PIECES OF OUR PAST

WILLIAM ALEXANDER SCOTT, JR.

AND

MINNIE LENA DAVIS SCOTT

WILLIAM ALEXANDER SCOTT, JR. was born on January 26, 1848, in Amherst County, Virginia. He was the third son of William Alexander Scott, Sr. and Sarah "Sallie" Floyd Powell and was probably delivered by his grandfather, Dr. James Powell of Amherst Court House.

William's Scott's Ancestors were:

William Alexander Scott, Sr. (1803-1857) and Sallie Floyd Powell (1808-1888). Buckingham County, Virginia.

Charles Alexander Scott, Sr., (1777, Albemarle County, - died 1843 Buckingham County ) and Elizabeth Lewis Hudson ( ).

John Scott (1729, Goochland County, died 1798, Albemarle County ) and Jane Fry ( born 15 May 1744, Goochland/Albemarle County, died 1811, Albemarle County).

Edward Scott (1696-1737) and Ann Cox (1707-1738.)

Col. John Scott ( born 1672, died 1729, New Kent Co.) and Judith Dudley (1672-1734)

Captain John Scott, born1624 Adstock, Buckinghamshire, England, died 1644, and Ann Bassett

Charles Scott (1605-1631) and Agnes Wyatt (1609-1632)

Sir Charles of Egerton Scott B:1543 1543 • Smeeth, Brabourne, Kent, England

D:1617 Feb 1617 • Godmersham, Kent, England.

William's 1929 obituary refers to his kinship to Sir Walter Scott and Washington Irving. That claim has yet to be proved. However, William's ancestors were closely related to many of Virginia's most notable persons. They include George Washington, Martha Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Robert E. Lee, Pocohantas, Powhatan, Meriwether Lewis, Col. Joshua Fry, Gov. Charles Scott, of Kentucky, Gov. Fitzhugh Lee, Gov. John Floyd, of Virginia, General John B. Floyd, CSA, Secretary of War, John C. Breckenridge, Gov. Henry Lee, III, Chief Justice John Marshall, Edith (Mrs. Woodrow) Wilson as well as non-Virginians, UN Secretary Adlai Stevenson, Jr., Helen Keller, Judy Garland, and many others born after his death. William was a descendant of English royalty, including the first three King Henrys and the first King Edward along with their progenitors, whose descendants include almost every American president.

William first appears in the census in the year 1850 as a 1-year-old living on the family farm, "Monmouth Hall". William worked as a boy in his father's mills in Howardsville across the river from his home. William and his brothers (Charles, James, and Edward) had to take over the operation of the farm when their father died of typhoid fever in 1857. William was distinguished for his truthfulness as a child. His word was sufficient to settle all disputes between the children. William and his family were members of the Presbyterian Church in Howardsville. Sally is shown as the head of the household in 1860.

HOWARDSVILLE, VIRGINIA

The boys' thoughts turned to war after the Civil War erupted in April of 1861. James Powell Scott became a Lieutenant in the Virginia Calvary. Edward and Charles enlisted in the 19th Virginia Infantry and were later transferred to the 4th Virginia Calvary. William was too young at first to enlist. Edward was wounded in the Valley Campaign in Virginia and lost a leg by amputation. James was killed at the Battle of Five Forks in the last week of the war on April 1, 1865. Charles survived with only minor injuries.

Although William was only a teenager, he was of an adult stature. By the age of thirteen, he was over six feet tall and weighed in excess of two hundred pounds. In 1863 and 1864 William served in Virginia Reserves of the Confederate Army at the ages of fifteen and sixteen. He was stationed in Prince Edward County. His brother, Lt. James P. Scott, was a member of the Calvary stationed in the county. The mission of the reserves was to guard the High Bridge on the Norfolk and Western Railroad.

William entered Virginia Military Institute in February of 1865 shortly after his seventeenth birthday. The military college had been destroyed by fire by Union forces in 1864. The school began the year 1865 in the Almshouse at Richmond. The cadets attempted to resume their academic studies but they faced extreme hardships in that last bleak winter of the war with General Grant poised on the outskirts of Richmond and Petersburg. The cadet's military duties consisted of manning the outer defensive works around Richmond to its evacuation on April 2, 1865. William only attended VMI for nine days. Soon after he got there, a call was sent forth for any man with a horse and gun. Feeling that this was his last chance to save his state William raced home to get a horse and join the cavalry. He took part in Calvary raids in and around Scottsville and Howardsville against the Union Calvary was commanded by Gen. Phillip Sheridan and Gen. George A. Custer.

