their preparations were exactly right, and when the journey was finished all were ready to admit that they could not do better with all their experience. They crossed the Missouri River at St. Joseph on the third of May, and proceeded via Forts Kearney and Laramie, Sublette�s cut-off, and down Humboldt River. At the sink of the Humboldt they left their wagon, and with their horses packed across the desert and into California, arriving at Placerville on the 21st of July, having stopped over twenty days and traveled sixty-two. Mr. Scott commenced mining there, but after a few weeks went to Spanish Bar, on the middle fork of the American River, and after a short time spent in search for gold there went up on the divide between the North and Middle forks, having been fairly successful in mining. He engaged in freighting between Sacramento and Yankee Jim�s, employing a mule team and also one of oxen. In the winter of 1851 he sold his freighting outfit and came to Yolo County pitching his tent on Cottonwood Creek, about two miles from his present residence. He stocked the place with hogs, and also bought a few cattle and horses. After a few months he took S. M. Enos and Enoch Drew as partners. In the spring of 1852 he went back East, partly to visit his parents and brothers, and partly to buy stock, being accompanied by Mr. Drew. He arrived at his old home in July, and was congratulated by his father on having been successful in doing for himself. He remained there until the spring of 1854, being at that time the only one of the boys at home, and then started on the return trip overland. In southern Illinois he and Mr. Drew bought about 200 head of cattle, and started West, crossing the Mississippi River at Chester. They reached the ranch in Yolo County with 167 head. During his trip East Mr. Scott was married and his wife accompanied him on the trip. After arriving her Mr. Scott and his partner, who had accumulated jointly considerable property, dissolved partnership, he taking the stock and Mr. Drew taking the ranch. Mr. Scott took up a stock ranch at the head of Buckeye, and for years thereafter was extensively engaged in the cattle business. American cattle was then worth about $50 a head, and the resources of the country seemed so abundant that a large number of the settlers were soon heavily engaged in the cattle business. The year 1864 found everybody with big droves, and cattle fell to $5. That, together with the terrible drouth of that year, broke up nine-tenths of the cattle men. Mr. Scott gathered up about 600 head out of the 1,200 or 1,400 he had on hand, and took them to Nevada, placing the remainder on the tule lands. His cattle became fat in Nevada, and he sold them at from $20 to $30 apiece, making a good profit. His horses, which he took down to the tule lands about Rio Vista, also came out well. Mr. Scott is now extensively engaged in cattle-raising, but he and Mr. Love have in partnership between 7,000 and 9,000 head of Spanish merino sheep. They are also among the heaviest farmers in the valley, cultivating about 3,000 acres of land, and 10,000 used for grazing, which they own together, Mr. Scott having the sole charge of the business. He also has 1,000 acres on his home place, and 500 acres in his Buckeye ranch. He is also interested in oil wells in Ventura County, and at Half-Moon Bay, San Mateo County. At the latter place he and a partner have $10,000 invested in machinery, which is of the most improved pattern known to that industry. This business takes about all his time the year round. He has also about 1,000 acres at Banning, San Bernardino County. Mr. Scott is a stanch Republican in politics, and has taken a prominent part in the councils of the party, although he does not class himself in any sense a politician. He has, however, served his county in the Board of Supervisors, and was the Republican candidate for the Legislature in 1870, and again in 1880. Though unsuccessful on account of the long lead of the opposing party, he made a close race, and ran ahead of his ticket. He has always taken an active interest in public affairs, and the welfare of the community. While a member of the Patrons of Husbandry he was one of the most ardent workers for success. He took an active part in the building of the Vaca Valley & Clear Lake Railroad, grading the line at his own expense from Madison to Winters, and in all put about $18,000 into it without any returns. Mr. Scott is a man of iron will and great self-reliance, which qualities have made him what he is financially. He could, however, have been vastly better off had he not been ready at all times to lend a helping hand to those who asked his aid. His highest recommendation, however, is his honesty, and it is said of him that he is incapable of anything but pure and manly motives, his word being to him as sacred as life itself. His wife, to whom he was married in New York State, as previously mentioned, December 13, 1858, was formerly Miss Emma Bloomer, a native of the Empire State. Mr. and Mrs. Scott have four children, living, viz.: Clarence, at home; Arthur, who lives at Banning; Elma, wife of John H. Rice, of Dixon; and Charles Latham, at home. Two are deceased, viz.: Addie and Stella. Memorial & Biographical History of Northern California, The Lewis Publishing Co., 1891 Among the worthy pioneers of the Sacramento valley, and especially of Yolo county, is George W. Scott, residing four miles southwest of Madison, a man who has ably performed his part as a farmer and stockman and has exerted a strong influence toward the advancement of the county where he has made his home since 1850. Born near Ovid, Seneca county, N.Y., October 19, 1828, Mr. Scott comes from the Connecticut branch of a family established in America about two hundred years ago by three brothers who came from Scotland. One of the brothers settled in New