Scott was regarded by his contemporaries as instrumental in bringing the state of Oregon firmly into the political camp of the Republican Party.

[2] In 1855 and 1856, Scott fought for a year as a volunteer in the Puget Sound War, serving with the local militia in skirmishes against the Nisqually, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, and Klickitat peoples.

[5] With the so-called Indian War at an end, in 1857, Scott walked 150 miles from the family home on Puget Sound to Forest Grove, Oregon, where he attended high school for four months.

[2] He entered the fledgling Pacific University at Forest Grove and in 1863 became the first alumnus of that institution, head of a graduating class consisting only of himself.

[5] In 1865, Scott's plans to become an attorney came to an abrupt end when he was offered and accepted a position as editorial writer for the Portland Morning Oregonian.

[7] Alfred Powers questioned his legacy, writing in 1936 that Scott was "lacking in sympathy and humanity" and that he "held to outworn social theories," and that his scholarship and character were overestimated.

Using $10,000 left in his widow's will for the purpose, Gutzon Borglum (notable for sculptures on Mount Rushmore) was commissioned to erect a statue of Harvey W.

[13] In response to the article, in December 2022, the board of Pacific University voted unanimously to remove Scott's name from a campus building.