Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1905-03-10
SKETCH OF JOHN M. SCOTT.
By J. L. COLLINS.


John NJ. Scott was born in Illinois
in July, 1927. He was son of Capt.
Levi Scott and Eda Ennis Scott His
mother died when he was about four
teen years old. He was one of a family
of thirteen children born to Capt.
Scott and his wife between the time OF
their marriage in 1877, and the time
of Mrs. Scott's death, which took place
in 1842.
In 1914, at the age Of sixteen, John
NJ. Scott crossed the plains with his
father, in company with A. f. Hedges,
who settled at Canemah, just above
the falls of the Willamette, and Capt,
Charles Bennett, who settled at Salem,
and was killed in the three days battle
with the Indians, at Walla Walla, in
the winter of 1866. While crossing
| the Cascade mountains, with horses,
after having been compelled to aban-
don their wagon on the plains, John
rode into the cold and rushing waters
Of Hood River to swim across on his
horse, which was carried off by the
current, and rolled over, with the boy
clinging to the saddle. After floating
down stream, over the boulders, for
about a quarter Of a mile, the horse
landed safely on the western bank,
with John still clinging to the rig
ging. In 1845, Capt. Scott took up
claim, about nine miles north of Cor
wallis, which he afterwards sold, and
it was, I think, finally proved up on
by man named Cahoon. 1t lies Just
a little south Of Wellsville, on the
S. P. R. R., which runs across the east
end Of the claim.
In 1916, John went with his father,
Jesse Applegate, and twelve others in
search of a way by which wagons
could be driven into the Willamette
valley, which never yet had been
accomplished. All the wagons, yet,
brought to the Valley, had been
brought down the Columbia, from the
dalles of that river, on batteaux.
They started in the Spring, early, and
carefully examined heway across the
Calapooya mountains, through the
Umpqua valley, and the gleat Ump-
qua Canyon, across the Cow Greek
mountains, through the Rogue River
valley, across the Siskiyou mountains
to the klamath river, which they fol-
lowed up to the Klamath lakes. They
passed around the south end of that
Lake, and of Goose Lake, and pro-
ceeded to the sink of the Humbolt
River, near which they struck the Cal
ifornla emigrant trail, which thev
followed to Fort Hall. This was one
OF the most important of the early
explorations of this country. It's value
was little understood. atthe time; and
it brought the explorers neither profit,
nor thanks from the many who we're
ultimately benefited by it But it
opened way for the immigrants to
drive their wagons into the settle
ments; and helped and hastened the
of southern and southeast
ern Oregon.
When the Cayuse war broke out in
1847, John went with his father. who
had been commissioned by Governor
Abernethy Captain of a company of
fifteen to carry dispatches to the Gov
ernor of California. They started in
December. On reaching the Siskiyou
mountains, in January, they found
the snow about five feet deep, and so
over, that it would not bear
the weight OF a horse; and in ATTEMPT
ing to go forward, it cut the legs of
the horses so badly, that they soon
found 1t impossible to cross the
mountains with the animals Tbev
decided to send part of the men back
With the horses, and part of them
should cross the mountain On foot and
proceed to the Sacramento valley
carrying their blankets, arms and
on their backs. The horses
we're started back at once, as the men
were anxious to get them to grass.
or they had nothing but the twigs of
pushes to eat now for three or fonr
lays. John Scott and seven men were
'ent back with the horses; while seven
men attempted to cross the mountain
IN foot. The party that attempted to
ross the mountain found it i'm
'ossible, and were compelled to aban-
Ion the effort. The men with the
lorses Travelled slowly, to rest the
weary animals and allow them to
'raze, wherever they could find grass
The men on foot overlook them on the
Jmpqua river, just after passing
through the Great Canyon Of the |