Scott History

SCOTT HISTORY

by Thelma Scott

Edwin David Scott came to Niobrara county when but 15 years of age from Buffalo, N.Y. to visit his uncle Andrew Scott who came to Wyoming, in Niobrara county in the 1880's from Scotland. He was a friend of Andrew Faulkner and worked for him when first here, later purchasing his own place which he sold to Z.B. Crinklaw, now owned by the Olive Johnson estate.

Ed then went to Pittsburg, Kan. where he married Annie Keir Johnston Mardie July 29, 1914. He was born Jan. 13, 1896 at Franklinville, N.Y.  She was born at Glen­mavis, Scotland and came to the states with her mother when she was five. Her father had come over before. She was born on April 8, 1895. Her parents were Shanks and Annie Keir Mardie. He was born Jan. 7, 1872 and died April 23, 1934 and her mother was born Dec. 31, 1875 and died Oct. 23, 1940.  Annie and Ed had a son, Robert, born May 16, 1915. Ed was a fireman on the railway in east Kansas, firing a big Malley engine.  They came out to Chadron, Neb. where he worked on the C & NW Railway as a fireman and lived with his half-sister Mrs. Albert Jensen and husband for awhile.

In the spring of 1917 the Scotts came to Niobrara and he homesteaded in the Hat Creek Valley on land adjoining his Uncle Andrew and his mother Janie A. Scott who also homesteaded; this land of his mother's now owned by Roy Johnson. Another cousin, Robert Scott, also homesteaded close by and this land is now in the Dudley Fields' estate.   This cousin, Robert Scott, also came from New York state. His father, Robert Scott, was a minister there, and a brother of Andrew and Annie. He lived here a short time, but returned to New York due to his health.

Ed had a sister Betty who lived with her mother, part-time. They stayed at the Ed Scotts. Betty attended Jireh College and the University of Wyoming and graduated there in the mid 20s. Her mother was the house mother at Hoyt Hall at the University. She later went to Ethete on the Indian Re­servation and was house mother also (Shoshone).

Betty married George Snider in 1928 or 29.  She taught one year at Newcastle prior to her marriage. She was living in Cody after marriage, and had only been married a month when she died of dyptheria and is now buried in Lusk.

Ed Scott worked parttime on the N.W. Railway, was a fireman for Leo Micek on a passenger train from Chadron, Neb. to Casper and sometimes to Lander and parttime on his homestead. He remained here until 1928, then he went to Casper and later to Cody to live. He worked for Texaco there for a while. Mrs. Scott and Robert remained here. That fall she was divorced from Ed and on Sept. 13, 1928 married Harleigh L. Johnson. For awhile they lived on the Cross A Ranch. They moved back to the Scott place during the summer of 1931, where Mrs. Johnson lived the remainder of her life. She became
poorly in 1941 and passed away April 2, 1943, and is buried in Lusk.

Neither Annie Scott Johnson nor any of her family ever returned to Scotland, but made their home in the U.S. Most live in southeast Kansas, and some in Oklahoma.

Annie had a sister Elizabeth Patterson Owens Mardie, born April 25,1900. She died in January of 1961 or '62; and a sister, Margaret McDonalson Johnson Mardie, born April 6, 1902. Both visited here in the spring of '43, a sister Irene Blanche Mardie Gowans born Feb. 16, 1904, a brother Robert 

Mardie born July 19, 1906, who died Dec. 31, 1960, a sister Jessie Juanita Mardie Snow born Sept. 8, 1910 and a sister Vivian Loretta Mardie Coen born Sept. 29, 1912.

One brother, William Mardie, died in Scotland at six months old; a second child, Euphemia (Pheobe) Mardie died when a year old in Kansas. Her father was a stone cut­ter in Scotland, and became a coal miner in southeast Kansas.  He was the son of William and Elizabeth Mardie of Glenmavis, Scotland. Shanks was born at Garden Square Lanicshire, Scotland and is buried at Hosey Hill cemetery in Weir, Kan. as was his wife. Anne Johnston Keir Mardie -- we have no records on her people but they were from Scotland. She kept track of one sister Mrs. Minnie Young and daughter Allison, but after Aunt Minnie's death, we lost track of the rest of the family.

