Scott, Joseph

SCOTT

Posted By: IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 1/8/2024 at 17:48:11

JOSEPH SCOTT, from whom many of the facts connected with the early settlement of this township have been obtained, says hey found the country free of under brush and small timber, so that deer and elk were to be seen as a great distance, almost any day, and sometimes a dozen elk were to be seen in a herd. This first party of early settlers had no trouble in securing all the venison they wanted. It occurred to them that they would dry and smoke an amount of this meat to take back to Illinois with them. This led to rather a funny incident. Samuel Scott and William Brown expressed some fears that the scent of the game might attract some animals that might not prove welcome guests. One morning, bright and early, while these two were sleeping, Joseph and Brown Scott went out for a short hunt and soon started up a herd of elk does, that were suckling their fawns, and made out to capture one of them alive. Taking it back with them, they quietly raised the side of the tent and threw the animal upon the sleepers, who bounced out of the tent with a yell, and never stopped running till they had reached a safe distance from the supposed ferocious animal, that had attacked them in their quiet morning slumbers. The figure cut by this scanty attired pair of victims and their evident alarm, fully repaid the jokers for their morning hunt.

After building a shanty, the party returned to Illinois, and in June of that year Brown Scott started with his family for their new home. He was accompanied by a nephew, James Scott, a son of Joseph Scott, Sr. They expected to reach their destination in time to erect a liberty pole and celebrate Independence day, but on account of one of their oxen getting sick, they did not arrive till July 5. They took possession of their cabin home and at once commenced improving the land. The final government survey had not been made at this time, so they did not know where their boundary lines were. As soon as possible they filed pre-emption papers of the north half of section 3, Brown Scott taking the northeast quarter of the section and Joseph Scott the northwest quarter, which they finally purchased at the land sale in 1857. Brown Scott resided in Mitchell county until about 1860, when he removed to southern Iowa. His wife was the first white woman that made a home in what is now Jenkins township. When they came they had five children, and others were born to them after they came here. James Scott continued to live in the township till 1875, when he removed to Minnesota. His father, Joseph Scott, who was among the original explorers of this county, paid this locality annual visits, to look after his lands, and finally, in 1863, moved here, and settled on the site of the original camping ground.

~History of Mitchell and Worth Counties, Iowa
Springfield, Ill: Union Publishing Co., 1884; pg 320

(transcription source: Iowa Biographies Project)