Mattie Elizabeth (Durbin) Scott was born on June 30, 1894, in Prescott, Yavapai Co., Arizona to Ida Sarah (Densmore) and William Waters Durbin in the home built by her father at 136 North McCormick Street, Prescott, Arizona. Mattie was the youngest of six girls: Jessie Grace (Durbin) Powers (1881); Florence B. (Durbin) Kennedy (1883); Iva D. (Durbin) Ranney (1884); Helen Ann (Durbin) Reynolds (1888); and Alice E. (Durbin) Stewart (1890). She had two brothers, both of whom died in infancy: Francis J. Durbin (1887); and Elmer Durbin (1893). Mattie was raised and educated in Prescott, Arizona. On January 1, 1914, Mattie married Wilbert Ewing “Scotty” Scott (1888 -1973) at her father's home. Scotty was an owner of Blount and Scott Machine Shop in Prescott, a Company that served the Prescott and Yavapai County area with precision machined equipment parts and repair. Later in life Scotty served on the Prescott City Council. Mattie and Scotty had one son, Wilbert Ewing “Bill” Scott Jr. (1914-2014). Doctor W. E. “Bill” Scott was an early specialist in cardiovascular medicine and practiced many years in the Amarillo, Texas area. Mattie and Scotty designed and built their home on a hillside lot at the top of the hill on South Washington Street. Scotty, a craftsman and tradesman in his own right, did much of the work in the building and features of the house. The house faced to the West looking over the City of Prescott with a clear view of the local geological landmark, Thumb Butte, to the west of the City. The Scott house was unique in its time in that it had a small elevator that carried two people from the garage and den level of the house to the main living floors above. At the back of the house, adjacent to a long patio area, the property rose up the side of the hill. Across this hillside, Scotty terraced more than eight levels. After running a water system across the terraced levels, Mattie and Scotty planted many flowers and vegetables. In addition they planted a variety of fruit trees across the higher levels in this beautiful terraced garden area. Mattie hosted many well received Garden Club functions through the years within this patio and garden area. Mattie often won Club and County Fair prizes for her flowers and her flower arrangements. Mattie was a very prominent cook. She would harvest her crop of vegetables and fruits each year and, then cook and can many jars of vegetables, fruits and even some preserves. She would store the canned and preserved stock within a root cellar, another unique design feature of the house they built. This Root cellar had been carved into the bedrock behind the lower level garage and was the perfect temperature year round for maintaining the canned stock. Many family and friends received good “old- fashioned” Christmas presents from her stock from the root cellar. Mattie was proud of being a native-born “Prescottonian” and was very active and respected in many community activities. She was a Worthy Matron of the Golden Rule Chapter of the Eastern Star. She belonged to the Alta Vista Garden Club and was a charter member of the Arizona Federation of Garden Clubs. Her lovely handwork, cooking and preserves took many prizes at early county fairs. She belonged to the Hand-Hooking Rug Club as well. Mattie Scott died on May 12, 1985, at Samaritan Village in Prescott, and was buried in the Mountain View Cemetery in the family gravesite. Donor: Alta Vista Garden Club & Dennis J. Lessard, June 2015 Photo Located: RCG MS-39, Box S, F-Scott, Mattie (Durbin) Updated: 2/1/2016, Gretchen Hough Eastman
