William Abial Scott Papers
Collection
Identifier: Mss 385
Scope and Content
The William Abial Scott Papers consist of various items documenting the career of William Abial Scott and have been organized into six series: Correspondence; Farm Contracts; Land Management Records; Financial Records; Land Patents, Deeds, and Mortgages; and Personal Records.
The Correspondence Series includes correspondence from 1884 to 1924. A portion of the correspondence was already organized alphabetically when donated. One of the folders is the correspondence of Scott’s son, Albert D. The Farm Contracts Series consists of farm contracts from 1893 to 1912.
The Land Management Records Series includes correspondence, bills, receipts, and other documents used to manage specific farms Scott owned. This series is organized by farm number and ranges from 1892 to 1923.
The Financial Records Series contains insurance records, tax records, investment certificates, contracts, applications, bills, receipts, cash journals, and ledgers from Scott’s personal life as well as business life dating from 1893 to 1924.
The Land Patents, Deeds, and Mortgages Series includes land patents, deeds, and mortgages for land owned by Scott as well as his clients from 1893 to 1912.
The Personal Records Series contains livestock information, brochures, mailers, court records, architectural drawings, a stenographer, empty envelopes, and information from the state fair in Fargo, North Dakota.
The Correspondence Series includes correspondence from 1884 to 1924. A portion of the correspondence was already organized alphabetically when donated. One of the folders is the correspondence of Scott’s son, Albert D. The Farm Contracts Series consists of farm contracts from 1893 to 1912.
The Land Management Records Series includes correspondence, bills, receipts, and other documents used to manage specific farms Scott owned. This series is organized by farm number and ranges from 1892 to 1923.
The Financial Records Series contains insurance records, tax records, investment certificates, contracts, applications, bills, receipts, cash journals, and ledgers from Scott’s personal life as well as business life dating from 1893 to 1924.
The Land Patents, Deeds, and Mortgages Series includes land patents, deeds, and mortgages for land owned by Scott as well as his clients from 1893 to 1912.
The Personal Records Series contains livestock information, brochures, mailers, court records, architectural drawings, a stenographer, empty envelopes, and information from the state fair in Fargo, North Dakota.
Dates
- 1884-1927.
Creator
- Scott, William Abial, 1856-1917. (Person)
Access
The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the NDSU Archives.
Copyrights
Copyrights to this collection is held by the NDSU Archives.
Biography
William Abial Scott, a native of Peterboro, New Hampshire, was born on December 8, 1856. He moved to Kansas after his father’s death in August 1877. There he worked in the law offices of G. C. Clemens and John S. Searles. He was admitted to the bar on February 8, 1879. From there he became a member of the law firm Sawyer & Scott in Manhattan, Kansas. He became the city attorney for Manhattan as well as chairman of the Republican county central committee of Riley County.
He married Mary Ellen Wright in January 1881. They moved to Topeka, Kansas where Scott worked in the local paying pension office for two and a half years. In 1886 he went to work for the New Hampshire Trust Company branch located in Topeka. Two years later he was sent to head the company’s office in Fargo, North Dakota. Unfortunately due to the financial panic of 1893 the company failed. He then partnered with Governor L. B. Hanna and J. W. Smith in the completion of the Fargo Street Railway and was eventually made vice president of the road. In 1905 Scott became the first president of the state fair in Fargo. He would hold this title from 1905-1909, in 1911, and finally 1913-1914.
Scott helped with the building of the Masonic Temple in Fargo. In 1908 Scott was elected secretary of the Pioneer Life Insurance Company of North Dakota. He became president of the company the following year. Scott also served as director of the First National Bank of Fargo for 15 years. He also was director of the Northern Savings Bank of Fargo and the First National Bank of Moore, Montanta. Aside from being a prominent figure in the financial circles of Fargo, Scott began buying farm land in North Dakota and Minnesota in 1890 where he breed shorthorn cattle. Scott died on December 31, 1917 and is buried in Riverside Cemetary in Fargo
He married Mary Ellen Wright in January 1881. They moved to Topeka, Kansas where Scott worked in the local paying pension office for two and a half years. In 1886 he went to work for the New Hampshire Trust Company branch located in Topeka. Two years later he was sent to head the company’s office in Fargo, North Dakota. Unfortunately due to the financial panic of 1893 the company failed. He then partnered with Governor L. B. Hanna and J. W. Smith in the completion of the Fargo Street Railway and was eventually made vice president of the road. In 1905 Scott became the first president of the state fair in Fargo. He would hold this title from 1905-1909, in 1911, and finally 1913-1914.
Scott helped with the building of the Masonic Temple in Fargo. In 1908 Scott was elected secretary of the Pioneer Life Insurance Company of North Dakota. He became president of the company the following year. Scott also served as director of the First National Bank of Fargo for 15 years. He also was director of the Northern Savings Bank of Fargo and the First National Bank of Moore, Montanta. Aside from being a prominent figure in the financial circles of Fargo, Scott began buying farm land in North Dakota and Minnesota in 1890 where he breed shorthorn cattle. Scott died on December 31, 1917 and is buried in Riverside Cemetary in Fargo
Extent
9.5 Linear Feet (9.5 linear ft.)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The William Abial Scott Papers consist of various items documenting the career of William Abial Scott and have been organized into six series: Correspondence; Farm Contracts; Land Management Records; Financial Records; Land Patents, Deeds, and Mortgages; and Personal Records.
Provenance
Donated in 1978 (Acc. 2031).
Separated Materials - Photographs
1 item: the village of Hastings, North Dakota. Added to the "North Dakota Cities and Towns Photograph Collection", (Photo 600.1)
Property rights
The NDSU Archives owns the property rights to this collection.
- Agriculture -- North Dakota.
- Businessmen -- North Dakota.
- Cattle -- Breeding.
- Cattle -- North Dakota.
- Fargo (N.D.) -- Business, industries, and trades -- Real estate.
- Fargo (N.D.) -- Legal affairs.
- Farms -- North Dakota.
- Hanna, Louis B. (Louis Benjamin), 1861-1948. -- : Correspondence.
- Land use, Rural -- North Dakota.
- Lawyers -- North Dakota.
- North Dakota -- Agriculture.
- North Dakota -- Business, industries, and trades -- Real estate.
- North Dakota -- Land -- Use.
- North Dakota -- Legal affairs.
- Practice of law -- North Dakota.
- Real estate business -- North Dakota.
- Real property -- North Dakota.
- Scott, William Abial, 1856-1917.
Creator
- Scott, William Abial, 1856-1917. (Person)
- Scott, Albert Daniel. (Person)
- Title
- Finding Aid to the William Abial Scott Papers
- Description rules
- Appm
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Institute for Regional Studies Repository
Contact:
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu
West Building N
3551 7th Avenue North
Fargo North Dakota 58102 United States
ndsu.archives@ndsu.edu