Scott William Crichton

M, (1893 - 1980)
Father*David A. Crichton (1858 - 1906)
Mother*Margaret Ann Jeffries Crichton Norton (1865 - 1936)
Birth*9 Dec 1893 Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania (PA), United States (US)1 
Marriage*5 Nov 1915 Immaculate Conception, Watertown, Codington, South Dakota (SD), United States (US); Bride=Margaret Ellen McHugh Crichton, priest=Rev. W. S. O'Meara2 
Death*22 Mar 1980 Watertown, Codington, South Dakota (SD), United States (US)3 
Note*24 Mar 1980 obituary Watertown (South Dakota) Public Opinion - Monday, 24 March 1980/p3.4 
Burial*26 Mar 1980 Saint Mary's Cemetery, Watertown, Codington, South Dakota (SD), United States (US)4 
Biography* Scott William Crichton, 1893-1980:
Born in Pennsylvania, Scott was a first generation Scottish-American. His brother David, about five years older, was born in Scotland and immigrated, with the parents, to the USA circa 1890. There is a discrepancy on Scott's birth year. His county death record, obituary and tombstone list his birth year as 1894. The Social Security Death Index, and both his WWI and WWII draft registrations list 1893. Circa 1898, when Scott was five-years-of-age, the family moved from Pennsylvania to Kingsbury County, South Dakota where they rented a farm. In 1900 they were in Le Seuer township and by 1905 had moved into Bancroft where the father David was a hotel keeper. David died in 1906 and by 1910 Scott's mother Margaret had married Charles Norton. Charles and Margaret were running the hotel. Scott was working as a farm laborer. He completed high school in Bancroft, learned telegraph operation and spent the next 5-years as a telegrapher for Great Northern Railroad in North Dakota. He returned to Watertown, about 60-miles from Banccroft, in 1915 and married Margaret McHugh. Scott and Margaret moved to Chouteau County, Montana, bought homestead land5 from the U.S. Government and commenced farming. In 1917, he registered for the World War I draft. Scott was listed as a resident of Eagle Butte6, Chouteau Conty, Montana, a self-employed farmer with a wife. Scott was described as being of medium height and build with blue eyes and brown hair. On 13 April 1920, he was appointed postmaster of the Eagle Butte Post Office, a position Scott held until 01 September 19247. He also was associated with the Farm Loan Company for three years. The family returned to Watertown and by 1930 were living in a $4,500 house they owned at 709 Seventh Street South-West. Scott was working as the manager of a coal yard. By 1935, they had moved to 525 Fifth Street South-East in a house they owned. Scott was now owned a service station. In 1940, the Fifth Street house was valued at $2,500. In 1942, Scott, 46, registered for the World War II draft. He was 5ft-9in tall, weighed 199 pounds, had blye eyes, black hair and a light complexion. Later, they lived at 123-14th Avenue North-West. Scott was in the motel and oil business for many years with his son for many years. He was a member of the Board of Directors at First Federal Savings and Loan Association in Watertown since 1939 and president of board since 1945.

Scott, age 86, died on a Saturday at Saint Ann's Hospital. He was survived by his wife Margaret, one son, three grandchildren and three great grandchildren. The fneral was held on Wednesday at Holy Name Catholic Church with the Rev James Wolf officiating. Honorary pallbearers were Floyd Snyder jr, Roger Oyan, Bob Schaefer, Maurice McGrann, Dean Gackstetter, Howard Redlinger, Ralph Kranz and Herman Mikkelson. Active pallbearers were Richard Hutt, John Arndt, Terrance Koegan, Maclyn Hemp, Jack Reedy and Walter Matteson. Mathiesen, Gergen, Rhodes and Wight Funeral Home was in charge.
 
Last Edited7 Sep 2020

Citations

  1. [S1745] https://familysearch.org/, Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950.
  2. [S1975] Ancestry.com, South Dakota, Marriages, 1905-2017.
  3. [S114] South Dakota Codington county death record.
  4. [S18] Obituary,.
  5. Over a period of time Scott bought Homestead land from the General Land Office (GLO) - now called (or replaced by) the Bureau of Land Management - at Lewistown, Montana. This land included 440.16-acres in Section 31 of township T25N/R13E (townships are unnamed in Chouteau County. (Eagle Butte is in the same township). He bought an additionall 40-acres in Section 32 and 50.61-acres in Section 6 of T24N/R13E. A total of 530.77-acres. [NOTE: Circa 1900, Scott's father, David, bought land in Chouteau County. A total of 320-acres in T21N/R11E (120 in Section 23, 120 in Section 24 and 80 in Section 25).]
  6. Today Eagle Butte exists only as a location. The co-ordinates for the Eagle Butte Post Office location are 47.9021985, -110.1049242.
  7. A post office was active at Eagle Butte from 31 December 1913 until 29 June 1935.