Jersey, and the other in Virginia, Gen. Winfield Scott being a representative of the latter branch. David Scott, the great-grandfather of George W., was born February 25, 1729, and married, in 1751, his wife Hannah, who was born September 29, 1734. Both lived and died in Connecti-cut, and reared a family of twelve children, of whom Gideon, the next in line of descent, was born in Connecticut December 11, 1755. Gideon and his three brothers, David, James and Thomas, served in the Continental Army during the war of Independence. Gideon married, October 17, 1779, Anna Burt, who was born January 27, 1758, and who bore him eight children, of whom Daniel, the father of George W. Scott, was the oldest, and was born August 8, 1780. Gideon Scott moved from Connecticut to Orange county, N. Y., when Daniel was twenty years old, and in 1801 located in Seneca county, where he died at an advanced age. Daniel Scott married Sarah Dunlap, January 1, 1805, Mrs. Scott being a native of Connecticut and born August 8, 1786. She was the mother of fifteen children, twelve sons and three daughters, George Washington being the fourteenth child. Daniel Scott served in the war of 1812, attaining the rank of captain. During 1827-29, he represented Seneca county in the legislature at Albany, N. Y., on the Whig ticket, and in due time assisted in forming the Republican party. He was a member of the Baptist Church. At the age of nineteen George Washington Scott settled in Columbia county, Wis., on an unimproved prairie farm which he cultivated successfully until the spring of 1850. In March he started out in a company of seven men with horse teams, from Wisconsin, and reached Yolo county, Cal., in December, 1850, having crossed the Missouri river at St. Joseph, May 3. He pitched his tent on the banks of Cottonwood creek, in Yolo county, spent the winter there, and in the spring began farming and stock-raising with the intention of making the state his permanent home. In 1852 he returned to Seneca county, N. Y., remained there until the spring of 1854, and in the meantime married Emma Bloomer, a native of that county, who came with him across the plains in the spring of 1854. The young couple made the most of their band of cattle and household belongings, establishing a home on a modest scale, and waiting with patience the advent of brighter days and greater plenty. That their efforts have been abundantly rewarded admits of no doubt, for nowhere in the country is there a man of more substantial and reliable footing than Mr. Scott. Children have come to them, and while adding responsibility, have also increased their happiness and peace, and two sons, Clarence and Charles L., the youngest and oldest in the family are still with them on the home farm. Arthur is in business for himself in Los Angeles; Elma is the wife of J. H. Rice of Dixon, Cal., and Addie and Stella are deceased. Mr. Scott has proved himself an obliging and considerate neighbor during his long years of residence in the west, and has won the respect and good will of all with whom he has had to do. He has taken a keen interest in the general development of his adopted county, and has been a consistent but never an aspiring member of the Republican party. "History of the State of California and Biographical Record of the Sacramento Valley, Cal.," J. M. Guinn, The Chapman Publishing Company, Chicago, 1906, Pages 531-532. Transcribed by Sally Kaleta, June 2009. One of Yolo county�s earliest pioneers was G. W. Scott, who passed away at his home near Winters, Cal., February 20, 1912, and who long will be remembered by his countless friends and associates, more particularly those who have lived and worked with him through his busy years in Yolo county, as a man of exemplary qualities and conservative business judgment, fully deserving of the honors which he enjoyed through the esteem and confidence of his fellow citizens. A native of the state of New York, his birth having occurred October 19, 1828, near Ovid, Seneca county, Mr. Scott was a member of one of the oldest and most highly respected families of the United States, his genealogy having been traced as follows: Some two hundred years ago three Scotchmen left their native land to join the little company bravely endeavoring to establish a colony on the new-found shores of America. One settled in New Jersey, one in Connecticut and one in Virginia, from which last-named branch General Winfred Scott was a later representative. David, the great-grandfather of George W. Scott, was born February 25, 1729 in Connecticut. One of his children was Gideon, who was born in Connecticut December 11, 1755, and who, with his brothers, James, David and Thomas, took an active part as a Continental soldier in the war of Independence. October 17, 1779, he was united in marriage with Miss Anna Burt, who was born January 27, 1758, their union being blessed with eight children, the birth of the eldest, Daniel, occurring August 8, 1770. In 1790, Gideon Scott took his family to Orange county, N. Y., where he remained until 1801, going thence to Seneca county, where he spent his last years. January 1, 1805, Daniel Scott was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Dunlap, whose birth occurred in Connecticut, August 8, 1786, and of their fifteen children, George W. was the fourteenth. A veteran of the war of 1812, in which he served as captain, Daniel Scott was a prominent Whig, and in 1827 was chosen to represent Seneca county in the legislature which convened at Albany, N. Y. Later he assisted in establishing the Republican party, in which, throughout his life, he maintained an alert interest, and with his family he enjoyed active membership in the Baptist Church. In 1847 George W. Scott removed to Columbia county, Wis., where he cleared a farm upon which he resided three years, emigrating to California In March 1850, in