John Clarkson Scott

John Clarkson Scott was the first child born in North Carolina in 1867 to Thomas Benton Scott and his wife Luzinia Elmina Couch Scott. They were married there in 1866. Not long after his birth the family moved from North Carolina to Kansas. Both of John's sisters were born in Kansas, Lelia in 1870, and Mattie Estella Scott, my grandmother, in December of 1873.

In the March 1, 1875, Kansas State Census for Lexington, Johnson County, Kansas, the family was listed as follows: T.B. Scott, 30, Luzinia Elmina, 29, John C., 7, I. Lelia, 4, and Mattie Estella Scott, 1 year old. In the 1880 U.S. Federal Census they were still living in Lexington, and were listed as: Thomas, 35, Elmina, 35, John C., 12, Lelia, 9, and Mattie, 6. Thomas was listed in the census as Benton Scott, and he was working as a farmer. John Scott, my great uncle, was working as a laborer on the family farm, even though he was just 12 years old.

Living next door was Thomas Steed, 33, and his wife, Emma, 26, and their son Claudius, 4 years old. Emma was Elmina's sister and John C. Scott's aunt. Thomas Steed was also working as a farmer, and both he and Emma were born in North Carolina as were their parents. Their son, Claudius, was born in Kansas.

Living two doors down was Oliver Cromwell Gordon, 41, and his wife, Eliza Ellen Couch Gordon, 32, another of Elmina's sisters. With Oliver and Eliza were their children William A., 12, Annie, 8, Charles, 5, Alice 4, and Fred, 3 years old. Oliver was also working as a farmer. Just a few doors down were Oliver's parents, Jonathan Gordon, 65, Irene, 65, and their children Jasper, 33, and Warner, 14, a grandson, and daughter-in-law Sarah Gordon, 33, and her children, William, 10, John, 8, Isabell, 6, and Corea, 4 years old. Next door to them was John Gordon, 30, Oliver's brother, and his wife, Mary Ada Couch Gordon, 20, Elmina's younger sister. Oliver, Jonathan and John were also working as farmers.

Next door to Jonathan Gordon and his family was Milton Couch, 59, and Sarah Jane Osborne Couch, 54, Elmina's parents, and their younger children Elizabeth, (Betsy) 22, Clarkson, 16, and Bartlett, 12. They were all born in North Carolina except for Bartlett who was born in Kansas, so this indicates that Milton and Sarah came to Kansas from North Carolina about 1867 or 1868. Milton was also working as a farmer and his two sons were working as farm laborers on the family farm.

Sadly, John's sister, Lelia, died three years later on August 19, 1883, when she was just 12 years old. She was buried in the De Soto Cemetery in Johnson County, Kansas. Seven years after her death, John married Mary Elizabeth Hale in about 1890, and by 1894, John's sister, Mattie Estella, married Isaac Randall Smith, formerly of Indiana. Their grandfather, Milton Couch, passed away January 17, 1894, in Johnson County, Kansas, and was buried in the De Soto Cemetery. His wife, Sarah Jane, lived another 10 years and died in 1904.

John's wife, Mary Elizabeth Hale, born March 8, 1873, in Kansas, was the daughter of William R. Hale (1847-1926) and Margret Hiddleston Hale (1852-1924). William was from Ohio, the son of Michael and Malissa Hale. William married Margret or "Retta" Hiddleston December 29, 1869, in Johnson County, Kansas. Margret was also from Ohio, the daughter of John Hiddleston (1822-1909) and Elizabeth Curtis (1824-1872) who were also born in Ohio. John Hiddleston was the son of Susannah Farley Hiddleston (1802-1848), born in Pennsylvania, and died in Ohio. Elizabeth Curtis was the daughter of Eli Curtis (1784-1852) from Worcester County, Massachusetts, and his wife Elizabeth Bennett (1775-1865). Eli Curtis was the son of Jonathon Curtis and Sibbel Haven of Charleton, Worcester County, Massachusetts, who were married October 19, 1780, in Massachusetts. According to the "History of Noble County, Ohio," Eli Curtis was the first of the Yankee settlers and one of the first to occupy a hill farm. He built the first brick house in the township in 1828.

