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Death Of J. Austin Scott

Death Of J. Austin Scott image
Parent Issue
Day
29
Month
July
Year
1892
Copyright
Public Domain
Obituary
OCR Text

Mr. J. Austiu Scott, after weeks of luffering, died Monday afternoon at ;hree o'clock. During his residence n this city he had endeared himself to so many witb whom he had come in sontact, that intelligence of his condition was eagerly sought after during his last days. The funeral services were held Tuesday at six o'clock, the services being private at his own request. The following biographical sketch is taken f rom the History of Toledo. Young Ohio was situated at a point of confluence of the tides of niigration. Her early population in one current came fróm New England and New York; in another, f rom Pennsylvania; aud in a third, from Virginia and Kentucky. The result has been a mingling of forcea and a conflict of ideas. Politica! parties, for instance, have been pretty evenly matched in nurabers; and, as a consequence, strong men necessarily have come forward on both sides to contend for the mastery, in botli state and national affaire. But the effect of tliis stir and life is aJso seen in the men who. not seeking public place, have beeu content to build up the strength and character of the various communities where they lived in the state of their choice. The Jatter are no less worthy types of much that is best in the state. Such a representative man is the subject of tliis sketch. J. Austin Scott, the son of Jere and Amelia Wakeman Scott, was born April 13, 1806, at Kidgefield, Fairiield eounty, Connecticut. where his ancestors had lived for three generations. Both of his grandfathers, David Scott and Jessup Wakeman, were active patriots in the Revolutionary war. Ilis father was to? young to serve, but tour úneles were patriot soldiere. Austin was sent to the district school at au early age;afterJeaving which, he went to a school kept by a gradúate of Yale, where he acquired a good knowledge of niathematics. Coming into yonna manhood, he taught the school of the district in winter, and worked on his father'sfarm in suuimer and afterwaids taught the villaee school in the town of Ridgefleld. He next became clerk of a country store keeper and liad pretty much entire charge of the store, postorlice and the compounding of prescriptions. These several duties were too confining, and in May of 1833, he came west on a visit to Perrysburg, where his brother Jessup V. hád recently settled. The ctext year Mr. Scott purchased the Mianii of the Lake, a newspaper then just started at Perrysburg and the tirst une published in the Mauinee valley. In the summer of the same year, the First Pre8byterian chureli of' Perrysburg was formed. of which Mr. Scott was one of the nine original members. rhenext year (1835) he shared in the perilsot the "Toledo war," in acceptinga eaptain's commission froin Governor Lucas. J laving been made the agent of the Miami and Higby land conipaaies, Mr. Scott removed to Miamt, where the hard times of 1837 found hun building a steaniboat, the Cuesapeake, which cos1, whei coiupleted, 868,000. It was built on kis farm near Fort Miami. From this enterprise he was just able to escape without financial loss and at once set to work with his brother, George, to clear the land for a farm on traot .r)78, private grants. Together they cleared 150 acres. Mr. Scott planted one-third of this with trees, apple, peach. pear and quince, and sooa had one of the ünest orchards in the state, and it may be stated in thi3 conuection that not a year lias passed since his boyhood in wliicli he did not plant trees. For the next 20 years, thoughowningaiidconducting a warehouse business at Miami, Mr. Scott found bis delight, and linally his chief occupation. in the cultivation of fruit. lie was a member of the fust Maumee city council, in whieh eapacity he served for 16 years, 12 yeara of which time lie was the president. He was also president of the Maumee city school board lor a number of years. In order to give his childrea the advantages of good schools, Mr. Scott moved to Toledo in 1859, where he had invested Bomewhal in real esl Soon af ter he settled in that city he was elected a member of the board of educa tion, where he served for several terms, and aided largely in makingthe public school the pride of the city. After a lite of ;4 years in the Maumee valley, Mr. Scott, on account of theilHiealth of bis wife, removed to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and occupied the beautiful resulence where he has continuad to live for over twenty years. ,The same public spirit which eharacterized his early and oiiddle life luis been shown in his advancing As president of the cemetery compauy, and of the Horticultural Society in Ann Arbor, and as director in a bank and a manufacturing coinpany and in other places of trust, he has ■iveil the contidence and respect uujyersally piven him. Stimly independence, sterling integrity. aiKtspeci] activit in the church chari'cterize the life of Mr. Scott. For more t t :h : i 1 1 years he has held official in ' the different churchea witli which he has been connected, and nearly 34 years. in Toledo and Ann Arbor. that of deacon. Mr been twice married. um A. Crocker, of who died in 1840. In 1847 '. 'i! riictriU 1 lo Miss iSusan S. Raniiey, if East ' Granville, Mass., who died i n 1883. No chiidren of the tírst maitidge survive. Of the aecond, Mr. Scott's children are Aiwtfin, prestdeut of Rutger's College, New jersey; Evart TL, largely interested in manufacturinginAnn Arbor; Mary H., wife of Charlea L. Carter of Ilonolulti, and Ranney C. Annie Elizabeth, a daughter of much promise, died at Toledo, at the age of 12 years. At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of Forest Hill Cemetery Company, beid Tuesday, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted: Resolved, That in the decease of the honored president of our Board, we feel that Forest Hill Cemetery Compariy has sustained an irreparable loss. Seldom is so rare a combination of superior qualifications with leisure atid willingness to discharge the varied duties devolving upon our presiding officer. added to them the duties or superinteiulent, found in any community, and yet for more than twenty years has our associate, friend and fellow citizen, J. Austin Scott, discharged them in the most efficiënt marnier, wnti unvarying punetuality, and a uniform courtesy deserving and receiving the eommendation of all. It was characteristic of our lamented friend tliat in all the relations of Ufe the prompt and faithf ui performance of any duty or trust assumed by him was ever manifest, and now, at a ripe old age, respected and honored by all, he goes to his reward, and in tlie beautitul grounds of Forest Hill Cemetery, íh the improrement atid supervisión of which he has for many years taken so much interest and freely devoted so much of his valuable time, is mournfully and loviugly laid at rest. It is only left to us as a Board, in ordering the record of our regard for our departed brothèr member, to cherish the niemory of his inspiring example and emulate. so far as we may, the virtues ot a Ufe well spent. Resolved, That in furtlier testimony of, our respect, we attend the funeral of our late associate and president in a body. Resolved, That the Clerkbeinstructed to transmit to the bereaved family a copy of these resolutions and to publish the same in the city papers.