William as a cadet at VMI, 1864. Conception by Patsy Baker and Artificial Intelligence.

MONMOUTH HALL - HOME OF WILLIAM A. SCOTT, JR., HOWARDSVILLE, VA.

VMI Cadet William Scott. Conception by Patsy Baker.

The Union cavalry left Charlottesville on March 6 with the 1st Calvary Division headed toward Scottsville under Gen. Wesley Merritt and his 5000 men. They were sent to Scottsville to destroy the canal and military targets. They were to destroy the canal up the river through Howardsville until they got to New Market (Norwood) at the mouth of the Tye River in Nelson County. There, they were to meet the 3rd Division and Sheridan and Custer. The plan was then to cross the James and to push rapidly eastward to join Grant at Richmond and to prevent a rear escape by Gen. Lee.

After destroying Scottsville the 1st Calvary Division moved up the river to Howardsville. As the calvary approached Howardsville residents began scurrying about trying to find a place to hide themselves and their valuables. Many crossed the river at the Howardsville ferry and escaped into Buckingham County. Mr. Hunter, a cashier at the Bank of Howardsville, grabbed his bank's cash and packed it into valises. He caught the last ferry and raced up the banks of the Scott property to bury the bank's money. The money was buried safely. Mr. Hunter, however, did not survive. The exertion was too much for him and he died of a heart attack. The Yankees captured a boatload of stores at Howardsville and camped there on the night of March 7th. A scouting party was sent across the river to reconnoiter the other side of the ferry. They came to William's house but found no men at home and left it intact because it was of no military importance.

William, like many of his fellow soldiers, was lacking in the proper military equipment. After serving for only a few weeks in the Confederate Calvary he developed pneumonia due to the constant rains and cool March temperatures. His sister wrote that he came down with pneumonia on the 7th of March which tends to show that he was taking part in calvary raids around his home.

The next morning they pulled out of camp to rendevous with Sheridan at New Market. They found the James River swollen after two weeks of rain. Sheridan weighed his options and decided that instead of trying to join Sherman in North Carolina he would double back and totally destroy the canal back to Richmond along the northern side of the James and join Grant in front of Petersburg. Sheridan stayed at the D.J. Hartsook home on March 9, 1865. This home was used as the home in the 1940 movie "Virginia". We don't know if William came home right away or remained in camp. He spent the last month of the war recuperating from his illness desperately wanting to rejoin his unit. Meanwhile, Sheridan struck a second time in Scottsville destroying even more buildings. The 9th day of April saw Lee surrender his Army to Grant at Appomattox Court House only a short distance to the south from Howardsville. Gen. Robert E. Lee came back through Buckingham County after the surrender. The bitter and deadly struggle to protect his state and his way of life was over.

One can only imagine the dejection that William was going through. His brother James was killed in the last week of the war at Five Forks. Edward had lost a leg and Charles was in a northern prison at Point Lookout, Maryland. All that he and his brothers fought for was gone. Richmond lay in ruins and his beloved Howardsville and Scottsville had been ravaged and robbed of their very existence.

There is an old family tradition that a Confederate raider came through Howardsville to organize a troop to conduct raids in the northern states. Family tradition holds that William rode with the raiders while he was home from VMI between sessions and was easily able to pass for an adult because of his size.

There is some proof of who the organizer was. John Singleton Moseby, the most famous Confederate raider, was a native of adjoining Nelson County. In 1856, John Moseby opened his law practice in Howardsville. William does not appear on his muster list. However, this may be due to the fact that he was not eligible for enlistment. This story does not seem to be true in light of Mildred Brady's sketch of William. The aftermath of the war was probably the most difficult time of William's life. William studied under a tutor in September of 1865 and later attended Norwood School at Norwood on the James River south of Howardsville in Nelson County. He and Charles were the only able-bodied men left to operate the farm - decimated by the ravages of war. William had little time or money to receive a college education. He began to read and developed a love for literature and history. He was interested in the genealogy of the family, especially the Irving family and the Scott family, and their relationship to Washington Irving and Sir Walter Scott. He knew practically every word of McCaulay's "History of England" and memorized most of "The Bible".