Edwin David Scott, Sr. lived in Oregon for many years after leaving New York. He was a banker as young man in Buffalo, N.Y. around 1909, until shortly before he died in 1939.

He had been married twice, his first wife I believe was named Carlson; she had two children,, Gerald, born Aug. 24, 1887 and Hazel Rae, born April 14, 1890.  He was born April 10, 1858; his first wife died and he married Janie Armstrong Scott, born July 25, 1872 and died on July 25, 1956 in Cody, Wyo. and is buried in Lusk.  They were married by the Rev. Robert Scott, her brother, Sept. 4, 1893. She was born in  Northumberland, England just two and a half miles south across from the Scotland line and came to the U.S. when a young woman. E.D. Scott died Jan 1, 1939 and is buried in the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, N.Y. Rae was three when her father married Janie A. Scott.  They had two children, Edwin David born Jan. 13, 1896 and Elizabeth A. Scott born in 1902 or 04, at Walcott, N.Y. he was eight years older then Betty (Ed) Edwin died April 5, 1963 in Portland, Ore. after a stroke that completely paralized him for six months or more. Betty lived with her mother until she married just a month prior to her death.

Janie A. Scott lived in Cody, Wyo. for many years and died there, though lived two or three years at Hat Creek with her grand­ son, Robert and family in the middle 1940's leaving here again for Cody in 1947.

Hazel Rae Scott married Albert Jensen, they lived in Chadron, Nebr. for a few years. She worked at the Northwestern Hotel in Lusk, in the early teens prior to her marriage.

They then moved to Elk, Wash. where they lived the remainder of their life.   We visited them in August of 1962.    Bob had not seen her since he was two until then.

Robert Scott, brother of Janie and Andrew was the first of their family to come to the U.S. Later the brother and sister and mother came over.

There are five generations of Robert Scott, and Ed said he was the fifth generation of Edwin David Scott.

Judith Scott was raised in California and Tucson, Ariz. Her father, Cecil Shrewsbury, died in spring of 1970 there and her mother, Judith Cravioline and her only brother, Red, all live in Tucson.

Sammie's parents were Vurel Cummings Bayne and she was born at Buffalo, Wyo. Her father was Cecil Bayne who died May 1, 1965 or 1966.  Mrs. Bayne lives in Gering, Nebraska. Sammie's brothers are: Chad, Chan, Mike and Tom and a sister, Mrs. Lona Belle Thayer of Harrison, Nebr.  Chad lives in Libby, Montana, Chan in Casper, Mike in Nebr. and Torn at home. 

Robert Scott was born in Weir, Kan.He attended school at Hat Creek, DeGering, Rough Rock, Lusk, Laramie and the Thomas school.  He married Thelma I. Lynn, born in northern Goshen county near Pleazel post office (now abandoned) and have lived in the Hat Creek community since they resided on his father's homestead in May of 1944.

Now we own it, and moved into a new house on July 9, 1964. The original homestead shack still sits.  It consists of one room, a kitchen, and later a bedroom. We added on a bedroom and a livingroom after we moved here.

Mrs. Scott attended school in Goshen county, Node, Lusk and graduated from Lusk High School in May, 1934.   She also attended school in Davie and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Richard attended school at Fairview and the balance of school in Lusk, grad­ uating with the class of 1954.   He was a member of the National Guard for 8-1/2 years, was one of the first members of Civil Air Patrol in January, 1950 and served four years in the U.S. Navy.  He took training at San Diego, Calif., spent six months on Hawaii and the U.S.S. Platte, a tanker, for most of his service.  He was a dispersing agent on the ship. Saw duty in and around Japan and lot of the Pacific.

