Introduction by William Arthur Armstrong                                                                                                                                                                         Date of writing unknown – from Historic Huron archives. 

For many years the name of Frederick Gordon Scott was associated with Huron, Wayne County, New York.   Indeed, yes, three generations have born the same name.  My good friend, Frederick Gordon Scott III is the last of the Scott family to live in Huron, for he moved to Hartford, Connecticut and later to Willingboro, New Jersey  (several years ago) where he was in the insurance business and busy raising a family.

Frederick II was a highly respected policeman in Rochester, NY, and died about two years ago. He is buried in Huron Evergreen Cemetery in the Scott family plot. At the committal service, I had a chance to talk with Frederick III and meet his charming wife. He talked briefly about his children as I asked the question, “Is there a Frederick IIII?”  Fred said, “No, we didn’t carry it that far. Our little boy has another first name.                                                                                                          

For over 90 years the Scott family resided in Huron, being the only black farmers for miles around.    At one time I had a large photo of the old Scott home taken about 1870, before it burned – which I gave to the Scott family at the time Fred III was tracing his family history.  The Scott family history is most interesting. They were, I presume, brought from the African continent as slaves at an early day and lived in Sullivan County, Tennessee, until after the Civil War when William Scott eventually settled in Huron.

As with most Black people, they were late in assuming a surname, and probably took the last name of their slave owner, as was the case with most slaves.

The following material was compiled by Huron Historian, Rosa Fox,  for a Wayne County Bicentennial Facebook post February 2024.

The theme for Black History Month 2024 is Blacks in the Arts, celebrating the impact Black artistry has had on our culture, national identity, and social movements.  Today’s post reflects on that theme with a journey back to the first half of the 20th Century dance scene in Wayne County.  

Finley Sampson Scott of Huron was a well-known Black Huron resident. Finley was born March 20, 1877, in Huron, the son of William and Nancy Sampson Scott. It is noted in several sources that William was a slave who came north to Wayne County, settling in Huron following the Civil War, and became a farmer.  Following his father’s path in farming, Finley was more widely known throughout  Wayne County, however, for his musical talents and his music ensemble of which he was a longtime leader – Scott’s Orchestra. Beginning around 1900, the ensemble played mostly dance gigs.  The first news clipping of a Scott’s Orchestra performance was in August 1900, presenting a Saturday evening “pleasant hop” for cottagers and boarders at Lake Bluff on Sodus Bay.

A few of Scott Orchestra’s other performance venues of days past:

Correll’s Pavillion in Huron on Sodus Bay (Admission 25¢)

Spurr’s Park in Red Creek

Odd Fellows in North Rose

Eastover Manor in the Sodus hamlet of Alton

Normandy Inn in Sodus hamlet of Wallington

Ladies Guild of Christ Church at Sodus Point

Klump’s Corner Hotel in Sodus Centre (accompanying images)

Granges in just about every town across the county.

Finley Scott died at his home in Huron, January 5, 1932, at the age of 54 years, 9 months, and 15 days. Scott’s Orchestra carried on for a few years after his passing but seems to have phased out by the 1940s.  

Note: Anyone with any photos or other artifacts of the Scott Family, please contact Huron Historian, Rosa Fox by email at rfox@townofhuron.org. Thank you.