William was proud of his ancestry and was descended from many well-known Virginia families. Among the more noted of his direct ancestors were: Rev. Rowland Jones, first rector of Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg; Col. Joshua Fry, famous educator, surveyor, burgess, and military leader of 18th Century Virginia; and Powhatan, father of Pocahontas and leader of the Indians when Virginia was first settled.

His distant cousins were some of many famous Virginians. President Thomas Jefferson was a second cousin, four times removed. Martha Washington was a first cousin, four times removed. Mrs. Robert E. Lee was a third cousin, two times removed. Gen. William Henry "Rooney" Lee, CSA,, was a fourth cousin, once removed. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, CSA, was a third cousin, twice removed. Gen. John B. Floyd, CSA, and Secretary of War under President Buchanan was a second cousin, once removed. Gov. John Floyd of Virginia was a first cousin, twice removed. Some of his non-Virgninan cousins were Adlai Ewing Stevenson, a third cousin, three times removed; and the Speed brothers, James and Joshua F. Speed. Both were close personal friends of Abraham Lincoln. James Speed was appointed by Lincoln as Attorney General of the United States in 1864. Joshua Fry Speed declined the appointment as the Treasurer of the United States in 1864. Mr. Scott was also related to distinguished Virginians, George Washington, Robert E. Lee, and Chief Justice John Marshall to name a very few.

On February 7, 1873, William and his whole brothers and sisters conveyed their interest in their father's Harding Place to their half-sister, Elizabeth Ashlin, and her husband, Granville Ashlin. Granville Ashlin borrowed money on this place on February 27, 1873, from Z.R. Lewis. William served as the Trustee for Elizabeth H. Ashlin. This property adjoined Monmouth on the northeast. Sally divided "Monmouth Hall" among her children on November 17, 1876. She relinquished all of her rights in her husband's estate in order to provide for her children. She only asked that she receive $10.00 a month for her support. William received the lands adjoining Algoma on the northern end of Monmouth. His share also included the settlement of Hubbardtown on the Howardsville to Buckingham Courthouse Road.

Soon after his sister, Mildred, married Alfred Brady, William went to work for the Brady family in the Glass Works in West Virginia. The Hazel Glass Company, which would later become the Hazel Atlas Glass Company, was a pioneer in the manufacture of home canning jars. William soon became unhappy and returned home.

Howardsville was once on the main artery of transportation in nineteenth-century Virginia, The James River and Kanawa Canal. After the war, the canal was no longer feasible. The Richmond and Alleghany Railroad (later the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad) purchased the assets of the canal and planned to lay its tracks along the towpath. On October 15, 1881, two trains headed for each other. One left Richmond and the other from Natural Bridge at Lexington. They met at Howardsville where a ceremony marking the occasion was held. William and Charles now had the opportunity to market their farm products to all parts of the state and the train gave them the opportunities to travel more than they could have ever imagined. The railroad was also to become an opportunity for William as a profession.

William and Charles made a decent living farming the fields at Monmouth, but neither seemed contented in that way of life. Growing tobacco, corn, wheat, and hay and fighting the elements was not all that William wanted out of life. He sought new experiences that would let him explore those things and places he had read about. William took up telegraphy and sought a job with a railroad. The job of a telegrapher was a lonely one and on the slow nights, William had time to read books and write letters to his family. A few of these letters have survived and they give some insight into his life as a young adult.

On December 10, 1883, William wrote to Charles inquiring about the farm. William was then working for the Norfolk and Western Railroad in Norfolk, Virginia. He told Charles that the job wasn't as easy as he might imagine. He took pride in his handling of over a hundred messages a day. Lastly, he inquired about his relatives and neighbors.

By March 31, 1885, William had been transferred to Ivor, Virginia. Ivor, a small station on the Norfolk and Western Railroad, is about twenty miles southwest of Smithfield in Isle-of-Wight County. William congratulated Charles and offered to be his security if he got the job as Revenue Collector. William and Charles as always discussed the farm. William, tired and homesick from the confinement, was contemplating a leave after being in Ivor for over twelve months.

William loved the old Virginia sport of fox hunting. He didn't think much of the local Ivor hounds, but a friend had given him two fine English Harriers which were fast and close runners. William, a 37-year-old bachelor, seemed pleased with the number of marriages in the community and his prospects for marriage.

