Biography - CHARLES L. SCOTT
For the past ten years Charles L. Scott has been identified with the
communal life of Grayville, and has served the city and county in many ways.
In his first years of association with this place he was engaged as
principal of the North Side School of Grayville, but in 1901 he engaged in
the hardware business, in which he has since continued with a most pleasing
degree of success. He has taken an important part in the political life of
the county, having represented his district in the legislature on more than
one occasion, and ordinarily holding positions of importance in the
administration of affairs of the city.
Mr. Scott was born on January 26, 1876, on a farm in Edwards county. He is
the son of Joseph K. Scott, born in Kentucky, in 1837. The father of Joseph
K. Scott was James, a native of Virginia, and a pioneer settler of eastern
Kentucky, who migrated to Edwards county in about 1862 and lived on a farm
there with his son, Joseph K. The farm of which Joseph Scott became the
owner was a tract of about two hundred acres, situated midway between
Grayville and Albion. He married Mary J. Coles, the daughter of William
Coles and his wife, Rachael, Mrs. Scott still lives in Albion, although her
husband died in 1885. They reared seven children, five sons and two
daughters, here named in the order of their birth: Laura, who married a Mr.
Brewster, is now deceased; John K. lives on the old homestead; Charles L.,
of Grayville, Illinois; Katie, married Mr. Harris, and lives in Ellery,
Edwards county; Ella is in Albion with the mother; Josephine married Mr.
Schroeder and lives on a farm near Grayville; Rachael died in infancy.
Charles L. Scott was educated in the public schools of Edwards county. After
his graduation from the high school he spent two years in study at the
Danville (Ind.) Normal, and in 1899 was graduated from the Southern
Collegiate Institute of Albion. When he was eighteen years of age he began
teaching between his college courses, and he continued in that profession
until 1904. He was principal of the North Side school of Grayville for three
years, as stated in a previous paragraph, which was the last position he
held in that line of work. In 1901 Mr. Scott became associated in the
hardware business with Joseph Robinson, under the firm name of Robinson &
Scott. They began with a small capital, but the business has grown since
then until today the total investment is in excess of $25.000. Aside from
his business, to which Mr. Scott gives close and careful attention, he has
been prominent in a political way for a number of years. He is a Democrat in
his party belief, but served as a non-partisan member of the Grayville city
council for four years, and in that .position did excellent work for the
city. He served as president of the school board for two terms, and has ever
been an important factor in the growth and upbuilding of the school system
of the community. In 1908 Mr. Scott was elected a member of the forty-sixth
general assembly, and was re-elected to the forty-seventh assembly in 1910.
He is at the present writing a candidate for re-election. Mr. Scott is
possessed of all the qualities which might be calculated to fit him for the
position of a legislator, and his services to his district have been of a
most unquestionable order since he has represented them in the legislature.
Fraternally he is affiliated with a number of societies, among which are the
Modern Woodmen, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Mystic Workers of
the World and the Knights and Ladies of Security.
In 1899 Mr. Scott was united in marriage with Miss Flora Johnson, daughter
of Thomas Johnson. Two sons have been born to them, Marion Joseph and Joseph
Thomas.
Extracted 11 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from 1912 History of Southern Illinois, by George W. Smith, volume 3, pages 1665-1666.
