Harvey W. Scott
Encyclopedia
Harvey Whitefield Scott (February 1, 1838 – August 7, 1910) was an American
pioneer
, newspaper
editor, and historian.
Scott was born in on a farm in Illinois
and migrated to Oregon
with his family in 1852, settling in Yamhill County. He and his family moved near Olympia, Washington
in 1853. At age 18, he fought in the American Indian Wars. Scott walked from the Puget Sound
to Forest Grove, Oregon
in 1857. He attended high school there for two years and then became the first alumnus of Pacific University
in 1863. He worked for a short time as the librarian of the Library Association of Portland, and then was editor of The Oregonian
newspaper from 1866–1872. His editorial
s strongly supported the Union
and the newly emerging Republican
party during the Civil War
Scott also edited the first history of Portland, Oregon
, published in 1890, and compiled the six-volume History of the Oregon Country with his son, Leslie M. Scott
, who published it after Harvey's death. After leaving the paper in 1872, Scott was the collector of customs for the Port of Portland
until 1877. He then bought a sizable amount of stock in The Oregonian and returned as its editor-in-chief. Around 1880, he vociferously opposed public high schools in Oregon, especially Portland, stating "the machinery of the schools has grown too cumbrous and expensive a system; that there are too many studies; that the high school is not a proper part of the system of public education;... that those who desire for their children an education beyond the common branches of the old-fashioned common school should pay for it."
Scott was a Scottish Rite
Freemason.
Scott died in Baltimore, Maryland in 1910, dying unexpectedly after some surgery and is buried at River View Cemetery
in Portland. His wife, Margaret Scott, died later, in 1925.
Mount Scott
, an extinct volcano in Happy Valley
, was named after him, as was Harvey Scott Elementary School in Northeast Portland. Using $10,000 left in his widow's will for the purpose, Gutzon Borglum
(notable for sculptures on Mount Rushmore
) was commissioned to erect a statue of Harvey Scott. The city council chose the summit of Mount Tabor
for the statue in 1928, and Borglum placed a model of the statue there in 1930. The bronze statue was dedicated on July 22, 1933, with approximately 3000 in attendance, 23 years after Scott died. Oregon governor Julius Meier
was chairman of the event, and Chester Harvey Rowell
gave a speech.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
pioneer
Settler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
, newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
editor, and historian.
Scott was born in on a farm in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and migrated to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
with his family in 1852, settling in Yamhill County. He and his family moved near Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat of Thurston County. It was incorporated on January 28, 1859. The population was 46,478 at the 2010 census...
in 1853. At age 18, he fought in the American Indian Wars. Scott walked from the Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
to Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850 and then incorporated in 1872 and was the first city in Washington County...
in 1857. He attended high school there for two years and then became the first alumnus of Pacific University
Pacific University
Pacific University is a private university located in Oregon, United States. The first campus began more than 160 years ago and is located about 38 km west of Portland in Forest Grove...
in 1863. He worked for a short time as the librarian of the Library Association of Portland, and then was editor of The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
newspaper from 1866–1872. His editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
s strongly supported the Union
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
and the newly emerging Republican
History of the United States Republican Party
The United States Republican Party is the second oldest currently existing political party in the United States after its great rival, the Democratic Party. It emerged in 1854 to combat the Kansas Nebraska Act which threatened to extend slavery into the territories, and to promote more vigorous...
party during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Scott also edited the first history of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, published in 1890, and compiled the six-volume History of the Oregon Country with his son, Leslie M. Scott
Leslie M. Scott
Leslie M. Scott was an American historian, newspaper publisher and Republican politician in Oregon. He served as Oregon State Treasurer from 1941-1949. He served as acting Governor of Oregon for a period in 1948...
, who published it after Harvey's death. After leaving the paper in 1872, Scott was the collector of customs for the Port of Portland
Port of Portland
Port of Portland may refer to:* Port of Portland * Port of Portland * Portland, Victoria, Australia* Portland Harbour, south England...
until 1877. He then bought a sizable amount of stock in The Oregonian and returned as its editor-in-chief. Around 1880, he vociferously opposed public high schools in Oregon, especially Portland, stating "the machinery of the schools has grown too cumbrous and expensive a system; that there are too many studies; that the high school is not a proper part of the system of public education;... that those who desire for their children an education beyond the common branches of the old-fashioned common school should pay for it."