On May 29, 1886, William sent Charles $23.00 to pay his taxes and 10 postage stamps for Sallie. William had a young boy in his office who was studying telegraphy. William was grateful for the boy's company and his help around the office. William still longed to come home in August and stay longer than the year before.

That September, Charles was seeking a job with the railroad. Capt. Osborne, the head of the road, was considering his application. William asked Charles to inquire into General T.M. Logan's offer to purchase his land. William mentioned his sweetheart but did not name her. He closed his letter with the word that he had not been able to sell Alfred's Jersey calves.

Still at Ivor in February of 1887, William was pushing to sell his place to General Logan. He didn't feel well and planned to come home for 4 or 5 days rest.

During the year that followed, William left the Norfolk and Western and took a position with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Howardsville for a short time and then down the river to Scottsville. Even though he was not far from home, William was unhappy at Scottsville and wanted to get back to Howardsville.

From Balcony Falls he wrote in January of 1889 that he had to leave the position in Scottsville in order to have any hopes of getting the position in Howardsville. He was extremely unhappy about being moved from Howardsville to Scottsville and the railroad's unwillingness to promote him because he was the youngest telegrapher on the railroad. He was also apprehensive about his temporary assignment with the Richmond and Alleghany Railroad at Balcony Falls. He expected a layoff and was looking to find another position with the Great Midland Railroad.

In June of 1889, he moved closer to home. He operated the telegraph office at Wingina in Nelson County a few miles up the river in Nelson County. His desire to get back to Howardsville was as strong as ever. He wasn't surprised when Charles didn't come to visit as he promised. William bought a lottery ticket and talked about Charles and Alfred opening another store in Howardsville. William wrote another letter that same day inquiring about Dr. Bruns' buying his place. He told Alfred and Minna that he could get brown leghorn eggs for 10 cents a dozen.

The letters stop after this. We don't know if William ever got the job in Howardsville. He probably did not because he was back in Norfolk in May of 1895.

William owned 235 acres of land which was valued at $1997.50 during the 1880's. In 1884 he paid a tax of $20.99. In 1885 he was late in his payment of taxes and paid a $1.05 penalty. He was again late in 1887 and paid a tax of $18.89. The remaining tax receipt which has survived shows that he paid a tax of $21.99 plus a $1.15 penalty in 1890.

William sold his 29 acres of low grounds and 118 acres of uplands in October of 1892 to General Logan who lived just to the north at Algoma. William paid off the lien on his land which was held by his mother's estate for nonpayment of the $10.00 monthly fee. On May 27, 1895, William and his aunt, Ann E. Scott, sold a 6-acre and a 100-acre tract at Hubbardtown to William Pinkie and Charles Landon Scott. William signed the deed which conveyed all but 30 acres of his land in Norfolk, Virginia.

Around the time of this deed, William had made a monumental and painful decision. He chose to leave his family and home and seek out a new life. A bachelor at 47, he had spent most of his life on the farm or in a telegraph office. He took a position with the Central of Georgia Railroad. His assignment was a sleepy little junction station a few miles northeast of Macon, Georgia, known as Mogul, Georgia.

Shortly after arriving at Mogul, he met a lady who lived a few miles down the railroad at a place known as McCall's Mill. She like William had never married. She was the head of her family. Minnie Davis, 38 years of age, was the head of her family because she had no parents and only one brother who lived away. Her only real family was her nephews and nieces, namely: Eleazar McCall "Mac" Davis, Ethel Davis, Caroline "Carro" L. Davis, Susie Davis, and Henry Benjamin Davis. They were married in Bibb County on October 1, 1895, in a ceremony performed by the Reverend Robert R. White.

