Shasta Co., CA Biographies
Walter William Scott
Walter William Scott
came from Edinburgh, Scotland, to the United States with his wife Elizabeth
Crawford, arriving in New Jersey. While in New Jersey, their daughter,
Annie Jeanette Scott, was born on September 2, 1837. Sometime after the
birth of their daughter, Walter headed to the West Coast. His wife presumably
stayed behind with the child in New Jersey, but years later coming west
to California.
Upon reaching
California, possibly as early as 1847, Walter William Scott first lived
in Washington, Yolo County, California. Quite possibly he could have
been a fur trader in the early days. But during the Gold Rush, he worked
his way north to Shasta, then known as Reading Springs. During his journey
north he initiated business negotiations with several outfits here in
Shasta County, particularly, in the burgeoning gold mining community of
Shasta, a few miles northwest of present day Redding, in an effort to secure
contracts to transport merchandise by horse and mule train from Sacramento.
Scott's daughter
Annie Jeanette Scott arrived in Sacramento from Rhode Island with a friend
in 1850. A year later his daughter was married to Joseph C. Gray, a pioneer
and veteran of the Mexican War, in Sacramento. Walter William Scott worked
his way north again and this time he bought property in Shasta County and
was hired by the Callaghan Brothers in Shasta, though he apparently still
considered Sacramento to be his home.
Shasta was a flourishing
town in the 1850's. At that point, it was the County Seat and the general
supply center for the scramble for gold in the region. In 1855, an impressive
16x17 foot, one story brick building was constructed. This building, located
on the south side of Main Street, housed four different stores. The building
was owned by the Callaghan brothers and was known as the Callaghan Block.
Eventually the
Callaghan brothers, Daniel and Jeremiah Callaghan, and a third brother
whose name is unknown, left the business leaving Jeremiah behind to run
the business. Jeremiah held things together and promoted Walter William
Scott, who had continued running pack trains bringing in merchandise for
the brothers. Jeremiah Callaghan offered Scott a clerk's job and part ownership
of the Callaghan Block.
Accepting the
promotion, the name of this impressive building in the town of Shasta was
soon changed and it became known as Scott and Callaghan, or the Scott and
Callaghan Block. Walter William Scott may have also been the person who
established Scott's Corral, which was located opposite from Shasta's very
first hotel the Trinity House.
In his later years,
from 1870 to 1881, Walter William Scott lived with the Joseph C. Gray Sr.
family on Cow Creek in eastern Shasta County, that is until his death there
on August 8, 1881. Walter William and Elizabeth Crawford Scott are buried
in the Millville Masonic Cemetery. Some of his descendants still live in
present day Shasta County.
Contributed by Jeremy M. Tuggle
Resource "Rooted In Shasta County" by Jeremy M. Tuggle
published by Preserving Memories in 2003, 2nd Edition 2004.
Walter William Scott Pioneer Plaque folder on file at
Shasta Historical Society.