James A. Linscott

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James Austin Linscott
Member of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors
In office 1891–1913
Personal details
Born	December 20, 1846 Jefferson, Lincoln County, Maine, U.S.
Died	September 7, 1913 Watsonville, California, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Occupation	Sawmill owner, lumberman, rancher, farmer, politician

James Austin "J.A." Linscott (December 20, 1846 – September 7, 1913) was an American sawmill owner, lumberman, rancher, farmer, and politician, who served multiple terms on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors in California. A Civil War veteran and pioneer of the Pajaro Valley, he founded several sawmills in Santa Cruz County and was recognized as one of the county's leading road builders.

Early life

James Austin Linscott was born in Jefferson, Lincoln County, Maine, on December 20, 1846. He was raised as a farmer and attended the public schools until the age of fifteen, when he went to work for the United States Government helping to build Fort Popham at the mouth of the Kennebec River in Maine.

American Civil War service

At the age of 18, Linscott enlisted in the 2nd Maine Cavalry Regiment, U.S. Army, on December 3, 1863, for service in the Civil War. His regiment sailed from Portland, Maine, on the ship Northampton for New Orleans. From there they were sent to Florida, where they engaged in raids, then on to Alabama, Mississippi, and back to Florida, where the war ended. Linscott himself carried the order that took the army from Pensacola for the attack on Mobile. He served three years and was honorably discharged in December 1865. He was the youngest member of his company and later recalled his army life as full of "thrilling experiences and exciting adventures, but not entirely without its allowance of fun."

Move to California and lumber career

After his discharge, Linscott returned to Maine and resumed his studies. In 1867, he made his first trip to California via Central America, arriving in San Francisco on April 21, 1868 (traveling there at the invitation of his cousin, J. W. Linscott, who had previously settled in Santa Cruz County and served as the County Superintendent of Schools).

He settled in Santa Cruz County and engaged in the lumber business. He built and established the Eureka Sawmill, the Clipper Mill, and the Eureka Shingle Mill, and cut much of the lumber in the Corralitos area, helping to open up that region. He initially worked at Grover & Co.'s mill near Soquel, and later removed to Watsonville in the fall of 1872, continuing in the lumber trade.

In 1884, Linscott abandoned the lumber business, which had been his primary livelihood since arriving in California, and turned to farming and stock raising in the Pajaro Valley. He owned a home property in the area and developed it for agricultural use.

Political career

Linscott was a Republican and took an active interest in political affairs. He was first elected to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors from his district in 1890, and served multiple terms spanning the 1890s and into the 1900s. In 1905, he served as chairman of the Board of Supervisors.

As a supervisor, Linscott was credited with several important public works, including the sprinkling of county roads during summer months and the building of the Corralitos bridge. He was known as a "shrewd politician and a keen business man" who gained distinction across the state as one of the best road builders. He represented the Pajaro district and served "many a term" on the board.

Linscott was a member of the fraternal organization of Civil War veterans, the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.), R.L. McCook Post, in Watsonville, as a result of his Civil War service.

Personal life and death

In 1869, Linscott returned East to marry Dora Jane Rowell of Cambridgeport, near Boston, Massachusetts, bringing her back to California that spring. The couple established themselves in the Pajaro Valley. They had one daughter, Carrie, who attended Watsonville High School.

Linscott died at age 66 at his home in Watsonville on September 7, 1913, after a sudden illness. Robust and apparently in good health, he had been stricken with heart failure the previous Thursday and gradually worsened, lapsing into unconsciousness on Sunday before passing.

References

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