MINNIE LENA DAVIS SCOTT was born at McCall's Mill on December 21, 1857. She was the daughter of Benjamin Davis and Elizabeth Jane McCall. Her grandfathers were founding fathers of Macon and Bibb County. John Davis, Esq. was one of the original justices of the Inferior Court of Bibb County and owned a vast amount of lands along the present route of Highway 80 from Swift Creek east to Dry Branch. Eleazar McCall, Esq. came to Macon from Lebanon, Connecticut in 1818. He and his brother, Roger, were the first white settlers to venture out from Fort Hawkins and settle on the old Ocmulgee Fields. They were engaged in the ship and boat building business. Their boats carried men and material down the river to the port of Darien. McCall was also a justice of the Inferior Court. In 1825 he was the Senior Warden of the Masonic Lodge in Macon. The Masons entertained General Marquis de Lafayette on his tour of America. In 1827 Eleazar and Roger McCall purchased over a thousand acres of land at the sale of the Indian Reservation. This land adjoined their lands in Jones County and the old Ocmulgee Indian Village, commonly known as the Indian Mounds or the Ocmulgee National Monument. Minnie's great-grandfather, Major James H. Patton was the first Tax Commissioner of Twiggs County and was a soldier stationed at Fort Hawkins. He participated in the Indian wars of the period and was in charge of the spies in the area who aided General Andrew Jackson in the campaign to push the Indians out of Georgia and Alabama. Eleazar McCall led the Bibb County Calvary to victory in a skirmish with the Indians in Baker County in 1836.

Minnie was born in the same house where she and William lived. The house was built by Eleazar McCall around 1840. Her parents were having domestic problems at the onset of the Civil War. He left home with his son, Henry, and went to Alabama to see his brother, William. Benjamin Davis was supposedly killed in the battles around Vicksburg in 1863. Henry, a young teenager, walked all the way back to Macon. Minnie was six years old when the Union Army arrived in Macon in November 1864. There was another appearance in July of 1864 when General Stoneman failed in his raid on Macon. The Union Army under General William T. Sherman had left Atlanta on its mission to split the state and the South. Their destruction of the Central of Georgia railroad began on the bridge across Walnut Creek on the far end of the McCall/Davis property. The soldiers were ordered to destroy all military targets and seize any provisions for the support of the army.

Along the way, some houses were destroyed. The first house in the way was the McCall house. There were no men at home to protect the home. Sarah Patton McCall and her daughter Elizabeth Davis were the only adults at home. The Yankees destroyed the grist mill, burned the outbuildings, and took all the provisions and livestock. They also fired upon the house and bulletholes remained in the house years after the event. The house was spared out of an act of Masonic brotherhood. Minnie's grandfather, Eleazar McCall, was a Mason and a native of Connecticut. The union officer in charge, also a Mason, ordered his troops to leave the house intact.

The post-war years were difficult but with the aid of the Central of Georgia Railroad, the mill dam was rebuilt in 1869. Minnie attended Wesleyan College in Macon where she was a member of Phi Mu Sorority. In those days Wesleyan was located on College Street at the present site of the Post Office. In the mid-1880s her mother and grandmother died. Shortly thereafter, her brother Henry and his wife died of consumption. Minnie and her sister, Carro, contracted the plague. Carro did not survive. Minnie's strong will and determination to look after her orphaned nephews and nieces saved her from death.

William and Minnie set up housekeeping. This was all new to William who spent most of his last twenty years alone. He probably did not know what to do but loved every minute of it.

In December of 1897, William wrote to his brother Charles. Cotton had dipped to 5 cents a pound and William wouldn't attempt to plant any at that price. He raised cattle in the fields to the south and west of the home where the Indians once farmed. He grew corn, wheat, and hay to feed his stock. He raised enough hogs to have shoat at any time. One of his hogs weighed almost 250 pounds.

William continued to love his hunting dogs. He didn't have any luck with his dogs. The train killed his best dog. The others were stolen or died. William had no foxes to hunt but enjoyed running wildcats in the swamps.

The mill pond at the railroad was an ideal spot for a resort area. A club known as the Outing Club was formed and worked in partnership with the Scotts. William sold his State of Virginia bonds to pay for the improvements at the lake. A pavilion was built in 1897 and was equipped with lights in 1898. William also planned to light the edges of the lake when the money was available.

William and Minnie's first child was born on November 6, 1897. Philena Powell Scott was named after Minnie's sister and William's mother's family. Their second child, Howard Irving Scott, was born on March 7, 1900. He was named for Howardsville and his Irving family.

In the 1900 Census of Bibb County, William and Minnie lived in the East Macon District on a farm that was free of a mortgage. Philena and Howard were also in the household with Mac, a stenographer, and Ethel, Carro, Susie, and Henry who were in school. On August 10, 1901, Minnie purchased the thirty-acre Boardman Place which adjoined her property on the northwest. She paid John Turner $100.00 per acre for the land which she sold to Howard Smith on November 18, 1907, in exchange for his assumption of her debt to Lucretia Merrick.

