Photo Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2022.12.2 |
Object Name |
Photograph |
Description |
Copy of a studio portrait of James Scott, Will Scott's father. See page 14 of the Dayton Book: "At the age of 13, James Scott, a British subject, went to sea and lived a seafaring life until age 25, when he was lured west to mine gold in California. His mining experience brought him to Gold Canyon in 1863 to supervise the construction of the Fred Birdsall and B.F. Leete Gold Canyon toll road between Dayton and Silver City. The original wagon road had followed the old Emigrant Trail up the steep hill past the cemetery, around a hilltop and a bluff to Silver City. The townspeople and teamsters rejoiced when the roadway was complete, because it shortened the distance to the mines on the upper Comstock. In 1875, James bought the materials and laid out the first wate system for Dayton, which he operated until his death in 1896 at age 71. He and his wife, Mary, had five children, two of whom died in infancy. After James' death, Mary ran the Dayton Water Works and lived in their family home until her death in 1919 at age 80. Her son Will spent the rest of his life in Dayton." |
Collection |
Scott Collection |
Accession number |
2022.12 |
People |
Scott, James Scott, Mary Scott, Will |
Subjects |
Dayton Water Works |