Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 768; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
David Scott Ray, Jr., the agent and telegraph operator at the
station of Marietta, is a representative native-born citizen of Mason
County, Ill. Though a young man he has already attained some
prominence in the political and public life of this section of
Illinois, and is well and favorably known.
Our subject is a son of D. S. and Arminda (Zoleman) Ray, both of
whom came from old Colonial families, a number of whose members took
part in the Revolution. The father is a native of Maryland, and
the mother was born in Canada, and is a daughter of Peter and Lucinda
Zoleman of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Ray were married in Missouri, and
came to Fulton County from there about 1848, and were pioneers of this
region.
Scott Ray was born in Mason County, November 24, 1860.
When he was five years old his parents took up their residence in
Lewistown, where they lived till he was twelve years old. From
there they went to Vermont, and thence to Bushnell, the father being
then engaged as a traveling man necessitating these various
removals. In 1878 the family came to Marietta, where they have
resided ever since. Our subject received his early education in
the public schools of the different towns in which his boyhood days
were passed, and it was completed by a fine curse of study pursued at
the Bushnell High School.
When our subject was twenty-one years old he went to Smithfield
to work at the station at that point. He had been there but a
short time when he was offered the position of telegraph operator, he
having become an expert in that line. The following years he was
give charge of the office at Marietta, and is still at his post here,
discharging his duties with characteristic promptness and efficiency to
the perfect satisfaction of the railway company, and looking carefully
after its interest.
The marriage of Mr. Ray to Miss Susan Jackson was consummated
May 30, 1885, and to them has come one child whom they have named
Arthur. Mrs. Ray is a daughter of Joseph and Americus (Campbell)
Jackson.
Our subject is a young man of much character, and influential in
his community. He is much interested in political matters, and is
one of the leading young Democrats of this part of the county. He
has been a member of the County Board of Supervisors, and did good
service during the term that he held that responsible position.