Scott was a Scottish Rite
Scottish Rite
The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry , commonly known as simply the Scottish Rite, is one of several Rites of the worldwide fraternity known as Freemasonry...
Freemason.
Scott died in Baltimore, Maryland in 1910, dying unexpectedly after some surgery and is buried at River View Cemetery
River View Cemetery (Portland, Oregon)
River View Cemetery in the southwest section of Portland, Oregon, United States, is a non-profit cemetery founded in 1882. It is the final resting place of many prominent and notable citizens of Oregon, including many governors and United States Senators...
in Portland. His wife, Margaret Scott, died later, in 1925.
Mount Scott
Mount Scott (Clackamas County, Oregon)
Mount Scott is an volcanic cinder cone with its summit in Clackamas County, Oregon. The summit rises to an elevation of . It is part of the Boring Lava Field, a zone of ancient volcanic activity in the area around Portland and was named for Harvey W...
, an extinct volcano in Happy Valley
Happy Valley, Oregon
Happy Valley is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 4,519 at the 2000 census.-History:Happy Valley was originally called Christilla Valley, named after the first residents, Christian and Matilda Deardorff. They arrived in 1851 and claimed on the floor of the...
, was named after him, as was Harvey Scott Elementary School in Northeast Portland. Using $10,000 left in his widow's will for the purpose, Gutzon Borglum
Gutzon Borglum
Gutzon de la Mothe Borglum was an American artist and sculptor famous for creating the monumental presidents' heads at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, the famous carving on Stone Mountain near Atlanta, as well as other public works of art.- Background :The son of Mormon Danish immigrants, Gutzon...
(notable for sculptures on Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a sculpture carved into the granite face of Mount Rushmore near Keystone, South Dakota, in the United States...
) was commissioned to erect a statue of Harvey Scott. The city council chose the summit of Mount Tabor
Mount Tabor (Oregon)
Mount Tabor is the name of a dormant volcanic cinder cone, the city park on the volcano, and the neighborhood of Southeast Portland that surrounds it, all in Oregon. The name refers to Mount Tabor, Israel...
for the statue in 1928, and Borglum placed a model of the statue there in 1930. The bronze statue was dedicated on July 22, 1933, with approximately 3000 in attendance, 23 years after Scott died. Oregon governor Julius Meier
Julius Meier
Julius L. Meier was an American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon. The son of the Meier & Frank department store founder, he would become a lawyer before entering the family business in Portland...
was chairman of the event, and Chester Harvey Rowell
Chester Harvey Rowell
Chester Harvey Rowell was an early leader of the progressive movement in California.Born in Bloomington, Illinois, he earned a degree from the University of Michigan in 1888. He studied three years in Europe, including terms at the Universities of Halle, Berlin, Paris and Rome...
gave a speech.
See also
- Abigail Scott DuniwayAbigail Scott DuniwayAbigail Scott Duniway was an American women's rights advocate, newspaper editor and writer, whose efforts were instrumental in gaining voting rights for women.-Biography:...
– Harvey's sister, started a rival newspaper The New NorthwestThe New NorthwestThe New Northwest was an American weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon from 1871 to 1887 by Abigail Scott Duniway, an active voice of reform and suffrage on the West Coast of the United States. Its motto was Free Speech, Free Press, Free People.The paper included news reports, essays,...
in support of women's suffrageWomen's suffrageWomen's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or... - Lewis and Clark Centennial ExpositionLewis and Clark Centennial ExpositionThe Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, commonly also known as the Lewis and Clark Exposition, and officially known as the Lewis and Clark Centennial American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair, was a worldwide exposition held in Portland, Oregon, United States in 1905 to celebrate the...
– Scott was president from 1903 to 1905. - Henry PittockHenry PittockHenry Lewis Pittock was an Oregon pioneer, newspaper editor, publisher, and wood and paper magnate. He was active in Republican politics and Portland, Oregon civic affairs, a Freemason and an avid outdoorsman and adventurer...