GEORGE WILSON SCOTT

Contributed by Wanda Ridge. 2018

George Wilson Scott and his wife, Sophia Rinehart, left Cabarrus County, NC in the 1850’s for farming land in Arkansas, arriving in Monroe County, Arkansas, before 1859. With them were their oldest son, Alexander Monroe Scott and his wife Margaret L. Rinehart, the second oldest son, Michael Scott, and three daughters, Lundy Marie and her husband Cyrus J. Furr, and unmarried daughters Ruth and Polly.

During the 1850’s and 1860’s, George Scott purchased several parcels of land. The 1860 Monroe Co AR Agricultural Schedule, Hampton Twp., shows George W. Scott with 468 acres of unimproved land, 32 acres of improved land, with a cash value of farm at $3000. Farming implements and machinery were valued at $20. He had 1 horse, 2 milk cows, 1 other cattle, 12 swine, with live stock valued at $300. He had 45 bushels of wheat and 300 bushels of Indian corn.

George W. Scott died by March 1866. An administrator was appointed for his estate on 8 March 1866. Sophia was named as widow. George Scott was buried in Hawkins Chapel Cemetery, Hampton Twp., which is now Lee Co., Arkansas. It is not known when his widow died but it was after the 1880 census enumeration as she was living with her son, A. M. Scott at that time. She was likely buried at Hawkins Chapel with her husband.

Alexander Monroe Scott, called “Sandy,” was born 21 June 1836 in Cabarrus County, NC and baptized in St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church. He married Margaret L. Rinehart in 1856 in the same church before leaving for Arkansas with his parents and siblings. Their oldest three children, Martha Melinda, Sarah Sufier and George Wilson were either born in North Carolina or during the route from North Carolina to Arkansas. Their seven other children were born in Hampton Twp., Monroe County, Arkansas. They were Frances Cladora, Mary Catherine, Margaret Elizabeth, Charles Alexander, Alice Safronia, Jennie Edward and Alton Jefferson.

A. M. Scott served in the Monroe County, AR home guards along with many of his neighbors, some being Breeding, Curtis and Pasley. These Home Guards were recorded in Monroe Co., AR court record book D, pp 202-4. Cocke’s Regiment of Arkansas Infantry CSA Co. C records an A. M. Scott, Pvt., who enlisted 1 July 1862 in Monroe County. This has not been proven to be the same A. M. Scott but most likely is.

1860 Monroe Co, Arkansas Agricultural Census, Hampton Twp., showed A. M. Scott owning 160 acres unimproved land with a cash value of $1600 and farm implements and machinery valued at $10, 1 horse, 1 milk cow, 1 other cattle, 4 swine with a live stock value of $245 and 130 bushels of Indian corn. In 1870 A. M. Scott paid a personal property tax for a gold watch and buggy.

Margaret L. Rinehart Scott died 11/12 October, 1886 and was buried in Hawkins Chapel Cemetery. On 11 May 1887 her husband married M. A. E. Hill. He died 14 March 1891 and was buried beside his first wife. It is not known if M. A. E. Hill survived him.

Michael N. Scott, George Wilson’s second son, lived and farmed in the Monroe/Lee county area all his life. Michael married Mary Dingler 6 December 1864 in Monroe County. Mary was born 1 May 1840 in Montgomery County, Alabama. She died 11 May 1917, in Fleener Twp., Lee County, Arkansas, and was buried in Hawkins Chapel. Michael was born about 1840 in North Carolina, died before the 1910 census enumeration. He lived and farmed all his life in the Monroe/Lee County area. Michael and Mary had ten children, most of them living in the same area as their parents all their lives.

Not much is known of George Scott’s daughters. Lundy Marie married while in North Carolina to Cyrus Furr. If they came to Arkansas, it is thought they soon returned to North Carolina. Martha, or Bessie as she was called, did come to Arkansas with the family but may also have returned to her home, as could have been the case with Polly Anna. All these children were baptized into the St. John’s Lutheran Church in Cabarrus County, NC.