William and Minnie's third child, Mildred Floyd Scott, was born on July 18, 1902. Mildred was the name of William's sister and his grandmother Powell. Floyd was his mother's middle name and an old family name.

Irving and Philena.

Mildred Floyd Scott Dykes

Their joy was soon shattered when little Philena died on March 4, 1903, three days before Irving's birthday. Minnie was so distraught that she would not allow anyone in the house for days. She was finally convinced that Philena should be buried. Philena was laid to rest in the McCall plot at Fort Hill Cemetery.

The Outing Club continued to flourish during the first decade of this century. There was a small railroad depot for the people of Macon to come on the train and enjoy a day of picnicking, swimming, and relaxation among the tall pines along the lake.

On July 25, 1903, Minnie signed an agreement with Bibb County concerning the location of a county convict camp. William witnessed the agreement which provided the county would locate a camp on the Marion Road (Cochran Short Route) between U.S. Highway 80 and Emery Highway. In October of 1922, the Bibb County Commissioners agreed to give the camp location in exchange for a new location in the Cross Keys area on the Milledgeville Road. The site for the camp was to be established by Minnie Scott.

During the first decade of the century, Minnie gave her lands as collateral for operating loans and improvements at the Outing Club. In July of 1901, she borrowed $3100.00 from Lucretia Merrick of Massachusetts. There may have been a family connection with Mrs. Merrick but the deeds do not disclose it. Minnie borrowed $600.00 from the Home Savings Bank on September 27, 1906. Hartford Life Insurance Company lent the Scotts $3750.00 on December 1, 1909. There were two loans from Mary Pearson of $4000.00 and $1200.00 in 1910-11. Continental Trust Company lent the Scotts $500.00 on the Outing Club property on May 30, 1910. The last loan before the war came from Cornelia Royce on December 10, 1914, in the amount of $1800.00. During the beginning of the Depression, Minnie's nephew, E.M. "Mac" Davis lent her $4000.00 in March of 1929. The loan was renewed in December and paid off on September 20, 1943.

William and Sally Scott

In 1910 the Scotts were again listed in the East Macon District. William was still farming the old fields. For some strange reason, Irving was listed as Carter Scott. In a sketch of William written by his sister in 1916 Irving was shown as Carter Irving Scott. Ethel was teaching art, Susie was teaching school, Carro was the principal of Bellevue School. Irving was attending Whittle School which is still located at the foot of Coleman Hill on Spring Street.

Around this time Minnie, Carro, and Susie began to have new religious experiences. They were long-time Presbyterians but were asked to leave the church because they were "speaking in tongues", a religious experience of the Pentecostal faith.

Susie, Rev. Moseley, Carro

On the autumn weekends of 1910, J. Rufus Mosely, a leader of the charismatic movement, spent weekends with the Scotts at the lake, holding meetings. The movement spread to the streets of Macon where Carro's beautiful voice could be heard for blocks. William, Minnie, Carro, and Susie, spread the word of God to the people of Macon. Carro resigned her principalship to become more active in the church which was one of the first interracial churches in the South. Carro and Susie left for St. John's, New Brunswick, Canada where they established a Pentecostal Church which Carro pastored for over fifty years.

William Alexander Scott has been described by those who knew him in his later years as a quiet old Virginia gentleman. He was also described as being deeply religious. Although he was from a long line of Episcopalian and Presbyterian families, he had no problem adapting to the Pentecostal Church. He was always there with Minnie at the church meetings. One of his favorite songs was "Rock of Ages". A little girl once played it on a gramophone and it brought him to tears. In a sketch written by Mildred Scott Brady, she described her brother William as " a man whose life was uneventful in incident, but rich in the development of the highest type of Christian manhood. A man whose mere presence is a rebuke to evil, of him it may truly be said 'An Israelite in whom there is no guile.'"

William spent his time looking after the club and running the farm. He used to stand in a wagon and ride around inspecting the farm. Most of the work was performed by the colored people who lived at the far east end of the lake. They were descendants of slaves and were faithful and loyal servants and employees of the Scotts. Minnie began selling and giving some of these people lots of land to build homes on. The area where they lived is still known as Finneydale. His spare time was devoted to his family and the study of literature, history, and religion.

