Madison-Keokuk County IA Archives Biographies.....Wood, Alfred Lorenzo 1863 - 
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ia/iafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 9, 2007, 9:41 pm

Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1896)

HON. ALFRED LORENZO WOOD, the present member of the Legislature from Madison
county, and the editor of the Winterset Reporter, Winterset, Iowa, is a young
man of marked ability and one who has through his own efforts worked his way to
the front and has already distinguished himself. We take pleasure in here
referring biographically to him.

   Alfred L. Wood is a native of the Green Mountain State. He was born in
Montpelier, Vermont, February 14, 1863, son of Samuel L. and Lucinda (Ballou)
Wood, the former a native of Massachusetts and the latter of Vermont. Samuel L.
Wood was the superintendent of a whaling vessel, and spent about fifteen years
of his life on the water, in that time visiting many of the different ports and
islands of the world. After retiring from the sea he spent several years in
lecturing on his travels and experiences. In 1872 he removed with his family to
Iowa, their first location here being in Keokuk. In 1875 they took up their
abode in St. Charles, Madison county, where they settled permanently and where
he still resides, his wife having passed away in 1884.

   Alfred L. was the fourth born in their family of six children,-three sons and
three daughters. He attended the common schools and also took a course in
Simpson College, at Indianola, Iowa. His early boyhood days were spent in hard
work on the farm, and as farming was not congenial to his taste he sought other
occupation, first working at the trade of shoemaker, then teaching school for a
while and finally began work in a printing office. This suited him exactly, and
he has ever since been in some way connected with a printing establishment. In
1883 he established the St. Charles Watchman, which he edited and published for
some time. During the latter part of 1884 and the first part of 1885 he lived in
Dakota, where he published a paper, and with this exception has been in Madison
county since he came here with his parents, as above stated. Returning from
Dakota to St. Charles, he established the St. Charles Reporter, the paper which
he has since conducted successfully. Although yet a young man, Mr. Wood has had
twelve years' experience as an editor. During this time he also served four
years as Postmaster of St. Charles, this being the only office he ever sought.
In 1895 he moved his press to Winterset and now calls his paper the Winter-set
Reporter. It is a six-column quarto paper, neat and well printed and is fresh
and newsy. Mr. Wood has always taken an active part in political matters, local,
State and national, and has done much to further the interests of his party in
Madison county. He is a Republican. In 1893, in recognition of the services he
had rendered, he was honored by election as Representative from Madison county
to the Iowa State Legislature, and while a member of that body his services were
such that they reflected credit on himself and also on his constituency. He
served on important committees and in other ways proved himself a most valued
member of the House. In 1895 he was re-elected to the same position with an
increased majority. Taking into consideration the success Mr. Wood has already
attained, it is but natural to expect that he will receive still higher honors,
as he is now only fairly launched out in his career.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

A MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF IOWA

ILLUSTRATED

"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendants."'—MACAULAY.

"Biography is by nature the must universally profitable, universally pleasant,
of all things."—CARLYLE

"History is only biography on a large scale"—LAMARTINE.

CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1896


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ia/madison/bios/wood117gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/iafiles/

File size: 4.3 Kb