Mr. Scott was married in Holderman's Grove, July 16th, 1829, to Caroline Hawley, daughter of Pierce Hawley, who had located there in 1826. To procure his license, he was compelled to go to Peoria, Ill., the nearest place to secure the same.

     Theirs was a marriage without courtship.

     Willard Scott, as a young man in the twenties, was traveling through the country and looking for a place to locate.  Evening coming on, he saw a light and went to this house and asked for supper and nights lodging.  In the course of his stay there, the comeley maiden, Caroline, appealed to him, and in the morning, after nights lodging and breakfast was over, he thought himself very much in love with Caroline, in as much so, that he asked her father for her hand in marriage, to which Mr. Hawley replied he had no objections, as he seemed to be an honest and upright man, but would have to consult Caroline first in the matter, whereupon he asked the young lady if she would marry him, and she declined to marry one whom she had never met before.  He said he would not expect her answer at once, but he
would come for an answer in two weeks.  At the end of the two weeks he rode his pony and led one to bring back his bride, if she would consent.

     When he had come to the house, Caroline had made up her mind and she would take him, and they were married and started on their journey to their home, 5 miles south of Naperville.  Mr. Scott tells the story of their first night that they were married, in this way: "We had the sky for our ceiling -- the stars for our light -- the trees for our shelter and the
ground for our bed."  Mr. Scott enjoyed telling this story very much, to the disgust of Mrs. Scott as she was very proud and really ashamed the way they started out.  Mr. Scott persisted telling it and to get back at him she said: "She could have married a much richer man than he was -- for she had many chances."  But theirs was a happy life.  They had a family of five sons -- David and Theodore, who died in early childhood, Thadeus, Willard
and Alvin Scott Sr.  Thadeus died in 1866 in New York by accident.  He had one son, Willie.  Willard Scott, Jr. has no children.  Alvin had three children, Mrs. Wm. Tarbell; Clara, who died when about 3 years old; and Alvin Jr., always called Bay -- "None knew him but to love him -- none named him but to praise."  Altho Bay has passed out of this world, his name
is still a household word and his memory a pleasant one.  Mr. Willard Scott, Jr., will be 96 years old on October 9th, 1931, and now resides in the house where he and his wife went to housekeeping 62 years ago.
 

          Contributed by Etta Cooper Scott.