He often walked around the lake or stood on the front porch talking to himself. When asked about this he would respond, " I always like talking to an intelligent man and listening to one talk ". He was also popular with Mildred's friends. As William came to know the teachings of the Bible his reaction against war and slavery became more pronounced. He like many others was not in the war to protect slavery, but to protect their homes, family, and friends against what they saw as a threat to their way of life.

In 1916 and 1917 as the United States was about to enter World War I the State of Georgia was in line for a camp for infantry soldiers. Macon put forth an all-out effort to get the camp in Macon. Camp Wheeler, named for Gen. Joseph Wheeler, CSA Calvary was established a few miles east of Macon on the property belonging to Harry Stillwell Edwards. Harry Edwards, who was a famous regional writer, lived on property not far from the Scotts and was a friend of theirs. Two divisions of troops were brought in and their numbers totalled nearly sixty thousand men. These men needed a place to relax while on liberty. So the Outing Club was converted into a public recreation spot. It was renamed "Lakeside" and was developed by William, Minnie, and Irving. Irving took over the operation after he graduated high school. Irving married Margaret Hardaway Stubbs on June 4, 1924. They built a home on the southern side of the lake on the hill between the lake and the railroad. William and Minnie's first grandchild, Martha Jane Scott, was born on August 6, 1925. In 1928, Mildred married her cousin, Ashlin Dykes, of Baltimore, Maryland. Ashlin was the son of Minna Scott Ashlin and the grandson of Elizabeth H. Scott and Granville Ashlin.

On September 16, 1927, Minnie leased the property in front of the entrance to Lakeside. The Junior Chamber of Commerce leased the property in the pecan grove along Boggy Creek for a nine-hole golf course. The course was enlarged for what would become Macon's first public golf course. The work had to be commenced within six months. A clubhouse was built but no dances could be held there. The course was built on the condition that it would remain a public course for at least ten years. The course helped to attract people to Lakeside. After a few years, the Chamber gave up the lease and the course, and the clubhouse fell into disrepair. In 1944 Bibb County cut a road through the old course. Lakeside Road connected the Emery Highway with the entrance to Lakeside.

Minnie was always looking for a way to draw more people to Lakeside. She leased a triangular lot in the forks of the Jeffersonville and Marion Roads to J.H. Ticknor. Mr. Ticknor built a filling station and a soft drink stand. Groceries were also sold and a repair shop was authorized under the lease. Mr. Ticknor leased the property for five years beginning in 1927. Over the years it was occupied by various tenants and was also a bar-b-que place in the forties.

William fell into ill health in June of 1929. On Wednesday, July 24, 1929, at 3:45 a.m. he quietly passed away at his home. The funeral was held at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday at his home. An old friend, Rev. J. Rufus Moseley preached the funeral. He spoke of a kind gentleman who loved literature, history, and the Lord. It was disclosed at the funeral that he was descended from two famous families, those of Washington Irving and Sir Walter Scott. After the funeral, the procession moved up the Macon Road, past Cross Keys, over Walnut Creek, and by the Indian Mounds to the cemetery at Fort Hill. His nephews - E.M. Davis, H.B. Davis, and T.H. Davis - along with his friends - C.F. Strozier, Henry Whitehead, and Otis Mandanson - laid him to rest in the McCall plot next to his little girl, Philena. His was a simple life and he requested no flowers, but one can scarcely believe there were none there.

The new decade of the thirties seemed almost like the reconstruction days. Money was scarce. The soldiers had left Camp Wheeler. Irving and his family had returned from Florida after the end of the "Florida Boom". Mildred and Ashlin were living in Baltimore. Lakeside still operated, but the family had to do whatever it could to survive. Irving got the old mill going and ground meal for sale. The children and the servants picked daffodils for sale on the streets of Macon. Minnie often called the station in Macon and told them to pick her up on her trips to visit relatives in Canada and elsewhere.

In June of 1936 during the highway boom in Georgia, Minnie gave land to the county to widen the Jeffersonville Road and the Cochran Short Route (Marion Road). Around Christmas of that year, Minnie also gave a lot to a Colored Holiness Church in the Finneydale area.

