James P. Scott was born on January 20, 1853. He was a son of John Scott, who was born in Fayette county, Indiana, on June 26, 1830. John Scott's father, Noble F. Scott, came to this neighborhood from Fayette county. He moved to Iowa in 1858, with James E. Scott, his brother, and with his father and mother, and lived and died in Page county, Iowa. James E. Scott later went to Nebraska and died in Blue Springs on March 27, 1916. He was a successful retired farmer. John Scott, who was the father of the subject of this sketch, received his early education in Brandywine township, this county. When he came here with his father the country consisted of timber and swamp land and was a terrible wilderness. Grandfather Scott cleared the land and settled it and John Scott received his early education in the schools of that time and he was considered an unusually well educated man for that period. He was a farmer and school teacher and also music and singing teacher. He was considered one of the best spellers of his time. He had singing schools at different places in both churches and school houses.

John Scot was married on September 15, 1850, to Elizabeth A. Alyea. She was the daughter of James and Hannah (Abbott) Alyea, who came to this county in 1835 and settled in Brandywine township. They had formerly lived in Ohio. Mr. Alyea was born in New Jersey in 1798 and his parents died when he was only a child. He lived in Ohio with Abraham Hopper, a blacksmith. He started to learn the trade while there, but later came to Indiana. He lived on his farm and followed both farming and blacksmithing. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Alyea were William, Catherine, Frank, who died in infancy; Eliza J., who was the mother of the subject of this sketch; Aaron, John, Jackson, Hannah and Mollie. John Scott enlisted in the war in 1861 and died on September 11, 1863, at New Orleans in a hospital. He was buried there. He had served faithfully in the war, having gone to war with Charles Gunn and John and Jackson Alyea. He was a Democrat and he and his wife were both members of the Christian church. He was a leader in the community and was well liked and greatly respected, a man whose honesty and integrity was beyond question.

James P. Scott received his early education at the Scott school house. William Workman was one of his first teachers. He went to school about ten winters, but during this time he had to work to help make the living. His great-grandfather, James Gunn, gave forty acres of land to each of his children and James P. Scott still holds his land. He helped clear and ditch and fence this land. It fell to his lot to stay with his mother. His mother and the family lived in a small three-room house, which was not yet finished when the father went away to the army and James P. and his brother had to finish this house. James P. Scott was born in a log cabin on forty acres of land which was heired from his great-grandfather and he split rails and helped fence this land. The roads in this section were almost impassable and oftentimes they were corduroyed to hold up the travelers from sinking in the mud. The grain at that time was cut with a cradle and bound by hand and threshed by horse power machines.

James P. Scott was married on July 11, 1900. He had stayed at home with his mother until her death on May 26, 1900. He was forty-seven years old at the time of his marriage. His wife was Eliza J. Caldwell, who was born on January 19, 1859, and who was the daughter of Benjamin and Lucinda (Liming) Caldwell. Benjamin Caldwell was born in Kentucky and came to this county with his parents and started farming. Mrs. Caldwell's parents came here from Ohio. They had three children: Eliza J., who is the wife of the subject of this sketch; Sophronia, who married C. J. Thompson, and Rosa, who married L. C. Barrett. Mr. Caldwell was a Democrat in politics and both he and his wife belonged to the Christian church. James P. Scott has no children of his own, but he has raised two of his sister's children, who stayed with him until they were grown and at present he has another nephew living with him, Norman F Scott. James P. Scott has ninety-five acres of land all under cultivation. The farm is well fenced and Mr. Scott has built a fine barn and has a good residence on the place. He raises hogs and cattle and horses. All of these are of the best stock. He has a fine or hard and his buildings are all well painted and kept in the very neatest condition. He bought thirty acres five years ago at one hundred and twenty-five dollars an acre. He is a Democrat in politics and belongs to the Knights of Pythias lodge at Fountaintown. Both he and his wife are members of the Christian church.

Transcribed from History of Hancock County, Indiana, Its People, Industries and Institutions by George J. Richman, B. L., Federal Publishing Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1916. Pages 927-929.

Submitted by Sylvia (Rose) Duda, Laingsburg, MI October 7, 2001.

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