Sadness came to the family again four years later when John's mother, Elmina, passed away in 1898 at the relatively young age of just 52 years old. She was also buried in the De Soto Cemetery, Plot: 2nd, Lot 68. John's father, Thomas Benton Scott, married again in 1903 to Sarah Ann Nixon, a woman who was 5 years older than him. She died 8 years later in 1911, but Thomas lived another 10 years after her death and passed away in 1921 at the age of nearly 77 years old. He was buried in the De Soto Cemetery in Johnson County, Kansas, and has a dual headstone there with his wife Elmina. His second wife, Sarah, is buried in the same cemetery, but was buried separately.

In the 1900 census for Lexington, Johnson County, Kansas, John, 32, was living with his wife, Mary, 27, and their two children Wyatt L., 7, and Zena Belle, 2 years old. John was working as a farmer and was renting his farm. Living next door was John's maternal grandmother, Sarah Jane Osborne Couch, a 74-year old widow, and her spinster daughter, Rachel Elizabeth or Betsy, 44. Two doors down were George Leamer, 52, and his wife, Rose, 49, another of Elmina's sisters, and their daughter, Mirty, (Myrtle), 23, and Fred Barts, 22, a servant.

Next door to them was Claude Steed, 24, and his wife, Dora, 23. Claude was another grandson of Sarah Couch, and therefore, John's cousin. A few doors down was Claude's father, Thomas Steed, 53, and his wife Emma, 46, who was Sarah Couch's daughter and Elmina's sister, Sarah Emeline, and they were living with their twin sons, Carl R., and Earl R., 15. Claude and Thomas were also both working as farmers. Next door to the Steed's were Mary Leamer, 56, and her son Harry C., 27. Mary was the older sister of George Leamer, one of Sarah Couch's sons-in-law, the husband of her daughter Roseann Carson Couch Leamer.

More sadness came when John's grandmother, Sarah Jane Osborne Couch, born August 30, 1825, in Guilford County, North Carolina, passed away November 20, 1904, in Johnson county, Kansas, at the age of 79 years old, and was buried in the De Soto Cemetery. Her headstone there reads..."Dear Mother, thou has left us, And thy loss we dearly feel, By this God that has borne us, He can all our sorrows heal."

Sarah had married Milton Couch February 13, 1845, in Guilford County, North Carolina, and they had 8 children, 6 girls and 2 boys. Sarah was the daughter of Thomas Osborne (1790-1869) and Celia Poe who were married August 20, 1816, in Guilford, North Carolina. They had six children, Allen, William D., David Madison, Sarah Jane, Matthew Emery, and Mary Ann. Thomas Osborn died in Anderson County, Kansas, December 18, 1869, at the age of 79 years, 9 months and 4 days. He was buried in the Sugar Valley Cemetery in Anderson County.

Milton was the son of Joseph Couch (1784-1853) and Sarah Williams Couch (1790-1850) both of whom died in North Carolina. Joseph was the son of Meshach Couch (1743-1824) and Mary Welch Couch (1758-1832). Joseph was born in Kent County, Delaware, and died in Guilford County, North Carolina. Meshach was born in England and died in Guilford County, North Carolina. He was a Quaker and during the Revolutionary War, and he and his family lived only a few miles from the site of the Battle of the Guilford Courthouse, which occurred on March 15, 1781.

August 22, 1782, Guilford County Court Minutes show that Meshach was called before the court to determine his loyalty during the Revolutionary War. The court records read..."Meshach Couch being cited to appear at this court to answer such things as might then and there objected against him, appeared accordingly and nothing appearing against him, he is discharged." Meshach was proven to be loyal to America and not England.

In an 1815 Guilford County Tax list it shows that Meshach owned 396 acres of land valued at $592. He died in 1824 and was buried in an unknown grave. His will named his wife Mary, and children, Meshach, Mary, Priscilla, John, Joshua, Joseph, Sally, Samuel, Charlotte, Phebe, James and Nathan. One son Percy had already died. Meshach's wife, Mary Welch, died in 1832 and was buried near her husband.