Minnie's health declined in the thirties. She had to have a hip operation and sold the only piece of land ever sold by the Davis or Scott families to pay the bill. The lake was revitalized in the years of World War II. The soldiers came back to Camp Wheeler in March of 1941. In 1940 Irving and other local men helped to rebuild Camp Wheeler for the arrival of the new troops that would put Lakeside back in business as it had never been before. A more direct road to Camp Wheeler from East Macon was cut through the lower edge of the Scott property. It was named Emery Highway in honor of General A.R. Emery, Commander of Camp Wheeler. William's nephew, Joseph Brady, was stationed there for a time. A miniature golf course, bowling alley, and huge sliding board were added. The pavilion was the stage of performances by Guy Lombardo, Jan Garber, Dennis Morgan, and the Marx Brothers. The dark days of the depression were gone. Two decades later, the pavilion was the scene of another generation's musical performances. Little Richard, James Brown, Otis Redding, and the Allman Brothers played on the stage.

Minnie Scott was quite the opposite of William in her character. Her red hair often matched her personality. As quiet as William was, Minnie was outgoing and outspoken. Professor Mosely described her as:

" I am reminded of Mrs. W.A. Scott, a sincere, intelligent, and unselfish friend who brought up her deceased brother's family of children, giving them wonderful care and love, and who at that time had a very narrow theology, not nearly so good as her heart and her life. She sought the baptism of the Holy Spirit and after receiving this baptism continued to pray and surrender for God's best for her. She was granted the great grace of Jesus speaking to her in an audible voice and of being taken up in the Spirit with Him and of seeing some things unlawful to report. She took over all countries of the world and the islands of the sea and saw them in worship at the feet of Jesus. Sometimes during this heavenly control and use she was told to tell a certain well-known religious leader and preacher that while there was no condemnation for him, he was failing to lift Him (Jesus) up and to tell him to let her preach. Mrs. Scott having never preached nor been accustomed even to testifying in public, had no idea as to what or how to preach. In answer to her question as to what she was to preach, she was told to preach: 'And I if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me - not some men, all men.'

L-R Minnie Scott, Betty Dykes, Jane Scott, unknown, unknown.

She was described as generous to a fault. She gave away some of the old family furniture a group of Armenians during World War I. Ashlin Dykes described her as talkative, gregarious, energetic, and a person of good business judgment. All in all he like everyone else thought that she was "quite a character."

Minnie died on Thursday morning, January 29, 1948, at her home after many years of declining health. She died only three days after the 100th anniversary of William's birth. She was buried beside William in Fort Hill Cemetery after a memorial service at Memorial Chapel.

William and Minnie were the last survivors of a bygone era. They were both born at the pinnacle of the Old South. Both of them lost their fathers before the age of ten and then helped their mothers through the aftermath of the war. They spent most of their young adult lives with only the company of their family. William and Minnie were deeply spiritual people and worshipped together on many occasions. Despite all their obvious personality differences, they were the perfect match. Theirs was a life filled with love for their families, friends, neighbors, and their God.

Minnie's collateral ancestors through her grandfather Eleazar McCall, of Lebanon, Connecticut, included an equally impressive group. They included William Williams and Lymah Hall, who signed the Declaration of Independence, Connecticut Gov. John Webster, and Deputy Governor, John Humfrey of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Inventors included Samuel Morse, Eli Whitney, Samuel Colt, Walt Disney, Charles Goodyear, Presidents U.S. Grant, Franklin Roosevelt, Warren G. Harding, Grover Cleveland, Millard Fillmore, George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Gerald Ford, writers, L. Frank Baum, Louisa Mae Alcott, Ernest Hemmingway, O.Henry, Emily Dickinson, actors, Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Lee Remick, Lucille Ball, Shirley Temple, Vincent Price, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Nancy Davis Reagan.

Minnie was related to Union General George B. McLellan, Mormon Leader Joseph Smith, Girl Scout Founder, Juliette Gordon Low,

War of 1898, Admiral Thomas Dewey, Nursing Advocate Dorothea Dix, Abolitionist John Brown, Chef Julia Child, and the Wright Brothers, Orville & Wilbur. Don't forget Messers Barnes and Nobles too. Her musical cousins includes the Osmonds, the Beach Boys, the Wilsons, Janis Joplin, James Taylor, and Linda Ronstadt.