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KANAWHA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: SCOTT, Addison Moffat
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Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
SSpradling@aol.com
September 21, 1999
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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative
Citizens
W.S. Laidley
Richmond Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, ILL.
1911
p. 372-376
ADDISON MOFFAT SCOTT-The subject of this sketch, Addison M. Scott, civil
engineer, the son of Chauncey L. Scott, a New York farmer, was born in
Dryden, Tompkins county, N. Y., February 20, 1843. He is of mixed
Scotch-Irish and English ancestry. His mother, Margaret L. Moffat, was a
daughter of Samuel Moffat, a man of considerable promi-nence in the early
history of Dryden, N. Y.; his father, the Rev. John Moffat, was a
Presbyterian minister. This revefend ancestor of our subject graduated from
the College of New Jersey (later Princeton College) in 1749; he was settled
for a time at Middlesex, N. J., and later in Ulster and Orange counties, N.
Y. Samuel Moffat, the grandfather of the Rev. John Moffat, was a Scotch
Covenanter and fought at the battle of Bothwell Bridge in 1679. After this
historic defeat he fled to Ballylig, Ireland. afterwards emigrating, with his
fami-ly, to America and settling in New Jersey.
Mr. Scott's grandmother, flee Ann Shaw, on the maternal side, was also
Protestant Scotch-Irish. Her parents, John and Isabella Shaw and family came
from County Antrim, Ireland, in i8oo, and settled in Cayuga county, N. Y.,
Mrs. John Shaw was Isabella Tennent, daughter of a member of Parliament and
owner of large landed estates in northern Ireland.
The subject of this sketch in his boyhood worked on his father's farm in
Dryden and went to the district school. At about sixteen. ayid for several
years after, he attended the Ithaca Academy, at Ithaca, N. Y., directing his
studies in large part to mathematics and surveying. While attending the
academy he generally taught school during the winters.
In the spring of 1866 he made a trip to the Northwest and at St. Paul joined
a party then organizing there under Gen. G. K. Warren of the U. S. Corps of
Engineers, for a survey of the upper Mssissippi river. Upon the disbanding
of this party at St. Louis late in i866, Mr. Scott returned home and renewed
his studies at the Ithaca Academy. While at school in the fall of 1867,
General Warren offered him a position as assistant engineer oh the
improvement of the upper Mississippi, then getting under way. This position
he accepted with much hes-itation, as it broke in on his plan of study, which
included a course at college. He remained on the Mississippi work for
several years. the latter three years of the time he was employed as
assistant engineer on the construction of a large railroad and highway bridge
built by the United States across the Mississippi river at Rock Island and
Davenport. He was on this work from the first survey for the location of the
bridge until its completion in the spring of 1873. On the completion of the
bridge General Warren, who had been transferred to the East with headquarters
at Newport, R. I., tendered Mr. Scott a position under him there. This would
have been accepted but for another; and what appeared a more promising offer,
made about the same time.
In that year, 1873, the United States Gov-ernment undertook the improvement
of the Great Kanawha river, which was in the Ohio River Department, then in
charge of Col. William E. Merrill, Corps of Engineers, with head-quarters at
Cincinnati, and Mr. Scott was placed in local charge as resident engineer.
Through the several changes that took place in the organization of the river
improvement force, Mr. Scott was continuously retained in his position as
chief assistant or resident engineer.
During his long service here, he devoted himself with persevering zeal and
energy to the duties of his professional position, mastering thoroughly the
theory and practical details of the Chanoine movable dams which the
Government adopted in the improvement of the Great Kanawha river. The first
movable dams in America were built in this river. For a full description of
the Chanoine dams and a history of the improvement of the Great Kanawha
river, see a separate article elsewhere in this volume.
To all his subordinates Mr. Scott was always courteous and kind, winning
their respect and esteem, while he himself possessed the unhounded confidence
and kind regards of superior officers. In his profession he has achieved an
enviable reputation for capacity, skill, and executive ability. In his
general intercourse with the public Mr. Scott is a modest, unassuming,
courteous gentleman. He is accurate, prompt, and thoroughly reliable in all
business engagements and transactions.
Mr. Scott remained in local charge of the Great Kanawha River Improvement
uitil the fall of 1901, when he resigned, making a continuous service of over
twenty-eight years on that work and of thirty-four years as civil en-gineer
in the U. S. Corps of Engineers. A reference to his professional service
should not omit the following tribute paid him by the distinguished engineer
officer, the late Gen. William P. Craighill under whom he served for
twenty-one years, a period embracing the beginning and nearly the entire
completion of the lock and dam system of the great Kanawba. As noted
elsewhere, Gen. Craighill gave up command of the Baltimore Division of River
and Harbor works, which included the Great Kanawba Improvement, in 1895, when
promoted to the highest office in his corps, the Chief of Engineers of the
Army. In an article on the Kanawha Improvement, that appeared in the
"Engineering Record" of June 17, 1899, General Craighill says: "I desire also
to call attention in the most emphatic way to another member of the American
Society of Civil En-gineers, who has for more than twenty-five years been
connected with this important im-provement which has been most successful
from a commercial as well as an engineering standpoint. I refer to Mr. A. M.
Scott, who was principal engineer on this work when I took charge of it for
the United States in 1874; he has remained on it up to the present time when
it is completed. The conduct of the work has been most economical, wise and
excellent in every way. Mr. Scott has exhibited an unusual degree of skill
as a designing and constructing engineer in the management of the improvement
and in dealing with the many perplexing problems, which have presented
themselves for solution in its progress. To him is due, more than to any
other person, the success of this work. I say what I know, and it gives
sincere pleasure thus to bear record to the merit of a most faithful and
deserving man."Mr. Scott has continued to make Charleston his home since
giving up active work in the river improvement. He had faith in the future
of the city and valley from the first, and proved it by early and judicious
investments of his sav-ings in real estate here, that have made a fair
provision for his declining years. He has been a member of the American
Society of Civil En-gineers since 1886; and is Vice President of the
Charleston Chamber of Commerce; he is a Mason of long standing-past High
Priest of Royal Arch Masons, and past Eminent Commander of Knights Templar of
the Charleston Commandery. Though not a member of any church, he has been
identified with the Kanawha Presbyterian since first coming to Charleston,
and is a member of the board of trustees of that church.
He was married in 1907 to Miss Florence L. Jeroloman, a daughter of Judge
John Jeroloman of New York City.
Mr. Scott has always been a democrat, and though never prominent in politics,
he takes a real interest in all public matters, and, as indicated above, is
active in various lines of civic duty.
Note: The above sketch is made up, in part, from extracts taken from the pen
of the late Dr. John P. Hale (History of the Great Kanawha Valley 1891), and
others as noted in the text.
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