Biography of William E. Wood, 1902, Baker Co. Oregon: Surnames: Wood.

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Transcribed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
W. David Samuelsen - November 2001
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An Illustrated History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties, pub. 1902
by Western Historical Pub. Co. of Chicago. page 262

WILLIAM E. WOOD

Among the men who have come out to the Pacific coast at an early date, and
have borne the brunt of the battle, as a result of which the darkness of
barbarism has been dispelled and the bright day of civilization ushered in,
must be counted the venerable pioneer whose name appears above. It is with no
feigned pleasure that we accord him representation in our volume as one of the
founders and builders of Baker county, some of whose most renowned mining
properties were discovered by him and his partner, Mr. Eastabrooks.

Our subject was born in Westchester county, state of New York, on September
27, 1827. He worked on a farm and attended the public schools until about
seventeen years old, then went to New York City, where he clerked in a store
for a few years. Eventually he embarked at New Bedford, Massachusetts, on a
whaling vessel, and while out visited Argentine Republic, cruised along the
west coast of Africa to St. Helena, passed the Falkland islands, going thence
to the Azores and on to the Cape Verde Islands, returning in about two years
to the port of departure with a vessel laden with sperm oil. This venture
proved a decided success for him.

Mr. Wood then embarked in the merchandise business at Katonah, New York, but
in 1853 he pulled up stakes and set out by the Panama route for Shasta county,
California, where he for the first time engaged in mining. In the year 1866 he
entered into partnership with Mr. Eastabrooks and they have been together ever
since. They came to Baker county together and have been together interested in
the Connor creek and Godl Hill mines and in other valuable properties, as they
are in the prospects they now have and in their pleasant little farm near
Weatherby.

While in California Mr. Wood joined a company organized by Captain Walker in
1854 and going down into Lower California, was there engaged for a time in
fighting outlaws and Indians.