W. E. WOODS, farming and milling. P. O. Santa Fe, was born in Sabine County, Texas, May 24, 1835, and is a son of John and Pauline (De Wild) Woods. When our subject was ten years old, his father came to Cape Girardeau County, Mo., where the former attended school at the St. Vincent College. Finishing his education, he began helping his father around the saw mill, and at the age of seventeen was taken in as a partner. They ran a mill for a number of years in Missouri, and then came to Thebes Precinct, this county, where they put up a saw and shingle mill, and also ran a store for the accommodation of the people in that vicinity; next ran one on what is known as Rock Island, in the Mississippi. In 1875, the firm of Woods & Son, purchased about 700 acres of a special claim in Santa Fe Precinct, lying in Town 16, Range 3 west, and established a saw mill. This mill was in operation until 1879, when the mill was removed and the partnership dissolved. Our subject retained 320 acres, and has since put over 100 into cultivation. His next venture was in Scott County, Mo., where he ran a saw mill. In May, 1883, he sold out that mill and returned to Santa Fe Precinct, where he has since given his attention. Before January, 1884, however, he expects to have another mill in operation near where the one owned by himself and his father stood. Mr. Woods was married, May 21, 1866, to Lina H. Johnson, a daughter of G. M. and Harriet (Glower) Johnson. This lady is the mother of eight children, six of whom are now living — Drucilla H., Gussie, Will E., Jr., Olive, Beatrice and Carl. He enlisted in 1861, in the Marble City Guards of Cape Girardeau, Mo., but was only out about one year. In his regiment he served mostly in the Quartermaster’s Department. In politics, he is a Democrat.
Extracted 29 Mar 2017 by Norma Hass from 1883 History of Alexander, Union, and Pulaski Counties, Illinois, pages 248-249.
| Cape Girardeau MO |
Union | |
 |
Pulaski | |
| Scott MO | Mississippi MO | Ballard KY |
