The US GenWeb Archives provide genealogical and historical data to the general public without fee or charge of any kind. It is intended that this material not be used in a commercial manner. From History of North Washington, published 1903, now in public domain. Submitted by Candy L. Grubb Feb. 19, 1997. Both above notices must remain when copied or downloaded. candyg@ieway.com _____________________________________________________________________________ RICHARD P. SCOTT Richard P. Scott, who has spent his entire life in the northwest and has traveled through and operated in many of the various mining camps in this vast section, is a man of much experience. His sterling energy aggressiveness and executive ability have been manifested in many ways and on various occasions. A detailed account of his life will be interesting to our readers. Richard P. Scott was born in Benton county, Oregon. On May 7, 1859. His parents crossed the plains in 1845 and located a donation claim near where the town of Corvallis, Oregon, now stands. They remained there until the time of their death, the mother passing away in 1888 and the father in 1891. They were honorable and self sacrificing pioneers, and had passed the dangers and hardships of that life, doing much to develop and open the country. Thirteen children were born to them, ten of whom are now living and named as follows: John, Frank, Mary, James, Richard P., Wilson, Sarah, Walter, Edgar and Nye. During the winter months of his early life Richard acquired his education in the common schools of Benton county, while the summers of these years were spent in toil with his father. At the tender age of twelve years he began the duties of life for himself, his first venture being work on a cow ranch in Lake county, Oregon. He was there during the Modoc war and knew what it was to experience the trying times of those early days. After that he returned to his father's farm and in 1881 came to the vicinity of Rosalia Washington. He was in the first excitement in the Coeur d'Alenes, later returned to the Palouse country and next searched for gold in the Elk City district, Idaho. After this we find him in the Slocan district, British Columbia. About this time Mr. Scott went into partnership with E. T. Barnett and took a raft of eight thousand feet of lumber down through Box Canyon and over the big falls of the Pend d' Oreille river. The raft was smashed to pieces on this journey and they gathered the material by row boats later on. They hauled his lumber up a mountain for half a mile, two boards at a time and built a flume for hydraulic mining. In 1894 Mr. Scott chartered the steamer Dora, and did a general freight and passenger business on the Pend d' Oreille river. In 1895 Mr. Scott was on the steamer which ran down through Box Canyon on the trial trip to ascertain if the river was navigable at this point. For three weeks they struggled to get the craft back again and came very nearly to sinking it. Three different crews quit their service, but the captain, our subject, and the engineer remained with the craft until it was moored in peaceful waters above the danger. Mr. Scott then went to mining in the Yack district, and after two years of this he returned to Newport where he has since been engaged in operating a hotel and dray line. On May 31, 1889, Mr. Scott married Mrs. Jessie, widow of John Cass. Her mother, aged eighty-nine is living with her and at this advanced age is hearty and able to read readily without spectacles. Politically Mr. Scott is a Democrat and active. In 1892 he was appointed sheriff under C.A. Ledgerwood, and is now city councilman. Fraternally he is a member of the I.O.O.F. and K.O.T.M. Mr. Scott is a man entitled to and receives the respect and condence of all who know him. The Cottage House, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Scott, was the first house built in Newport and is one of the most beautiful and modern structures in the Pend d' Oreille valley.