On the twenty-third day of November, 1828, Bro. John Shaw Scott was born at Jamiaica Plains, near Boston, Mass. He was the eldest son of five children born to Benjamin Homans and Sara Tufts (Carlisle) Scott, and of four brothers the only one who became a Free Mason. His parents went West when he was an infant and after tarrying awhile in Ohio finally settled in Miamisport, now Peru, Indiana, where his boyhood days were passed in the town and on a farm, and in the crude schools of that time he obtained the rudiments of an education.

On the death of his mother the five children were taken to Massachusetts, 1849, to her two sisters, by whom they were raised and educated. Bro. Scott was educated in the Winthrop Grammar School and English High School of Boston, and drew the Benjamin Franklin medal in each.

He left Boston for California in the schooner Edwin, March 1, 1848, bound for Chagres, remained two months on the isthmus of Panama, and arrived in San Francisco on the 3rd day of August, 1849, after seventy-eight days’ sail from Panama on board the English bark Circassian. Like most of the California argonauts he first tried gold mining, but luck being against him found employment in the express office of Hunter & Co. at Coloma, El Dorado county, and later became agent for Adams & Co. in upper Placer county, with three men under his charge. After failure of Adams & Co. Express Company he was engaged in various pursuits in different parts of the State, the last ten years in San Francisco.

Bro Scott came to Utah April 1, 1871, and engaged in mining until he was offered a position of bookkeeper in Wells Fargo’s Bank by Bro. Theo. F. Tracy, its Salt Lake City manager. When Bro. Tracy resigned he accepted the position of bookkeeper for the Winnamuck Mining and Smelting Company at Bingham until 1875, when he formed a partnership with Bro. James Anderson, who had been assayer for the concern. September 1, 1875, the firm of Scott and Anderson bought the sampling mill and ore-buying business of Mr. George Johnson, at Sandy, which they conducted successfully for over twenty years.

Bro. Scott’s Masonic life is well rounded and worthy of emulation. He was made a Mason in Mission Lodge No. 169, San Francisco, Cal., in the year 1865; was initiated October 30th; passed November 8th, and raised November 15th; was appointed Senior Deacon December, 1867, and without having been a Warden elected from the floor Master of the Lodge December, 1868. He affiliated with Argenta Lodge No. 3, September 16, 1873; was Senior Warden of the Lodge in 1874, and twice its Master, 1875 and 1880.
In the Grand Lodge of Utah he was Senior Grand Warden in 1875, Deputy Grand Master in 1876 and `77, and Grand Master from November 15, 1877 to November 18, 1878. In 1879 he was Grand Orator. He was chairman of the Committee on Jurisprudence from 1879 to 1881, and ever since has been a member of it. Is a member of the Board of Custodians since 1896. He is Grand Representative of the following Grand Lodges: California, appointed August 20, 1877; New York, appointed August 24, 1874; Scotland, appointed August 6, 1878. He was elected an honorary member of the Masonic Veteran Association of the Pacific Coast August 14, 1880. His Lodge number is 5; Grand Lodge number 38.
The Capitular degrees were conferred upon Bro. Scott in Utah Chapter No. 1. R. A. M., in the year 1877, as follows: Mark Master, June 7th; Past Master, June 20th; Most Excellent Master, June 29th, and Royal Arch, July 15th. After holding several minor offices he was elected High Priest in 1888.
He was knighted in Utah Commandery No. 1, K. T., November 8, 1877, and was Eminent Commander in 1883, 1887 and 1888. He held other important offices in the Commandery, but the records and books having been lost dates cannot be obtained.
Bro. Scott was always a true and sincere friend to the Masonic Public Library. He was for over a decade of years Treasurer of the institution, and his love for it, coupled with his financial ability, often helped to bridge over serious financial embarrassments.