Getting back to John C. Scott...in 1910 he was still living in Lexington, Kansas, and was listed in the census as J.C. Scott, 42, with wife, Mary E., 37, and children Wyatt L., 16, Zena B., 11, and Juanita F., 7 (mis-spelled as Waunita). He was still working as a farmer. John and Mary had been married 20 years and had given birth to 3 children, all of whom were living. John was still renting his farm.

Next door was John's cousin, Earl Steed, 25, and his wife, Myrtle M., 23, and their son, John T., 2 years old, and next door to them were Earl's parents, Thomas, 65, and Emma, 56, John's maternal aunt. The Steed's were working as farmers. On the same census page was Fred M. Gordon, 33, and his wife, Frances M., 33, and their children Grace R., 11, Bernice E., 4, B. Ruth, 2, also cousins of John Scott. Fred was the son of Oliver Cromwell Gordon and his wife Eliza Ellen Couch, John's mother's sister.

A 1915 U.S. City Directory listing showed that John, Mary, Wyatt, Zena and Juanita were living in Lawrence, Kansas, and John was working as a driver, Wyatt as a waiter, and both Zena and Juanita were listed as students. Their address was shown as 744 R I. By 1917, they were listed in the directory for Lawrence, and John was working as the manager for W.E. Moak, and Zena was working as a "stripper" for A.J. Pierson, a cigar making company. Wyatt and Juanita were not listed in the 1917 directory, but John, Mary, and Zena were still living at the 744 R.I. address.

When John and Mary's son, Wyatt Lee Scott, registered for the U.S. World War I Draft on June 5, 1917, he was 23 years old, born November 22, 1893, in Lawrence, Kansas, and was living at 1118 Forest Street in Kansas City, Missouri, and working as a cook for G. Taylor at 1726-1/2 Grand Street. He was married and claimed exemption from the draft due to the necessity to provide support for his wife. Wyatt was described as being tall with a medium build with brown eyes and black hair.

Sadly, the following year John and Mary's daughter Zena Belle Scott passed away October 6, 1918, at the young age of just 20 years old. She had married her husband, George W. Hainline, exactly 9 months and one day earlier on January 5, 1918, so perhaps she died in childbirth, or if not, maybe due to influenza which was ravaging the country in 1918. Zena was buried in the De Soto Cemetery.

By the 1920 census, taken on January 5th, John, 52, Mary, 45, and Juanita F., 17, were also living in Kansas City, Missouri, and John was working as a mail handler at union station. They were renting their home which was located at 2602 Holmes Street. Since John's father, Thomas Benton Scott passed away in Kansas City just 7 months later on August 13, 1921, he was obviously also living there with them since his obituary stated that Thomas died at the home of his son, John.

Probably not long after Thomas Benton Scott passed away, John's sister, Mattie Estella Scott, and her husband Isaac Randall Smith, and their five children, Bertle Haze, Merton Dee, Lawrence Benton, Halley Dale and Eeva Delight Smith, left Kansas and moved to Venice, California. They were listed there in the 1930 census. Sadly, Mattie's husband, Isaac, (my grandfather) passed away in August of 1928, when my father, Halley Dale Smith, was just 18 years old, and Isaac was only 56 years old. He had been listed in a 1928 city directory listing living at 728 Nowita Place in Venice and was working in real estate before his death on August 1st that year.

By 1930, John was living at 3912 Walnut Street in Kansas City, and owned his own home valued at $6,000. He was working as a private detective and was 62 years old. His wife Mary was 57 years old. There is a 1940 census dated April 11th, for Lexington, Kansas, which shows that John, 72, and Mary, 67, were living with Mary's sister, Bertha B. (Hale) Ellis, 60, and her husband James Ellis, 61. James was working as a farmer and John as a farm laborer. Next door was Mary and Bertha's brother, James Lonnie Hale, 64, and his wife, Sarah, 62. James was also working as a farmer.

However, another census for 1940 showed that John was living with his son Wyatt, 47, and his wife, Cecil S., 45, and her mother, Margaret Shearer, a 79-year old widow, in a home located at 3024 McGee Street in Kansas City. John was not working at the time, and Cecil was working as a stenographer for an automatic fire alarm company. For the 52 weeks she worked at 40 hours per week in 1939 her income was $1,080.