After he got out he married, came to Wyoming from April 15, 1961 until Aug. 28, 1965, when they moved to Tucson, Ariz. They bought a home there and he has worked in construction work.  When 18 months old he had pneumonia and was quite ill; the following Christmas he had scarlet fever and his grandmother, Lynn, a nurse, cared for him.  He was visiting them at the time. Their second daughter, Robyn, has an unusual throat condition and the esophagus is reversed. They took her to Children's Hospital in Denver, but none of the doctors had ever seen a case of this, though they had read of it. She chokes easily, but as she grew older has been able to cope with it herself. They also lived south of Harrison, Nebr. for a short time.

Robert L. lived in Lusk and south of Harrison, Nebr. a short time, then moved to Nebr. where he worked for S & T Motors in Scottsbluff.  He attended all his schooling in Lusk, going by bus. He graduated in May, 1957, was a member of the Civil Air Patrol and the National Guard of some eight years and was in the U.S. Army stationed at Ft.Leonard Wood, Mo.

Rog married Aleta Viann Alter, daughter of Delmar and Bernadine McCrander Alter, she was born July 24, 1950 in Lusk Wyo. They have one daughter, Stacie Ann, born March 20, 1970 at Rapid City, S.D. They were married on Nov. 25, 1967 in Hot Springs, S.D. and now live in Albuquerque, N.M. Mirand Lynn was born on Sept. 3, 1971, in Albuquerque, N.M.  

Rog extended his time in the air force in July of 1970 for six months, then he re­ enlisted on Jan. 26 for four more years. He was also a member of CAP.

Edwin David Scott Sr. went from N.Y. to Warensburg, Mo. to Weir, Kan. in a covered wagon during the Civil War days. Later he returned to New York.

Aleta Scott has a sister, Bette and a sister Colleen, and a half-sister, Pat Peterson Jugler.  Her husband is George and they have a son Rodney and a daughter born May 17, 1972.

Robert Scott has worked for Niobrara county as Patrol operator, since the last of October, 1951 or 20 years this fall. Prior to this he worked on Highway construction from Hat Creek to Red Bird back in the middle 30's and south of Jay Em to Lingle and on the Lance Creek cutoff.  He also worked for his stepdad Harleigh L. Johnson at Cross A Ranch and for Natural Products for several years from l939 to 1951.

Bob is an Elk and was supply officer and former Commander of the Civil Air Patrol in Lusk; a private pilot, owns his own plane since 1947; likes to hunt, look for arrow heads, likes antiques, to ride horses, etc. He is an Episcopalian, but attends the Hat Creek Sunday School. He joined the CAP when it first organized on Jan. 9, 1950 and was Captain. The Scotts also belonged to the GOC (Ground Observer Corps) and Mrs. Scott is the chief observer at the Scott ranch at Alpha Nectar 45 Red from early 1953 until it disbanded.

The Scotts like to camp out, prefer the country life and wild life of deer and antelope and few head of buffalo they purchased May, 1972, near their home. Some times they come right up to the yard fence as did this morning, a buck and a doe deer. As we do not molest them under the hill, it is a sanctuary and they know it.

Thelma Scott was the first woman to enter Civil Air Patrol here in Lusk. She was public information officer and photo­grapher, observer and communications officer and radio operator for several years. She was active for 18 years beginning in January, 1950. She is a member and past president of the Hat Creek Ladies Club since Dec. 14, 1950, president in 1952 and reporter most of these years. She helped to organize the Pioneer Sunday School and was primary teacher and superintendent in 1951.    She is a charter member of B.P.O. Does Lodge (Elks) ladies of Drove #64 of Lusk.

Robert was of Scotch-Irish ancestors. They liked the west when they settled here. 

Emma Lou Abbott, Emma Sturman and Miss Ord, Matilda and Cleo Steffans were among his teachers. The post office at Hat Creek was established Feb. 28, 1877 with several postmasters. The first I knew was Andrew Faulkner, then Dudley Fields and Mabel Osborn and now Fae Baker. The post office closed Dec. 10, 1971.

