Biography of W. H. L. Woodyard, White County, Arkansas *********************************************************** Submitted by: Bonnie Palmer Date: Jun 1997 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ar/white/white.html *********************************************************** From "A Centennial History of Arkansas", edited by Dallas T. Herndon, the Director of the Dept. of Archives & History, published by The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago-Little Rock, 1922. W. H. L. WOODYARD, M. D. Dr. W. H. L. WOODYARD, devoting his attention to the practice of medicine & surgery in Judsonia, while his labors have proven his capability to cope with many intricate & involved professional problems, was born in N. Carolina, Jan. 28, 1866, & comes of English ancestry. His grandfather, Stanford WOODYARD, was a native of England & on crossing the Atlantic settled in N. Carolina, where he spent his remaining days. His son, Stanford WOODYARD, was born in that state and after reaching adult age wedded Nancy MONTGOMERY, who was likewise born in that state while her father was a native of Scotland. He took up his abode in the Old North state when he came to the new world & there his remaining days were passed. Stanford WOODYARD, the Doctor's father, conducted a shoe & harness shop at Greensboro, N. Carolina, for a considerable period, employing several negroes in his shop, for he was a slave owner of that period. He acquired his education in the common schools & afterward learned the trades of making shoes & harness & also became a millwright, constructing a number of mills in his native state. At the beginning of the Civil War he enlisted in the Confederate army & served throughout the entire period of the war. While he was at the front he lost almost everything that he had previously acquired, but at the close of hostilities he returned home & resumed work at his trade, remaining in N. Carolina until 1873, when he removed to Independence Co., Ark., making the trip overland with wagon, horses & mules. It required several weeks to make the trip and he crossed the Mississippi river on a ferry below St. Louis. After reaching his destination Mr. WOODYARD entered the milling business, following his trade in Independence. He built water mills in Independence co. & operated these on his own account. Subsequently he removed to Ravenden Springs, in Randolph Co., where he erected a water power mill, which he operated until he bought land in Randolph Co. and began the task of clearing & cultivating a farm. He died in 1893, at the age of 66 years, while his wife departed this life in 1889 at the age of 54 years. In their family were 13 children, of whom 6 are still living: Ella, now the wife of W. F. GRAY, a truck farmer at Cushman, Ark.; Hattie, who is the widow of W. D. HORN of Brownwood, Tex.; Charles, a farmer of Portia, Ark.; P. W., a merchant of Hoxie, Ark.; W. H. L., of this review; and Allie, of the state of Washington. Those who have departed this life are: Cyrus, who was engaged in the milling business with his father & died at the age of 35; B. R., a physician who was engaged in the practice of medicine in Little Rock at the time of his death, which occurred when he was 49 years of age; Gib, who was also graduated from the Memphis Hospital Medical College, and practiced his profession in Independence Co., Ark. , to the time of his death at the age of 27 years; Margie, who was the wife of W. D. HANKIN whose death occurred at the age of 46 years, in Birmingham; and 3 who died in infancy. The parents were consistent members of the Presbyterian church & Mr. WOODYARD was also identified with the Masonic lodge. He gave political endorsement to the democratic party. Dr. WOODYARD was educated in the La Crosse Academy at La Crosse, Ark., and attended high school at Westplains, Missouri. He afterward entered the Missouri College of St. Louis & following the completion of his course of study there practiced at Ravenden Springs, Ark., where he maintained an office until 1892. He then removed to Pleasant Plains, where he lived until 1893, when he entered the Memphis Hospital Medical College & won his M. D. degree in 1894. In that year he returned to Pleasant Plains, where he continued until 1903 & in the meantime did post-graduate work in Chicago Clinical School. He afterward removed to Judsonia, where he opened an office & through the intervening period has continued in general medical practice. He is now associated with W. R. FELTS, of whom he had been a partner since 1913, and he has long accorded a prominent position in the ranks of the medical fraternity in his section of the state. He has membership in the White Co. Medical Society, the Ark. State Medical Society, the Southern Medical Assoc. & the Amer. Medical Assoc. & devotes the major part of his time & attention to his practice, which is not only extensive but of a most important character. Dr. WOODYARD was married to Miss Aurelia WOOD, a native of Ark., and they have become the parents of 4 children: Jessie, at home; Gladys, the wife of J. H. GRAVES, station agent at Judsonia; Gypsy, at home; and Billie, who is attending the Tenn. Military Institute at Sweetwater, Tenn. Mrs. WOODYARD belongs to the Baptist church. Dr. WOODYARD is a Mason, having membership in Anchor Lodge No. 384, A. F. & A. M., and also in Albert Pike Consistory, in which he has attained the 32nd degree of the Scottish Rite, being identified therewith since 1905. He has passed through all the chairs in the blue lodge & is a worthy follower & exemplar of the teachings of the craft. He likewise has membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His political views are in accord with the teachings & purposes of the democratic party, but he has never sought office. He has interests, however, outside the strict path of his profession, for which he has since been vice president, and he also has farming & stock raising interests, deriving a considerable revenue from his rented farm land.