S. J. Scott was First Resident of Evanston

"First Things" in history are rather hazardous matters to put into a record, for it quite often happens that later inquiries bring to light a prior claim to the first place. Whoever may be distinguished by the title of the first settler, for example, it is usually found that some delver in the musty records of the past will later announce the discovery of an earlier claimant to the honor. However, we shall not be terrified by such a prospect and will boldly give an account of the first settler of whom we know anything who settled on the soil of what is now comprised within the limits of the city of Evanston.

Honor to Scott
On the 26th of August, 1826, Stephen J. Scott and his family arrived in the schooner "Sheldon" off Gross Point, as the locality now known as Evanston was then called. The point of land upon the shore of Lake MIchigan upon which a tall light-house now stands received its name long before even the first beginnings of Chicago as a settlement were known. The French-Canadian voyageurs, passing these shores on their way to trading posts at the mouth of the Chicago river and other points, gave the name to the site because of its prominence on a coast otherwise of a somewhat monotonous character. When the lake came to be navigated by sailing vessels the captains and sailors adopted the name which had been handed down from previous generations, and regarded the spot as one of unusual beauty and attractiveness. The sailors called it "Beauty's Eyebow," and so well known was the land there situated that it became a favorite location for lake captains when they retired from the occupation of sailing upon which to settle as farmers in the region. Many of the old residents of Evanston in the thirties and forties were formerly captains of vessels sailing the lakes.

Seafaring Men
Stephen J. S cott had been a seafaring man on the Atlantic coast and had determined t osettle in the west. At Buffalo in the course of his journey he took passage with his family for Chicago, that point having begun to be mentioned by eastern people even at that early time as an enterprising frontier town. For some reason the captain of the schooner "Sheldon" dropped anchor opposite Gross POint, and Scott seized the opportunity to go ashore and examine the lay of the land. He was quite captivated by the prospect and decided that he would go no further. Landing his family and goods he proceeded to build a rude habitation o fposts, poles and blankets, and this may be said to have been the first civilized dwelling in this region.

Had Several Children
Scott had several grown-up children and one of the boys, Willard, som three years later, sought another location and became a settler at Naperville, then somewhat of a rival of Chicago, as its inhabitants claimed. He and his descendants remained residents of that interesting old town from that time to the prresent. Stephen, the father, followed his son to Naperville in 1838, and his history henceforth belongs to that of Du Page County. The Scott family must have had a lonely time of it, as there were no white settlers nearer than Chicago, from which they were separated by twelve miles of forest and swamp. Indians were of course ranging about although at that time they were peaceably disposed. Scott was not joined by other settlers until after the Black Hawk war (1832), when a few struggling pioneers built themselves cabins in his neighborhood. Among them was John O'Leary who settled south of Calvary. Others were the Hill family, Edward Murphy, E. H. Mulford, John Carney, and Abraham Hathaway. The location of Scott's cabin has not been ascertained, but most of those who in later years settled in this neighborhood preferred the west ridge for their farms and cabins. When Scott lived here Chicago was still in its fur-trading period. The fort was deserted at the time as the troops had been withdrawn in 1823, though occupied again in 1828 when the Winnebago Indians began to threaten the peace. Again the troops were withdrawn and again the fort was reoccupied at the time of the Black Hawk war. No post-office existed at Chicago at that time and none was established until 1831. About a dozen families of civilians consulted the population.

Spelling was Changed
The name of Gross Point, which was aplied to the region along the north shore in the vicinity of the present site of the lighthouse, was originally spelled with a final "e" on both words of the name [Grosse Pointe]. In process of time the final letter was dropped, and when a postoffice was established here in 1846 the spelling as shown was adopted. The same name was applied in the early day to a locality near Detroit, and there the original spelling is retained to this day, namely, Grosse Pointe. After the name of our postoffice was changed to Ridgeville in 1850, the name of Gross Point once more reverted to this point of land on the lake shore, and had no application to any other locality, but in 1893 it was taken up by the little community of German farmers situated about a mile west of Wilmette and the post office there was named Gross Point and so remains to the present time. Thus the name has become anglicised as is seen in the word Wilmette, the French form of which was Ouilmette. The name of Gross Point is a picturesque remnant of the period when all the extensive regions of the Great West were a part of the dominions of the French Kings.