Biographical Sketch of Simon Scott  

                             Simon Peter Scott

Simon Peter Scott, the tanner, farmer, shoe maker and general mechanic, the 
son of Thomas D. Scott, a Baptist preacher for more than fifty years and 
farmer, was born in view of the Pinacles of Dan, the Point Look-out and Salt 
Peter Cave on or about the year 1857, in the county of Patrick, state of 
Virginia. and died at 85 years of age.

He lived with his father on a farm until he moved with his father to another 
farm called Mayberry and where a post office named Mayberry was established; 
the post office was continued for many years at that place.

Simon Peter Scott, when quite a young man, was married, and settled on a 
farm nearby, given him by his father, and where he farmed, began making 
shoes, harnesses and his mechanical trade. He, after a few years, formed a 
partnership for the purpose of operating a tannery with a Baptist preacher 
named Chaplain, who had a tannery in another neighborhood, who moved his 
tannery to the present location of the Simon Peter Scott farm, four hundred 
yards from the Blue Ridge Parkway,  Scott and Chaplain continued the 
operation of the tannery, as a partnership, until the death of Chaplain.

Simon Peter Scott then ran the tannery business individually, for many years.

The plant for the tannery first must be erected, so Simon Peter Scott made 
the bricks for the plant with what was called a Mud Mill.  The mud mill 
ground the mud after attaching a lever with horses hitched to the mud mill 
moved in a circle, dirt having been thrown into the track followed by the 
horses, mixed with water piped from a large spring probably one quarter of 
a mile away from the operation.  The mud, after it became stiff, was moved 
into the mud mill and ground sufficiently to be moulded into bricks.  The 
writer, a little bosy, with a gang of other boys, enjoyed following the 
horses pulling the mud mill in the mud up to our knees until we became tired 
and had to drop out of the circle.

The bricks were moulded, laid in the sun, then, when the bricks became dry 
the time had come for bringing the bricks into the brick kiln for such time 
as was necessary to use the bricks for building.

Simon peter Scott said in the presence of the writer, that he positively 
laid each and every brick used in the building for the tannery about 
sixty-five years ago and the building still stands. Simon Peter Scott would 
work at the tannery in the day time and make shoes for people and harnesses 
for horses at night.  He did not lose one minute during the day and part of 
the night as long as he lived or almost before he died.

He bought tan bark from the farmers; bought the hides from the farmers of 
the vicinity and elsewhere and turned the leather into shoes for the people, 
harness for horses; he, in fact made anything to be made from leather; sheep 
skins, also.

He had lasts to fit little children and all ages up to adults.

(signed) Eugene G. Dickerson

Submitter note: Written by Eugene Dickerson.  Spelling and grammar are as 
originally written.


Submitted by Andrew Scott Dennison <AndyInMD@aol.com>

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