John was the subject of a sketch in the Portrait and Biographical Album of Dewitt & Piatt Counties (1891), from which here are some details:
...(John) had to work hard to help his father in the development of a farm (and) seldom had an opportunity to indulge in hunting. But he sometimes killed deer and in the winter of the deep snow (1830/31) had much sport, as he and his companions used to get the deer down in the snow and tying their feet together, dragged them home with a horse. There were some Kickapoo Indians here when he came (1827) but they left soon after. He used to have to go to Pekin on the Illinois River to obtain groceries for the family and he also marketed grain at that time... Mr. Scott began life on his own account at the age of twenty years (1835). He first worked out, finding employment with a man who lived at Bloomington Grove, who gave him $12 a month for his work, and he continued with him a year and a half. He was often engaged in the hard pioneer task of breaking praries and used to drive four and five yoke of oxen for that purpose. After he left the employ of the gentleman referred to he was engaged in breaking prarie for a considerable time and recieved from $1.50 to $2.50 an acre for it. Mr. Scott finally entered land, first in this township (Wapella) on section 20. He actively entered another place on section 31, and also improved that farm. He afterward obtained a land warrant which gave him the southwest quarter of section 32, where he now lives... (in) his present house, which he erected in 1861 at a cost of $900 aside from his own labor- and also the frame barn that he built in 1862.
Mr. Scott at one time owned two hundred and forty acres of land, but has divided it among his children and now lives with his son, Thomas F., in honorable retirement... He farmed one hundred and sixty acres till 1870, when he abandoned his occupation, having accumulated a handsome competence... Mr. Scott is a Democrat in politics...
John or his cousin John W. Scott was indicted for assault with a knife in Dewitt county in October, 1851.
John and Mahala and family lived for a time in Daviess co. Missouri. They bought land there in 1859 and were listed in the 1860 in Grand River township, Daviess co. Mo., but Thomas Franklin Scott's birthplace (b. 4 Sept 1860) has always been listed as Dewitt county.
The above picture was taken at the occasion of their golden wedding anniversary, which fell on 22 Jan 1895. The rocking chairs pictued were gifts from their children. Another, much larger group photo is here.
John & Mahala had 7 children:
b. 9 Nov 1847 Wapella township, Dewitt co. Ill. d. 19 Apr 1921 Pond
Creek, Grant co. Oklahoma m. 5 Sept 1873 Ida Mae Ragen d/o Levi &
Elizabeth Lisenby Ragen d. 10 Mar 1855 Springfield, Clark co. Ohio
d. 31 Aug 1931 Pond Creek, Grant co. Oklahoma. I don't know for sure
that this first picture is of him; it was simply labeled "Uncle Billy Scott"
and is a tintype; that makes it most likely, but not certainly, him.
b. 1852 Dewitt co. Illinois d. 13 Aug 1937 Archer City, Archer co.
Texas m. 25 Dec 1873 Anna Jane Harrold d/o Jonathan II & Abigail
Bishop Harrold b. 1852/3 Illinois d. 12 Dec 1928 Archer City,
Archer co. Texas
b. 11 Aug 1855 Dewitt co. Ill. d. 10 Dec 1936 Wichita Falls, Wichita
co. Texas m/1. 22 Dec 1870 Dewitt co. Ill. George P. Stagner s/o
Amos J. & Mary Stagner b. 1848/9 Fayette co. Ohio d. 1895-1900
Denton co. Texas; 7 children. Mary m/2. a man named Dooley (first
name Price?) some time after 1900, but was divorced from him by 1920 (possibly
by 1910), when she was still living in Denton, Texas
b. 4 Sept 1860 Wapella township, Dewitt co. Ill. d. 16 Dec 1941 Clinton,
Dewitt co. Ill. m/1. 6 Oct 1887 Sophia Quinton d/o William &
Mary Ann Mooney Quinton b. 15 Feb 1864 d. 15 Mar 1911