Extract from Good Old Times in McLean County, by E. Duis, 1874

Old Settlers of McLean County

Andrew W. Scogin

One of the earliest and best known settlers of McLean County was Andrew W. Scogin. He was born in 1823 in Crosby Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, about thirteen miles from Cincinnati. Like man of the early settlers, he was a farmer's boy. His grandfather and his father, Joel Scogin, had been farmers, and young Andrew was early taught to follow the plow. His paternal grandfather was a Welshman, while his mother's father was Irish. The family of which Andrew was a member was large, there being fifteen children, eight songs and seven daughters; he was therefore not obliged in his your to pine solitude like a good little boy of a Sunday school book. He received a common school education up unto his fourteenth year. We are not told whether or not Andrew was attentive to his books;

[speculation deleted, refer to Good Old Times schooling]

When he was fourteen years of age, he came with is uncle, Joseph Wakefield, to McLean County, Illinois. Mr. Wakefield bought one hundred and eighty acres of land at Randolph's Grove, built a log house on it, and allowed young Andrew to work to his heart's content. Young Andrew, being very independent, soon became a farmer on his own account. Part of his land he obtained by purchase, and part he obtained by his wife, and has in all about six hundred acres.

Captain Scogin is a man of medium size, well built and well proportioned, of a lively, active and wide-awake nature, with eyes. Always on the alert, noticing everything and everybody around him. His countenance shows his pleasant and jovial disposition. His conversation is very entertaining, particularly when he talks of the old pioneers. His hospitality is unbounded and is extended alike to the poor and the rich. These pleasant and engaging qualities have made him the post popular man in the section of the country where he resides.

Captain Scogin was married December 23 1844 to Elizabeth Karr, daughter of Dr. Thomas Karr of Randolf's Grove. She died October 13, 1845, leaving no children. He married, January 18, 1847, Eliza Low, daughter of Nathan Low. She died November 15, 1863. The children of this marriage are:

• Lee Scogin, who was born April 22, 1849, is married, and lives on the old Nathan Low place.
• Jay Scogin was born April 29, 1851, is unmarried.
• John Scogin was born June 22, 1853, is married and lives in Bloomington.

The following children live at home:

• Frank, born December 20, 1855.
• Hester, born April 9, 1858.
• Joseph W., born August 14, 1860.
• William Scogin, who was born July 13, is dead.

Nathan Low

Nathan Low was born on a farm called Ringold's Manor, in Greenbrier County, Maryland, near Williamsport, January 6, 1791. His father's name was Nathan Low, and his mother's Nancy Wright, before her marriage. Nathan Low, jr., at the age of fourteen, came to Licking Town, Licking, Ohio. Here he finished his education, which was very limited, as his chances for learning were not good. He followed the river for some time between the Kanawaha Salt Works and Zanesville, Ohio. He married, February 12, 1814, Miss Sarah Brooks, a lady of fine sense and decision of character. She is still living, although Nathan Low has long since passed over the river.

From 1814 to 1829, Mr. Low was a farmer and drover. He drove cattle over the mountains to Harrisburg, PA., and worked hard to carry on the farm. In 1829, he came with his family to Blooming Grove, starting in June and arriving in July. He brought a carriage with him, but this was too novel for the West, and was sold and taken back to Tennessee. It was the first in McLean County. The Indians were then plenty, and called on the Low family very often, but never disturbed them in any way. Mrs. Low, who observes matters pretty sharply, says that some of the Indians in these parts ran away from their tribe and joined the forces of Black Hawk during the great war, which the latter carried on. One of them came all painted to Mr. Low's cabin and took dinner with the family and piously asked a blessing at the table; but notwithstanding all his apparent piety, Mrs. Low was convinced that he was bound for Black Hawk's band, and that his paint was put on for war, though Mr. Low though tit was only the Indian's way of dressing. He had a horse and a gun, which went through the Black Hawk war. The horse was ridden by Isaac Murphy. Mr. Low followed farming and stock raising until 1844, when he came to the grove, but most of it he afterwards acquired by hard and patient toil. At the age of thirty-five, he was much broken down in consequence of hard work. During the winder of the deep snow he had thirty hogs to feed, and was obliged to pack corn for them on horseback for a distance of three miles. He made the trip through the timber every other day. During this severe winder it was impossible for farmers to go to mill, and they pounded their corn and wheat in blocks and sometimes ground it in a coffee mill.

Nathan Low's home would not now be called luxurious. It was a shanty with a single room twelve by fourteen feet, and this was the home of a family of ten persons! When the children came home from school, they were obliged to put the chairs and tables out of doors in order to make beds on the floor. A second bed was made under the large one. But these little difficulties amounted to nothing, when compared to the vexations they sometimes endured. For instance, on one occasion during this same winter, there came a storm, which carried off the roof of the little shanty and lifted it over the horses, which were tied to a wagon near by. Then they tried to fix the rood and the snow blew over them and melted like rain. We tell this incident without any further comment; it is as hard a condition as we have heard of for some time.

The early settlers visited each other oftener than people do at present, particularly from a distance. They had no neighborhood quarrels or neighborhood jealousies. People were always glad to see each other, and all stood on the same footing. But after a while the country because prosperous and thickly settled, and the old warmth of feeling gradually died out. The prosperity of the later days has destroyed, in some measure, the good feeling of the early times. But this kind of feeling of the early settlers has had a good effect, which still remains. The hospitality of the pioneers who are now living is of the same generous kind as that for which they were first distinguished, and its effects are felt by the whole community.

[generic history elided]

At the time of his death, which occurred April 17, 1844, he was possessed of nine hundred acres of land. He had seven children, of whom five are now living. They are:

• John Low, who lives in Washington Territory.
• Mrs. Catherine Coffey, who lives in Davis County, Missouri.
• Mrs. Elizabeth Karr, who lives at Blooming Grove. Questions on Eliza
• Mrs. Eliza Scoggin, who is now dead.
• Mrs. Eliza Ann Vanordstrand, who lives in Heyworth.
• Nathan Low, jr. who lives in Heyworth.

At his death, he was burried at Blooming Grove, in Scoggin's cemetery.

Questions about inconsistancies

It is pretty weak on facts and long on speculation and irrelevant general history. But assuming that there is some real research and history here, I keep looking.

Under the section for Nathan Low, starting on page 777, it says that his father was Nathan Low. Later on page 779, it says that one of his children is Nathan Low, jr. Now Miss Manners says that in America, when a Senior dies, the Junior becomes Senior, and any Third become Junior. (Hence Mark's dad is correctly Harry A Scogin Sr. since both train driving Harry and Bud are gone to Heaven.).

If the author of this book used that, then we have a third Nathan Low in the family tree. Otherwise I'm confused.

Also confusing to me is the section where it lists three female children of Nathan Low, each named Eliza, or Elizabeth. I would think that Eliza was a common nickname for Elizabeth, and would not expect three women named Eliza in one family. Worse, they list two daughters as Eliza Scoggin and Elizabeth Karr, and in another part of the book, under Andrew W. Scogin, they list two wives for Andrew, namely Elizabeth Karr and surprize, Eliza Low.

The third Eliza is listed as Eliza Ann Vanordstrand. Which so far, I don't have in my kin database.

Got any clues for me?

Maybe Nathan Low is the father of both of Andrew Scogins's wives, both named Eliza? Stranger things could happen, but it seems unlikely.

While the article says seven, with five alive at the time, it only lists six. It also says that Elizabeth Karr outlived Eliza Scoggin.

Family history says that Andrew W. Scogin and Elizabeth Karr had an unnamed child, that Elizabeth died from complications of childbirth, and that the child did not survive.