Compiled by E.P. Arpin

The following sketch of T.B. Scott, one of the founders of the T.B. Scott Public Library in this city, has been compiled for the Tribune by E.P. Arpin, vice president of the Library Board:

Sketch of his life taken from published articles in Wood County Reporter of October, 1886, address of Hon. A.T. Curtis of Merrill and from interviews with Mr. Henry Sampson, our oldest living resident citizen.

I have been asked to submit a historical sketch of Hon. T.B. Scott, who with J.D. Witter founded our city library. It is fitting that we should respectfully honor the memory of those public spirited citizens who helped to build up our community and attested their loving interest in the future welfare of our people by their public benefactions.

Our tribute today to Mr. Scott’s memory on the anniversary of his birth is a tribute of love and appreciation.

Mr. Scott was an active businessman of good judgment, calm, reserved and courteous, but firm in character. His reputation in the business world was such that he was able to command large sums of money and he acted as a private banker in furnishing needed funds to the pioneer lumbermen of the Wisconsin Valley and thereby helping to build up and develop its resources.

Mr. Scott was one of the foremost leaders in the Republican Party in Wisconsin and always used his influence in a constructive way and not for personal or political gain. I became well acquainted with Mr. Scott and looked up to him as an ideal American, one to pattern after. I was in touch with the prominent businessmen of our city and all had the highest love and respect for Mr. Scott. I met some of his associates from outside of the State and know of the high regard that they had for his sterling worth. I remember my first trip to Chicago in 1879 where I met Mr. Henry Corwith of Galena, Illinois. Mr. Corwith was a friend and associate with Mr. Scott in furnishing funds to lumbermen.

The writer’s uncle, Francis Biron, who died in 1876, left a large estate consisting of saw mill plant at Biron and large pine timber holdings. Mr. Scott was administrator of the F. Biron estate. The writer’s father, John Arpin and P.B. Champagne of Merrill purchased a tract of this timber thru Mr. Scott and Mr. Corwith.

Hon. A.T. Curtis gave an interesting address at the Methodist Church at Merrill, on April 3, 1910, which was as follows:

"Friends: - I have been asked to give you a short account of the life of one who was Merrill’s foremost citizen, the late Thomas B. Scott. An account of his life and achievements are so inseparably woven into warp and woof of the life of this city, from the earliest infancy that to record his achievements would be in part to write a history of the growth and development of this city and surrounding territory. After all, the history of every city is to a great extent, the history of the achievements of its foremost citizens, and in the larger sense, the history of countries is the history of the achievements of the generals, explorers, and statesmen whose policies have made for the betterment of the human race.

Mr. T.B. Scott was born at Rexburyshire, Scotland, on February 8, 1829 and his early boyhood was spent there.

His parents immigrated to America in 1839 and settled in New York, where Mr. Scott attended school and obtained the rudiments of a good common school education. In 1848 Mr. Scott came west and settled at Poynette, Columbia County, Wisconsin, where, in company with a man named Carmichael, he conducted a small store.

But the waving pines beckoned him to the north woods and he came to Grand Rapids in 1851. He was successively storekeeper, farmer and mill owner, even in those early days, and conducted what might be called a lumber brokerage business.

In those early days there were no railroads or telegraph lines in this part of the state, and all the lumber that was manufactured on the Wisconsin River in those early days had to be rafted in and run down the river to St. Louis and other points on the Mississippi River wherever lumber buyers were located. To avoid the inconvenience and delay of running the lumber down the different points on the Mississippi and then hunting up a buyer after the lumber had arrived. Mr. Scott used to arrange with different lumbermen to find purchasers for their lumber on its arrival at St. Louis, or other points and for this service he used to receive a small percentage of the price per thousand feet at which the lumber sold.

He was in Company for a time with Henry Corwith, a rich banker of Galena, Illinois, and they used to make a business of advancing money to lumber men on the river to enable them to market their lumber, the money to be repaid when the lumber reached the market. For this service a certain rate of interest was charged, which with the commissions on the sales of lumber made this quite a profitable part of Mr. Scott’s business in those early days. These pursuits occupied Mr. Scott’s attention during his first few years at Grand Rapids.

In December, 1854, Mr. Scott was married to Ann E. Neeves and to that union three children were born all of whom grew to man and womanhood. Walter, the oldest son built the Port Edwards Centralia & Northern Railway to Arpin and Marshfield.

In 1856 Wood County was organized and Mr. Scott was elected the first county treasurer and held the office for several terms, finally declining to run again and urged the people to elect Emmanuel Dutriet who had become crippled from the loss of his arm, which was done and Mr. Dutriet held the office with credit for a great many years, after which he came to work for Mr. Scott at Merrill and resided in our midst until his death.

After Mr. Scott retired from the office of County Treasurer of Wood County he reentered the lumber business and was elected to the state senate where he served with distinction for many years."

Mr. Henry Sampson related some incidents of early business operation in this city which he remembers.

In 1856 Mr. T.B. Scott and his brother, James, owned and operated a general store at the present site of the Wood County National Bank building. Mr. T.B. Scott sold out his interest in this store in 1861 to A.B. Sampson. Mr. Scott’s home was on 3^rd street then known as Quality Row, and this residence was sold to E. Pomainville. Mr. Scott at one time owned an interest in the John Edwards Mfg. Co. at Port Edwards.

Among the lumbermen that were financed at times by Mr. Scott was R. Streetor who built a mill east of Seneca Corners on what is now known as the H. Heiser Farm. Wm. Scott, a brother, helped to look after this mill for three years. He also financed Sam Carpol whose mill was on the Pittsville Road where it crosses the Hemlock Creek, also Gerard and Drake at Vesper and Frances Biron at Biron.

From Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune dated Tuesday, February 8, 1921.