Scott Hill Monument - Blue Mound Township

In June 1921, Northwestern University was installing a new president, Walter Dill Scott. In academic circles, Scott was famous. He had received his Ph.D. in Germany and had conducted ground-breaking research in the field of psychology.


Scott, however, was not the only star of show. An 80-year old woman - and prominent educator in her own right - stole some of the limelight, posing for videos and pictures in the reception tent. That woman was Henrietta Sutton Tomlin Scott, Walter's mother.  The Scott Hill monument commemorates the Scott family's rural beginnings and their impact on the field of education.


Walter Scott's Parents

Walter Dill Scott was the son of Henrietta Sutton and James Sterling Scott. Henrietta's parents were Emeline Sutton Tomlin and Samuel Sutton. Emeline's ancestors also had roots in New Jersey and many on her paternal side are buried in a somewhat abandoned cemetery in New Jersey (see Tomlin Family burial ground).  Samuel allegedly walked from his native New Jersey to Springfield, Illinois in 1838. Henrietta's family moved to Blue Mound Township from Sangamon County in the early 1840's. In 1859, she attended Major College, a female seminary in Bloomington.

The ancestors of Walter's father, James Scott, came from Ireland. Walter's great paternal grandfather, David Scott, married Jane Delgadie before moving to Canada. He was later killed by a fellow soldier in Nova Scotia, leaving his wife with two small children. One of those children, John, married Elizabeth Dill in Nova Scotia. They had five children, including James Scott, who was Walter's father. 

Elizabeth, Walter's grandmother, died at the young age of 41. Some of the children were still young and had to be placed at relatives. James and his brother, John, were older and moved to Boston on their own. They worked as carriage makers for nearly a decade before moving to Illinois in 1858. 

James quickly found work as a cattle-driver and farm hand. One of the farms was owned by James Tomlin, a professor at Illinois Wesleyan and Henrietta's uncle. Tomlin introduced Henrietta and James and they were married at Tomlin's house in 1860. 

The Scott family originally rented the old Tomlin farm house, but later built their own. Henrietta taught 24 children in the school house to supplement the family income. This was the first school in Blue Mound Township. Henrietta and James had four children: Louisa, John, Walter, James, and Myrtle. Eventually, they bought 120 acres. After James died in 1920, Henrietta moved in with a daughter in Bloomington, passing away in 1925.

Scott's farm in relation to 
Fletcher School ("SH" for School House)
1866 Atlas

Scott Farm in 1914, now owned by AH Conger
The 1914 Atlas shows AH Conger had purchased the
Scott land. The map also shows the school, which was
rebuilt in 1877 and the small village of Fletcher.

Walter Dill Scott Biography


Walter Dill Scott was born on May 1, 1869 on a family farm about 5 miles west of Cooksville and less than a mile from Fletcher.  As their father was disabled, most of the farm labor fell on the two boys and Henrietta. Walter attended the Fletcher School less than half a mile from his house to the east. For two years, he was the Fletcher correspondent for the Pantagraph.


Walter graduated from Illinois State University in 1891 and later received degrees from Northwestern, Cornell, McCormick Theological Seminary, University of Southern California, and Leipzig University in Germany. Before leaving for Northwestern, he taught at Leroy Schools and was principal of a school in Hudson for one year. 

Scott joined the Northwestern faculty sometime between 1910 and 1912. His research focused on psychology in advertising and aptitude testing. In 1913, he wrote The Psychology of Advertising. Scott's brother, John, was also a professor at Northwestern. During World War I, Scott worked for the U.S. Army in personnel classification, training, and aptitude testing. 

Scott was an early leader in the student personnel services and students affairs movement in higher education. Many of his and his protegees' ideas are still used in student affairs and college advising work today.

Walter became president of Northwestern in 1920 and served for 19 years. When Scott retired, he remarked "when a man reaches the age of 70 he's worked long enough at any job." Northwestern University dedicated a new building to Scott when he retired.

Scott maintained close ties to his hometown. He often returned to Bloomington to visit siblings and give speeches at schools, universities, and civic organizations. In June 1935, he and his brother returned to Fletcher School for the 75th anniversary of the school district (the school itself still stands today as a private residence). Hundreds of people attended the event. Eleven years before his death, Scott reflected on his upbringing:

"I remember vividly a poem of my youth, 'Over the Hill to the Poorhouse.' Poor farms and orphan asylums were our public institutions then. We made the most of our poverty then. Now we must make the most of our riches. We must learn to behave as rich people."

Scott died on September 23, 1955 and is buried in Skokie, Illinois.

Scott Hill Monument


Scott Hill is actually one of several hills in Blue Mound Township. These hills were formed as part of a glacial ridge. Other hills include Blue Mound, Doman Hill, and the highest, an unnamed hill in section 27. 

The Scott Hill marker was one of three markers placed by the Cooksville-Blue Mound bicentennial commission in 1976. The two other markers commemorate White Spring and Blue Mound are located south of Scott Hill and Fletcher.The Scott Hill monument is located about 3 miles northeast of Merna or about 5 miles southwest of Cooksville on 1700 N Road. 

Location Information

• Township & Section: Blue Mound, 18
• GIS (click on numbers to view on Google Maps): 40.530653, -88.791184

Sources

• Anna Knight Dies, Age 80. (1937, January 28). Pantagraph, p. 16.
• Blue Mound Group Places Three Markers. (1977, June 29). Pantagraph, p. 41.
• Cooksville Boy Becomes 'Prexy.' (1921, June 17). Pantagraph, p. 6
• His Task was to Give Every Man His Chance. (1917, September 8). Pantagraph, p. 11.
• Jacobson, J.Z. (1951). Scott of Northwestern. Chicago: Louis Mariano.
• Magnificent Building to Honor Dr. Scott. (1939, April 17). Pantagraph, p. 5.
• Mrs. James Scott 81 Years of Age. (1923, August 6). Pantagraph, p. 8.
• Mrs. Jas. S. Scott Laid to Rest. (1925, April 20). Pantagraph, p. 7. 
• Northwestern Head was Born on Farm Near Cooksville. (1930, August 26). Pantagraph, p. 28.
• Northwestern University Archives, Scott Hall.
• N.U. to Erect Hall in Honor of Dr. Scott. (1939, February 3). Chicago Daily News.
• President Scott Tells of Boyhood Near Cooksville. (1938, April 12). Pantagraph, 5. 
• Quaid, L. (1983). A Little Square of Prairie: Stories of Cooksville and Blue Mound Township, Illinois. Cooksville, IL: Cooksville Centennial Committee.
• Schuh, J.S. (2016). Student Services: A Handbook for the Profession. San Francisco: Wiley.
• Steele, Norma. (1978, October 8). How Time Flies. Pantagraph, p. 4. 
• Walter Dill Scott, Wikipedia Biography.
• Walter Dill Scott Dies in Evanston. (1955, September 25). Pantagraph, p. 2. 
• Walter Dill Scott, Cooksville Native, 75. (1944, May 3). Pantagraph, p. 3.
• Walter Dill Scott Retires. (1939, August 31). Pantagraph, p. 1.
• Walter Dill Scott, Rural School Pupil. (1928, June 11). Pantagraph, p. 1.