The following is quoted from Thomas Murphy's 1928 History of Lackawanna County . 1 (Remember that references to now or today refer to 1928 and do not necessarily reflect life in 2003.)
Agriculture continues to be that chief occupation in Scott Township, which is shut off from the coal measures by Capouse Mountain, as it has since the first white settlements. The township owes its name to Hon David Scott, a Luzerne judge. It was set off from Greenfield in 1846. The area is 27 miles. Its market is chiefly in midvalley towns with which it is connected by a number of improved highways. The old Dundaff Turnpike was for many years the only outlet into the valley. An Indian trail led across the township, with a camp near the village of Scott. About the earliest settlement was in 1800. Roger Orvis built a cabin that year at what was later known as Orvis Corners. Michael Vail, Joseph Berry, William Simrell, Dr Wescott Stone, Samuel Callender, Daniel Wall, Seth Howe, William Hierlihy and Nathan Finch were among other pioneers who cleared the forest, built log cabins and settled down in Scott to make their homes.
As in most other townships, a grist mill was the first industry in Scott. Seth Howe built one at the outlet of Chapman's Lake and about the same time William Hierlihy built one at Brown Hollow, which takes its name from James Brown, who in 1804 built a sawmill and who later added a grist mill there. William Simrell built the first frame structure, a barn, in the township on what was afterwards known as the Charles Lowry farm. At Orvis Corners was located the earliest school house in Scott. The log building was replaced in 1814 by a frame building. Joseph Pell was the first teacher. The "Hibbard School House" was erected later.
Timothy Lomedue was the township's first tavern keeper. His house of entertainment, a log hut, was near Carey's Corners. In 1815 Henry Cobb opened a tavern on Hubbard's place north of Chapman's Lake. Afterwards came William Simrell. George Horbiger was the frst storekeeper. Within a few years George and Israel Sheldon, Charles Berry and N D Green also engaged in general merchandising. De Wescott Stone was the earliest physician to locate in the township. Town meetings were held in earliest times in Brown Hollow. Charles Berry was the first postmaster. His office was along the Dundaff Pike. In time this first post office came to be known as Green Grove. 2 Warren W Smith was elected justice of the peace in 1850, when the township had a population of 1,268.
Elder William Bishop, a Baptist, who had earlier located on school and church land in what is now Scranton, preached in Scott after quitting the Lacakwanna Valley. That was shortly after the decree of Trenton which gave Pennsylvania title to the terrtory claimed by Connecticut. He is buried in Brown Hollow. Reverend Bishop was an early chaplain in the first Masonic lodge in Luzerne County. Elder John Miller was another pioneer preacher who labored in Scott. The Mount Bethel Baptist Church was the earliest congregation in the township. It was organized in 1853 and built a meeting house in Brown Hollow in 1856. A H Benedict was the leader of the first class of Methodists which formed in 1870. The Methodist Church at Brown Hollow was dedicated in 1875. Rev S J Austin was the first pastor.
Hon William B Hierlihy, who was born in Scott and whose grandfather built the first grist mill at Brown Hollow, represented the district in which Scott is a part in the Legislature in 1881-1882. Eugene Simrell, another Scott native, was the first elective district attorney of Lackawanna County. Prof Jason C Taylor, who saw the first light of day in Scott, was county superintendent of schools for over thirty years until he retired in 1926. Reuben Taylor, Revolutionary war veteran, associated with Hon Abbott in operating the first grist mill in Slocum Hollow (Scranton), moved to Scottin 1816, where he died in 1849.