BIO: Walter H. WOODWARD, Clearfield County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Sally Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/ NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/1picts/swoope/swoope.htm _____________________________________________________________ From Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and Representative Citizens, by Roland D. Swoope, Jr., Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1911, pages 347-348. _____________________________________________________________ WALTER H. WOODWARD, a prominent citizen of Huston Township, has been identified with public matters for some years, and is the proprietor of Oakmont Farm, a well cultivated tract of 147 acres situated one and one-half miles west of Penfield, Pa. Mr. Woodward was born at the present site of Pine Forest, Luzerne County, Pa., February 2, 1855, and is a son of William D. and Anna L. (Thompson) Woodward. The Woodward family originated in England, and the first of the name came to America in the early part of the seventeenth century. Daniel and Nancy (Eike) Woodward, the grandparents of Walter H. Woodward, were early settlers of Luzerne County, where the grandfather was a well known lumberman, and they were the parents of seven children: Mary, Sarah, Hiram, William D., Martha, Frances and Dennis, all of whom are deceased except Frances, who is the widow of Charles Sutton. William D. Woodward was born in March, 1829, in Luzerne County, Pa., and there spent his boyhood. As a young man, with his brother Hiram, he came to Clearfield County with his wife, Ann L. (Thompson) Woodward, who was born in New Jersey about 1856. He located at Penfield, where he purchased a hotel property, and operated this hostelry until 1864, when he sold out and removed to Minnesota. He remained there but two months, however, at the end of that time returning to Clearfield County, Pa., and engaging in the lumber business. In the spring of 1865 he bought eighty-eight acres of the present farm of Walter H. Woodward from Jefferson Bundy, and later, in 1868, added to this property by purchase from John Du Bois, and at one time had 316 acres. He retired five years previous to his death, which occurred April 3, 1907. His first wife had died in 1884, at the age of fifty-two years, and his second marriage was to a widow, Mrs. Clemantine Iddings, who by her first union had six children. To Mr. Woodward and his first wife there were born the following children: Amorvin, who is operating the farm adjoining that of Walter H. Woodward; Stanley, also a resident of Huston Township; Walter H.; Mattie, who married George Marsden; Americus H., who is a prominent attorney of Clearfield; Anna A., who is the widow of T. B. Buoy; and Ida E., who is the widow of George R. Campbell. Walter H. Woodward's early childhood was spent in Luzerne County, where his father was operating a sawmill, and he was still a lad when the family removed to Clearfield County. He attended the township schools, and started helping his father in the lumber business when quite young. In 1880 he went West in the interest of the Thompson Consolidated Mining Co., and after his return spent four years as foreman of the factory of P. C. Thompson & Co., at Philadelphia. He has had charge of his present farm since 1898, and on the settlement of his father's estate he was given possession of it. The residence was erected by Mr. Woodward's father in 1875, but the other buildings have been put up by Mr. Woodward, who in many ways has improved the farm, making it one of the most valuable in Huston Township. The Bennett's Branch division of the Pennsylvania and B. & S. Railroads run through this property. Mr. Woodward is a Republican in politics, and he has always been an active worker in support of the principles of that organization. He served for some time as township auditor, and is at present acting in the capacities of township assessor and president of the school board.