W. O. Wood

Article taken from The Oxnard Courier, May 2, 1903

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W.O.Wood came to the locality in which he now lives in 1871 and has gradually acquired property until he is the owner of about 2000 acres of land devoted to beets, beans and grain. Two dozen years ago he raised from 3000 to 4000 head of hogs per year and realized large profite from their sale but has since left the hog business and attended to his extensive farm interests. He now owns 300 head of cattle which are fed on his own lands. He rents this year 200 acres to the Gill Bros. of Oxnard for beets and has 200 acres of oats of his own. He will also plant about 100 acres of beans within the next two months.

Mr. Wood was born in (unreadable in article) in Scioto Co., Ohio. He was sixteen at the time of the death of his parents and the care of a large family devolved upon him, which he accomplished by teaching school and looking carefully to the interests passed to him by his parents. He came ot California in 1849. He returned east again and settled in Illinois living there between '52 and '68, and in 1868 he came again to California where he has ever prospered.

He built and was the pastor of the Independent Baptist church now standing at Springville. It was the first Baptist church built in the county and was dedicated in 1888.