Both Andrew Faulkner and Dudley Fields had a general store in conjunction with the post office. The first phone was the 05F4 line and this accommodated several families, among them were Criss Jassman, Yoy Johnson at Cross A, JA6 ranch, Petty Johnson, Frank Hansen, Gaylord Anderson, Billy Miller, Bill Bonsell, John Goddard, Dave Mill, George Mill, Jakie Mill, Henry McGinnis, Harleigh Johnson and Robert Scott.

Harleigh Johnson had one of the first 32-volt delcos in area and we bought a new one soon after moving here. Got our first REA in the summer of 1951. I had 32-volt iron and gas iron also. We washed on a board, boiling our  clothes, when first married, but now have many electrical appliances.

The main kinds of recreation in the community years ago were: dance, box socials, picnics and gathering at friends or relatives.

Some of the first cars Robert remembers having was a 1921 Touring Chevrolet, Mitchell, and a 24 Dodge Touring.  We survived the grasshoppers in 1935 and drouth.  A rattle­ snake bit and killed our only daughter in September, 1940.  She was 15 months, 20 days old. One runaway Bob remembers. They were in town with a regular team of horses. The horses saw a Shetland pony and it scared them by the old telephone pole east of the Ranger Hotel.  Another time Ed was in for supplies, got to the gate at home, and some­ thing spooked them and all the supplies strung all over and all the team had when caught was the neckyoke. The first funeral he attended was in the 20s, Andrew Faulkner's, near the Faulkner home and store.

The first serious medical time was when a horse drawn sweep broke and dug into ground, it hit Bob over his head, fractured his skull and he had a blood clot. We took him to Dr. Dovey, from Cross A ranch. He was there a few days, but his face was partly paralized. One morning he reached over to fasten a shoe and his eye uncrossed and the blood clot evidently dissolved. He was o. K. after that, but it could have killed him. Once in a spring blizzard in the 50s, Bob got caught out in patrol, broke an axle and had to sit in it all night. He stuffed the door with toilet paper to keep out cold.    Early the next morning, while he could still see, he walked in to George Walker's place 1-1/2 miles away.  He was exhausted, slept for two days and they got word home that he was o. K. He borrowed a horse from Paul Percival, but snow was so deep he led the horse a good deal of the way and broke trail for him getting home at dark on the third day,

They farmed some acreage, used horses to pull the machinery. He rode broncs, raised corn and grain. Major and Pete were the main team. They always ran away until stacked with a full wagon of logs on top of themselves.   Never ran after that.

Thelma belongs to the Baptist church in Lusk, though active here at Hat Creek Sunday School.

Jas had a brother, John, who drowned in Scotland at six.

Our son Richard, born July 20, 1935, son Robert on Jan 31, 1938 and Arlene on June 2, 1939, all in northern Goshen county at Grandpa and Grandma Lynns. Roger was born  in the Spencer Hospital in Lusk.

The Robert Scotts first lived on the Burgeson place owned by Dud Fields, then on adjoining land also owned by Dud Fields, the Erie Esralson place.    Then in August, 1941, until latter May of '44 on the William Anderson place north of here a few miles on Old Woman Creek, then on our own place here since.

Hat Creek was mistakenly named as soldiers from Nebraska thought they were still in Nebraska on Hat Creek there. It was originally Sage Creek. The Hat Rock is close to the old highway 85 and new highway 85 and was so named because of its shape. There was a garrison of soldiers at the old Fort and Stage Station when it was first established.

Clare post office was a half mile south of us from Feb. 23, 1887 to Dec. 3, 1890.

William St. Clare was the postmaster, Tena Mill Strube remembers the post office.  Bob worked as horse and cow wrangler when he had to be lifted up on horse and later for OW, Mills, Cross A., Harry Townley.  He has flown back and forth to the job for mud plant and road jobs to find strays.

We have had two tornadoes here in early 1960's; the first destroyed the hanger but left the plane O.K.; the second in August, 1963 destroyed a 30 x 70 foot barn driving pieces of 2 X 4 into the ground like stakes one-half mile or more away, left just kindling, tractor, pickup and motorcycle still sitting, even cushion on tractor seat; it happened at night, just after dark, Bob and Rog just left the barn, we could see pieces flying through the air, nothing else was hurt.

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