James Scott Obituaries

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James Scott

Fairmount News Dec. 2 1902
A pioneer Passes Away.
Incident in the Life of Uncle Jimmy Scott.
In the death of Uncle Jimmy Scott as he was familiarly known, passes away the last one of the original settlers who came to this section of country with a family when it was a wilderness.
It was some time in the first week of December, 1812, that he and his wife reached the place selected for their home, situated two and three fourths miles northwest of Fairmount, Liberty Township, Grant county, and within three-fourths of a mile of east line of the Miamia Indian reservation, designated then as the Boundary Line, beyond which no one was allowed to settle for a distance over thirty miles.
Mr. Scott had come out from Waye county in the early part of the year, and erected a log cabin, cut out an opening for the door and fireplace, and covered the cabin with boards made by his own hands. No nails were used to hold them on, but, as was the custom each course of boards was weighted down by a heavy pole.
They had waited until late in the season to move, that the roads might become solid, so as to escape the mud, which the early settlers had learned to respect.
Kind providence favored them with a deep snow, and when they arrived at their cabin late in teh evening, they found it already occupied by a herd of wild hogs, which were soon dispersed. When they proceeded to make themselves as comfortable as possible for the night, while being surrounded by a band of wolves which were plentiful at that time.
Next mornning Uncle Jimmy, while looking out through the opening between the cabin logs saw a deer, which had come near to investigate the intrusion, which he shot and killed from his fortress, from which they had their first breafast in the wilderness. Uncle Jimmy being a good shot with the rifle had no trouble in keeping his family well supplied with fresh meats. The woods abounded in wild game, such as deer, turkey, squirrel, coon and opossom.
The young man who starts in life today has but a faint conception of what the first settlers endured to sustain life, rear a family and make a home in the dense forest that covered this country.
The first object was to raise a little corn and vegetables by clearing the underbrush, and scratching the ground over a little with a jmping schovel, to recieve the seeed. The corn when sufficiently mature must be handled economically to make it meet the requirements of the home. First the roasting ear, then the grated meal for hasty pudding or Johnney Cake, then later the sun dried sack of corn for the mill. Then it was a long distance to the mill, which om cpmsequence of the bad roads, must be made on horseback. We had no exchange mills those days. But frequentl the settler had to remain at the mill twenty-four hours or longer living on parched corn, before he could get grinding done. And when, at last, the glad words, "it is done," was sounded in in his ear, perhaps at midnight. But ever thoughtful for the dependent ones at home, he set out for the weary ride of four to six miles as the distance might be.
Uncle Jimmy as blessed with a strong physical constitution above that of the average man, and an active mind, and was ever ready to contribute his influence fore th best interest of the community.
He has lived to see the wilderness fade before the hand of industry and progress as the shadows of nigh before the rising sun.
His generation has long since passed away, and for many years he has stood, the lone representative of the pioneers of teh Oak Ridge settlement.
I have great respect and veneration for those breave men who first broke the silence of this primeval forest, and planted the seeds of civilization and religious life. I sometimes think we hold too lightly the work of their hands. Surely they will have theri reward.
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A big "Thank You!" goes out to Julie Ward for doing all the research, the trips to the library, and sharing so generously with the rest of us for these news clips.


ANNIS (AMOS?) ARNETT (JESSE2 ARNETT*, VALENTINE1) was born February 09, 1819 in , , Nc, and died January 28, 1892 in , Grant Co., In buried in Park Cemetery, Fairmount, Grant Co lot #589. She married JAMES SCOTT April 20, 1836 in Wayne Co., In HEISS INDIANA QUAKER RECORDS (2-34) NEW GARDEN MM, son of JOHN SCOTT and RACHEL HORTON. He was born December 26, 1814 in , Wayne Co., In, and died November 27, 1902 in , Grant Co., In



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