Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

dletown, Goshen, New York City, and
Poughkeepsie, New York. In the latter
city he remained for about three years.
He then returned to Greenwich, Connec-
ticut, still representing the Travelers' In-
surance Company, but also handling the
interests of a number of fire insurance
companies. He soon became interested
also in real estate, and does a considerable
volume of business along this line. In
the comparatively short time that he has
followed this line of business, Mr. Scott
has won the cordial respect and good will
of the people, as well as of his business
associates.
Socially he is always in demand. He is
a member of various social organizations ;
was made a Mason at Liberty, New York,
Mongaup Lodge, No. 816. He is also a
member of Pine Lodge, Knights of Pyth-
ias, in Greenwich, in which organization
he has served on many committees, has
also been a trustee for a number of
years. Mr. Scott's political choice is the
Independent Republican party, and he is
a leader in every movement involving a
moral issue—always on the side of right
and progress. He was the prime mover in
obtaining the signatures of the necessary
ten per cent, of the voters of the town on
a petition to bring the question of No
License before the town meeting.
Mr. Scott married (first) Jessie Nixon
Low, daughter of Henry and May Low,
of Dundee, Scotland. They had three chil-
dren, of whom two grew to maturity:
John Douglas, who served in the United
States navy during the late war, in the
Mine Sweeping Fleet, then was transferred
from the United States Steamship
"Swan" to the United States Steamship
"Pittsburg;" and Elizabeth Lawson. The
mother of these children died, and some
time later Mr. Scott married (second)
Sara Wright, daughter of William
Wright, of Philadelphia. From this
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
105
union two children have been born : Helen
Monteith and William Wallace. Mr. and
Mrs. Scott are members of the Presby-
terian church.
SMITH, Frederick G. C,
Architect, Officer in National Guard.
The early immigrants to New England
were mostly artisans and many of them
men of little learning. That they were
possessed of strong characters is evidenced
in a thousand ways to the student
of history. While the pen was an awkward
instrument to many of them, they
were industrious, and conquered the wil-
derness, establishing the foundation of
the civilization which we enjoy. Among
the most useful men in the colonies were
the Smiths, who made all the nails used
in the construction of buildings and
nearly every implement of every sort employed
in the rude life of the pioneers. A
century previous, the country people in
England had taken surnames and it fell
out that many who were smiths by oc-
cupation took the word for a patronymic.
Frederick G. C. Smith, a representative
of this old family, and a well known arch-
itect of Greenwich, Connecticut, was born
there, November 12, 1871, son of John
Edgar and Sarah F. (Ritch) Smith.
Charles A. Smith, his grandfather, was
born in Ridgefield about 1831, and died
in 1889. He was a cabinet maker and
carpenter by occupation ; he married
Mary Keeler, and had a son, John Edgar,
of whom further.
John Edgar Smith was born in Ridgefield,
Connecticut, where he grew to manhood
and learned the trade of carpenter
with Charles Northrop. He followed his
trade as a journeyman for a few years and
then went into business on his own ac-
count. He located in Ridgefield as a con-
tractor and builder, continuing success-