William Wood

As printed in 1910

WILLIAM WOOD (1856), deceased. The first white man to make a permanent home in Jackson county was William Wood, who came during the month of July, 1856, and in partnership with his brother, George Wood, built a home and established a trading post on the Des Moines river where the village of Jackson is now located. Here also, in a primitive way, they laid out a townsite, which they called Springfield. As the story of the lives of William and George Wood after they came to Jackson county is told in an earlier part of this work, this sketch will briefly outline their earlier history.

AVilliam Wood was one of a family of fifteen children born to Samuel and Elizabeth (Thomson) Wood, and the date of his birth was about 18.30. He descended from colonial stock. One of his ancestors was a Holland Dutch patron of the then New Netherlands; another was Smith Thompson, secretary of the navy and a judge of the supreme court: his paternal grandfather. James Wood, was a revolutionary soldier, his maternal grandfather, Smith Thompson, was a veteran of the war of 1812.

The father of William and George Wood died in 1847, leaving his wife and a large family of children. Being thus early thrown upon his own resources, William Wood became self-reliant. Early in the fifties he.left his mother's home in Ridgeville, Randolph county, Indiana, and located at the little village of JIankato, Minnesota, where he took a position as Indian trade with Robert W'ardlow, a merchant. WJiile engaged in his work he had occasion to visit the Des Moines river country and selected the site now occupied by Jackson village as a place to make his future home.

During the month of July, 1856, William Wood, accompanied by his brothers, George Charles, came to the site, engaged in business with a small stock of Indian trinkets and supplies, and made his home there until he was killed by the Indians in the massacre of March,

George McEIroy Wood, who also took a prominent part in the affairs of the little community about Springfield before the massacre, was born in 1827. After his father's death he became the head of the family and assisted his mother in supporting the family in various ways. He engaged in school teaching, which in that early day and country was considered quite an accomplishment. He was a religious and serious minded young man and was devoted to church and Sabbath school work. He came to.Jackson county with his brother in 1856 and was killed on the same day his brother met his fate. Both brothers were buried where they fell.

Charles Wood, the younger brother who also came in the fall of 1856, was sixteen or seventeen years of age at that time. He had gone to Mankato a few days before the massacre and so escaped the fate of his brothers. He later enlisted and fought for the union cause during the war of the rebellion, meeting his death at Pea Ridge, Arkansas, in the line of duty. Five of the Wood boys took part in the war.

As printed in An illustrated history of Jackson County, Minnesota (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.