Owen L. Scott Grant County, New Mexico

Owen L. Scott, who is president and manager of Redstone Company, engaged in the operation of a sawmill eighteen miles northeast of Silver City making his home at the mill, was born in Virginia, December 11, 1840, and in October, 1866, came to New Mexico, landing at Santa Fe. In 1842 his father had removed with the family to Wyandot County, Ohio, where he followed farming in pioneer days.

In June, 1860, Owen L. Scott left Ohio and went to Colorado, arriving in Denver on the 16th of August of that year. In August, 1864, he enlisted at first sergeant in Company 11 of the Third Colorado Cavalry and served under Colonel George L. Shoup within the state of Colorado, engaged in Indian fighting. He was for one hundred days in the army. He had been in business in Colorado, and following his removal to Santa Fe he soon started to other parts of the Territory upon a prospecting trip. He located at Fort Selden, on the Rio Grande, in Dona Ana County, in 1864, and was there in the employ of George Blake, post trader, selling goods, until 1869. He also acted later as clerk in the quartermaster's department. He afterward returned east on a visit and in the summer of 1870 was engaged in mining in Colorado.

In the fall of 1871 he came to Silver City, and in 1872 established the first newspaper in Grant county, called Mining Life, the first issue being given to the public in May of that year. He continued its publication until the spring of 1875. The following year he accepted the position of bookkeeper for M. W. Bremen, the pioneer miner and the most successful representative of that business ever in the Territory. Mr. Scott continued as bookkeeper until 1883, when he was appointed postmaster by President Arthur and served for four years. In 1888 he joined the Hastings Lumber and Manufacturing Company, and thus became connected with the lumber business. In 1891 he organized the Black-Scott Lumber Company, and as secretary and manager operated the sawmill, which is situated eighteen miles northeast of Silver City, until January 1, 1901, when the Redstone Company was incorporated, with himself as president and manager, and has continued in the lumber trade to the present time, with a large and constantly growing patronage.

Mr. Scott was married at Fort Selden, March 4, 1872, to Miss Mary Jane Hannum, a native of Ohio. He is a charter member of San Vicente Lodge, No. 5, I. O. O. F.

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Source: History of New Mexico, Its Resources and People, Volume II, Pacific States Publishing Co., 1907.