When Wyatt Lee Scott completed his U.S. World War II Draft Registration card in 1942, he was living at 3012 Walnut, 2nd floor, in Kansas City, Missouri. He was 48 years old, at the time. He listed the name and address of the person who would always know his address as Buell Mudd, 3015, Walnut, Kansas City, who must have been his neighbor and friend, but I don't know if they were related. Wyatt was 5'-11" tall with gray hair and brown eyes, and was born November 22, 1893, in Johnson County, Kansas.

John C. Scott passed away April 27, 1941, and was buried in the De Soto Cemetery. His wife Mary Elizabeth Hale Scott, lived another 12 years and passed away in 1953, and was also buried in the De Soto Cemetery. Their son Wyatt lived another 15 years and passed away in 1968, and his wife Cecil, lived another 5 years and died in 1973. They were also both buried in the De Soto Cemetery. I don't think they ever had any children.

The headstone photo found on Find a Grave.com shows that John C., Mary E., their son, Wyatt L., and his wife, Cecil F., and Wyatt's sister, Zena B. Scott Hainline were all buried together at the De Soto Cemetery. Their daughter, Juanita F. Scott married Albert E. Simpson about 1921 and they had two children, a daughter, Violet Jean Simpson, born in 1922, and a son, Edward Scott Simpson, born in 1928. But sadly, Juanita died just 5 years later in 1933 from pulmonary tuberculosis and nephritis.

Following is an obituary for John, from a local newspaper: "Thursday, May 1, 1941. Death of John Scott: John C. Scott of Kansas City, who with his wife had been visiting for a few days with Mr. and Mrs. James Ellis, suffered a paralytic stroke on Friday. On Saturday he was removed to Kansas City where he passed away at eight o'clock Sunday morning, aged seventy-eight years.

Funeral services will be held at Stine-McClure Funeral Home Thursday morning at eleven o'clock after which the remains were brought to De Soto for interment in our Silent City.

Mr. Scott was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Benton Scott, pioneer residents in the Prairie Center neighborhood and grew to manhood here. For some years he has been employed by the Santa Fe Railroad in Kansas City. He is survived by his wife, formerly Miss Mary Hale, one son, Wyatt Scott of Kansas City, one sister, Mrs. Estella Smith of Los Angeles, California, who is on her way here."

Another newspaper clipping about John reads as follows: "Rites for John C. Scott. Funeral services for John C. Scott, 3012 Walnut Street, who died yesterday at St. Luke's Hospital, will be held at 11 o'clock Thursday at the Stine & McClure Chapel, 3235 Gillham Plaza. Burial will be at De Soto, Kansas. Mr. Scott was 78 years old and has been a resident of Kansas City since 1917. Before then he had spent most of his life in De Soto. He leaves his wife, Mrs. Mary E. Scott; a son, Wyatt L. Scott, and a granddaughter, Mrs. Nick (Violet Jean Simpson) Bellow, all of the home. He was employed at the Alexander Fuel and Coal Company and was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge and the Methodist Church in De Soto."

According to a U.S. Social Security Death Index record, Wyatt Scott, born November 22, 1893, was last living in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, at the time of his death in September of 1968. Why he had gone to Texas is unknown. Wyatt's wife, Cecil Shearer Scott, was born December 13, 1895, to Taylor J. Shearer and Margaret A. Wilson, and at the time of her death in October of 1973, she was living in Eagle Rock, Barry County, Missouri. According to a 1905 Kansas State Census for Lawrence, she was living there with her parents, T.J. Shearer, 43, Maggie Shearer, 44, and sisters Constance, 19, and Beryl, 11.

Sadly, that is all I know about my great uncle, John Clarkson Scott, who unfortunately, I never knew since he died 10 years before I was born, and lived in Kansas almost his entire life. Whether or not he ever traveled to California to visit his sister, Mattie Estella Scott Smith, after she and her family moved to Venice Beach, California, is unknown.

Della Dale Smith-Pistelli, June 3, 2016. The above photo of John came from the photo album of my mother and father, Frances Amelia Eubank and Halley Dale Smith.