AMOS WOOD

This venerable gentleman, whose head is silvered with the frosts of eighty-three winters and whose life has been filled with interesting and exciting experiences, was  among the earliest settlers of Antrim county,  and is now one of the few remaining links in the living chain connecting the present with the stirring scenes of the long-past pioneer period. Amos Wood was born near Brockville, in the province of Ontario, October 20, 1823, and when a youth of fourteen accompanied his parents on their removal to St. Lawrence county, New York, where he grew to maturity, being reared on a farm near the city of Morristown. He remained at home assisting his father until reaching manhood's estate, and in the month of January, 1845, was united in marriage with Miss Edith Frazer, the ceremony taking place on Wells island, in the St. Lawrence river, where the bride's parents were then living. Two years after his marriage Mr. Wood settled at Battle Creek, Michigan, where he spent the ensuing six years, removing a little later to Grand Rapids, which city he made his home until about 1852.

While living in Grand Rapids, Mr. Wood became acquainted with one A. S. Wadsworth, who had traveled extensively throughout northern Michigan and at the  time noted owned a lumber mill and valuable landed interests in the Grand Traverse country, to which region he was then making arrangements to return. Through his representations and persuasions, Mr. Wood was induced to accompany him in the capacity of a hired hand and before starting on the trip six other men joined them to try their fortunes in the new country of which they had heard so many favorable reports. In due time the little company was in readiness to start on what proved an arduous and in some respects exciting journey, beset with the many vicissitudes and not a few hardships, not the least of which were the absence of settlements and roads in the region through which they were obliged to traverse, also the lack of horses, their only means of travel being the primitive manner of going on foot. With what they supposed to be an ample stock of provisions to last them during the journey, each carrying their own share, the company followed the range line between ranges 11 and 12 until reaching the Manistee run, when they were compelled to halt for a while on account of an accident to Mr. Wood, who cut himself in the leg, almost severing the cords of that member and for the time rendering him well nigh helpless. The wound was dressed by an Indian who fortunately happened to be passing by, after which the injured man managed to limp along and keep pace with his companions, who accommodated their steps to his. When within a half day's journey of Traverse City, the provisions of the party became exhausted and in going into camp at night all they had to eat was a partridge, which one of the men had killed during the day. From there on they stuck to the bay and in due time reached Boardman's mill, tired, hungry and some of the party considerably dispirited. After a good meal at the latter place, the company proceeded on its road until arriving at Traverse City, where they took a Mackinaw boat for East Bay, from which point, by making extra exertions, they reached Elk Rapids the following night, the town at that time consisting of a single house which stood on the site now occupied by the Riverside Hotel. Shortly after arriving at their destination Mr. Wadsworth put his mill in operation and on this Mr. Wood was employed for some months, during a part of which time he lived with the proprietor in a tent, later moving into a little pole cabin which had been deserted by the Indians. On quitting the mill Mr. Wood joined a surveying party under Mr. Wadsworth, who was a civil engineer, and for three months helped  survey land and run lines in the vicinity of Elk Rapids and in what is now Leelanau county, doing the work of an ax man while thus engaged. Some time after the expiration of the period noted he and a companion by the name of Alexander McVicar took passage on a sail boat to Chicago, where they received pay for their services, following which he returned to Michigan and for some months was employed on a trading boat plying the Grand river to Grand Haven. It is unnecessary in this connection to give a detailed account of the various doings of Wood in the new country and the vicissitudes which he experienced until taking up a homestead and bringing his family to the same. By working on mills, in the pineries and with surveying parties he earned sufficient money to tide himself and family over the rough sea of pioneer life and to live in comparative comfort after the first few years in the back woods, although denied many things which people of the present advanced age would include in the list of necessities.

