In 1825, Stephen Scott moved his family from Maryland to the Evanston area months ahead of Naper’s settlers. He began operating a sawmill on the East Branch, which nourished the growing community. Stephen’s son Willard Sr. and grandson Willard Jr. continued the tradition. The family rests in the local cemetery — all but Stephen, who headed for the west in 1849, caught up in the Gold Rush, where he died around 1854.

Chicago-based artist Lucy Slivinski used salvaged materials, including old gears, chains, and hooks reminiscent of a 19th-century water-powered sawmill in the making of this piece.