that's me and a cousin who came all the way up from Virginia to look at tombstones.
so is that where John Stitt Mott lived? It's the one beside the river down by the
covered bridge.
from susan
What a wonderful photo Evelyn! Picturesque with the tall green grass, you in
your straw hat.
This surely was the Mott homestead. (as you describe the location) I don't
really know who owned it first. The first of the Motts to come to the area was
Thomas MOTT b. 1734 d. 1813 Livingston Manor m. Mary ELLIS b. 1748 d. 1841 in
Purvis. They came to the area with their family (from CT?) and settled in the
Town of Rockland Their son John MOTT b. 1787 d. 1839 m. Lydia A. WRIGHT b. 1791
d. 1869 . Lydia was the daughter of settler Joseph WRIGHT. John and Lydia's
son was John Stitt MOTT b. 1787 d. 1839 m. Elmira DODGE (daughter of Israel
DODGE). and John Stitt MOTT's son was John Raleigh MOTT who received the Nobel
Peace Prize. When John Stitt Mott's children were still quite young though, he
and his wife and family moved to Postville IA where John Stitt Mott became the
mayor. His father had died and it appears that his mother, Lydia Wright also
moved out there with them because she died in Postville IA.
The family homestead may have also been in the hands of John' s brothers
Joseph Wright Mott and William Wallace Mott. Joesph married Abigail JOSCELYN, dau.
of George and Lucy KIMBALL MOTT . They had a son Cyrus MOTT. William married
Harriett WISNER. For several generations the family operated a sawmill there.
Lumber was big business in those days. I think these Motts continued to own
and operate it after John Stitt Mott moved away. (Perhaps the Wrights and Motts
were original owners of this tract of land?)
These Motts were all cousins of my grandfather A.M. Scriber (his grandmother
was Mary "Polly" Wright, sister of Lydia Wright.) and their home was right
next to the Motts. The Scribers (Schryver as the name was known then) were
apparently involved in the operation of this sawmill as well. ....and other lumber
related activities.
Is there a historical marker in this vicinity about John Raliegh Mott? (I
know there is a marker pertaining to him somewhere.)
Susan