company with seven comrades, the journey being made with horses and several well stocked prairie schooners. Crossing the Missouri river at St. Joseph, May 3, they proceeded on the way, not without many trials, reaching Yolo county in December, 1850. The remainder of the winter Mr. Scott spent on Cottonwood creek, Yolo county, and in March made preparations for farming and stock-raising, having been in no wise disappointed with the state of which he had heard so many favorable reports. Scarcely a year later, however, he returned to his native state, where he remained until 1854, having in the interim (on December 13, 1853) married Miss Emma Bloomer, also born in Ovid, Seneca county. She was the daughter of Isaac and Maria (Ketchem) Bloomer, of New York, who died leaving their daughter an orphan when she was two years old. She was reared by her grandmother, Hannah Ketchem, on her father�s farm, receiving her education in the public school and she also attended Albion Seminary. Cheerfully facing the vicissitudes which they knew awaited them, Mr. and Mrs. Scott came to California across the plains in 1854, and after a six-months trip they finally reached their journey�s end. The first years of their early married life were spent in a modest little home on Buckeye creek, which the young husband erected with his own hands. Seven children were born to them: Elvena, deceased; Clarence, engaged in stock-raising on a part of the ranch; Elma, now Mrs. J. H. Rice, of Dixon; Addie and Stella, both deceased; and Charles, who died in February, 1908. That the united efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Scott were rewarded by unqualified success is shown by the fact that they were the owners of about fourteen thousand acres in Yolo county, a similar number of sheep and thousands of horses and cattle. For thirty years Mr. Scott was widely known as a leading Republican, having twice been the nominee on the Republican ticket as state assemblyman, but as it was a strong Democratic county he was not elected. For one term he served as supervisor of Yolo county, was a member of the state Republican central committee, and he also attended practically all of the state conventions of his party. His work in the development of the county has been of incalculable value, and despite his many interests, it is a well known fact that he was never too busy to speak a kindly word and to lend practical aid to his less fortunate fellow men. Since his death Mrs. Scott has continued to reside at the old home, four miles southwest of Madison, looking after her varied interests, her sons assisting her in the management of the large ranch. Source: �History of Yolo County, California� by Tom Gregory. Published by the Historic Record Company, Los Angeles, California, 1913, pages 426 � 430. Transcribed by Bea Barton The late George W. Scott, who died on his home ranch near Madison, February 20, 1912, was long one of Yolo county�s leading farmers and influential citizens. He was a pioneer of the Sacramento Valley and was a real factor in the development and prosperity of this section of California. Mr. Scott was born near Ovid, Seneca county, New York, on the 19th of October, 1828, and was a member of an old American family. Some two hundred and twenty years ago three Scotchmen left their native land to help establish a colony in America. Eventually one settled in New Jersey, one in Connecticut and the other in Virginia, the third being the ancestor of George W. Scott. David Scott, the great-grandfather of George Washington Scott, was born in Connecticut, February 25, 1729, and one of his children was Gideon Scott, who was born in Connecticut, December 11, 1755, and who, with his brothers James, David and Thomas, took an active part as continental soldiers in the war of the Revolution. On October 17, 1779, Gideon Scott was married to Miss Anna Burt, who was born January 27, 1758, and they had eight children of whom David was married to Sarah Dunlap on January 1, 1805. To their union were born fifteen children, of whom George Washington, of this memoir, was the fourteenth in order of birth. George W. Scott was reared and educated in the state of his birth and in 1847 went to Columbia county, Wisconsin, where he farmed for three years. In March, 1850, with seven comrades, he started across the plains, with ox teams and covered wagons, and arrived in Yolo county, California, in the following December. Soon afterwards he returned east, but in 1854 again came to Yolo county with his bride, whose maiden name was Emma Bloomer, whom he married December 13, 1853. He built a cabin on Buckeye creek, in Yolo county, and they began life in earnest in this new country. By hard and persistent industry, wisely directed, he prospered and in the course of time became the owner of a fine ranch of sixteen thousand acres, located near Madison, Yolo county. To Mr. And Mrs. Scott were born seven children, as follows: Elveno, deceased; Clarence; Arthur; Elma, who is the widow of the late John H. Rice; Addie and Stella, who are deceased; and Charles, who died in 1908. Mr. Scott took and active part in local public affairs and gave his political support to the republican party, of which he served many years as a committeeman. He was a member of the board of supervisors of Yolo county, working hard and effectively for the best interests of the community and the county, and because of his progressive views as to public improvements, he took the lead in such matters. Kindly and generous in disposition, he gave liberal support to religious and educational interests and was numbered among the public-spirited and enterprising citizens of his locality. Transcribed by Craig Hahn. Source: Wooldridge, J.W. Major History of the Sacramento Valley California, Vol. 2 pgs. 69-70. The Pioneer Historical Publishing Co. Chicago 1931. Submitted: Craig Hahn.