He continued in the employ of Mr. Wadsworth as long as that gentleman lived (1871 - Traverse City) and the meantime settled on his present place, which he took  up a homestead at one and a quarter dollars per acre, selling the town property he had previously purchased in order to apply the proceeds on the payment. Mr. Wood's original entry, consisting of one hundred and sixty-two acres, lies two and a half miles south of Elk Rapids on Elk lake, and is characterized by a deep fertile soil capable of producing in abundance all the grain, vegetable and fruit crops for which the northern part of Michigan has become celebrated. By hard and persevering toil he succeeded in clearing and placing in cultivation sixty acres of his land without the aid of a team and before any road was constructed through the country, his only means of marketing his produce and procuring his groceries and other necessities being a canoe.  In addition to his home place, he helped clear and develop several other farms, having secured, by a soldier's claim, a quarter section of excellent land on the east side of Torch lake which he also improved. From time to time he added to his landed interests, one of his last purchases being the estate of his father-in-law William Day Frasier) which adjoins his place,  the two combined making one of the finest and most valuable farms in the township of Elk Rapids.

Mr. Wood has been an up-to-date agriculturist and every enterprise to which he addressed himself seemed to have prospered.  He made good improvements on his farms,  was not sparing in the matter of personal comfort for himself and family and has always believed in living well and with everything calculated to render the home pleasant and attractive and to make it to all the inmates the dearest and happiest spot in all the world.

Mr. Wood is an enthusiastic and successful horticulturist and in his well-kept orchard of over three acres are to be found the finest varieties of fruits which the state of Michigan can produce. He has also devoted considerable attention to live stock,  which he finds a valuable adjunct to general farming, and from these several sources his income has been sufficient to place him in independent circumstances, being at this time the possessor of an ample competency for his declining years. Although well advanced in age and for some time past living a life of retirement, as he is no longer under the necessity of laboring with his hands, Mr. Wood bears the weight of his eighty-three years with the strength and vitality of a much younger man, retaining as he does the possession of his bodily powers and mental faculties to a remarkable degree. Among the experiences of former years to which Mr. Wood now looks back with a thrill of patriotic pride is the time spent as a wearer of the blue when the Union was trembling in the balance during the dark and bloody days of civil war. In 1864 he joined the Fourth United States Battery and from that time until the banner of rebellion went down at Appomattox he saw almost constant service in the state of Virginia, participating in many of the hard-fought battles in which the Army of the Potomac was engaged and displaying under all circumstances the qualities of a brave soldier and a true lover of  his country. He remained with his command at the front until the surrender of General Lee, being present on that occasion and witnessing the ceremony, and at the cessation of hostilities took part in the grand review at the national capitol, after which he was honorably discharged, his record being without a blemish and all that a true soldier could desire.

In political adherence Amos Wood is a Republican, but of recent years lie has not been very active in party affairs, although zealous andl uncompromising in the support of  his- principles. Personally lie is esteemed by all who know him, and his long residence in Antrim county has given his name wide publicity and won him many friends. His children are devoted to his interests and spare nothing in the matter of his comfort and with a pleasant home and a sufficiency of this world's goods to cause him no concern for the future, he is spending a cheerful and happy old age, beloved by his neighbors and associates and honored by his fellow citizens in every walk of life.
 
Mrs. Wood was born in Summerford, Ontario, October 3, 1829, and departed this life on September 3, 1900. She was a model wife and mother, a true helpmeet to her husband during the days of their trials and struggles, a faithful counselor in all of his enterprises and undertakings and shared with him the prosperity which finally crowned their united efforts, at all times and under all circumstances displaying those noble virtues and gentle qualities which constitute the pride and glory of womanhood The living children of Mr. and Mrs. Amos Wood, seven in number, are as follows: Rosella, wife of John Ferguson, living near Elk Rapids; William, a married man who is engaged in agricultural pursuits in Milton township, east of Elk Rapids; Elida, of Bellaire; Chester, manager of the home farm and one of the leading citizens of the community in which lie resides; Anna Malissa,  Mrs. Hiram Odell, of Kewdin; Elnora married Richard Ryan and lives in Charlevoix, and Ernest Winchell, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church now stationed at Kingsley, Michigan.