Humboldt County, CA and Trinity County, CA Biographies

Pioneer days in California: (1891)
By: Carr, John, 1827-1896
Humboldt County (Calif.) - Biography; Trinity County (Calif.) - Biography
Publisher: Eureka, Cal., Times publishing company

CHAPTER XLVII. BIOGRAPHY. 

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 


WOOD, L. K. � A native of Kentucky; came to California in 1849; he 
was one of the first discoverers of Humboldt Bay; he with seven others, 
known as Dr. Gregg's party, left Trinity River on the 5th day of Novem- 
ber, 1849, to explore the then unknown country between Upper Trinity 
River and the Pacific Ocean. After incredible hardships and almost 
starvation they reached the coast at the mouth of what is known as Little 
River. For over six weeks this little band of pioneers tramped over snowy 
mountains, and swam swollen streams, on their expedition of discovery. 
On December 20, 1849, David A. Buck, one of the party, discovered 
the bay, and named it Trinity Bay. Four months later the bay was dis- 
covered by the Laura Virginia Company, and given the name of Humboldt 
Bay, which name it still retains. 

The Gregg party then undertook to return to the settlements by the 
way of Eel River, in the midst of one of the hardest winters known to 
California. Their provisions gave out in the midst of a heavy snowstorm, 
and for days they were without food. They were now reduced almost to 
starvation. Three of the band went hunting, and found a band of eight 
grizzly bears, and necessity compelled them to attack the bears. After 
they wounded some of the bears, the brutes turned on them, and getting 
hold of L. K. Wood, they mangled his body in a fearful manner. They 
broke one of his legs and tore one of his arms, and thus rendered him a 
cripple for life. Finally the bears left him, and his comrades got him 
into camp. 

The question now arose, what was to be done with the wounded man? 
If they stayed in camp they would all perish of starvation, and his wounds 
were so swollen and sore that he could not be removed. On consultation 
with Mr. Wood himself, he requested his companions to shoot him, and 
not leave him to die of the pangs of hunger in that wilderness. They dis- 
cussed the matter, and finally came to the conclusion that they would 
make a litter and pack him as far as possible. This they did. After un- 
told miseries, the party arrived at the ranch of Mrs. Mark West on the 
17th day of February, 1850, and remained there until sufficiently recov- 
ered to proceed to San Francisco. Mr. Wood received the utmost kind- 
ness from every member of the family. 

Mr. Wood returned to Humboldt, and, in 1852, ran as an independent 
candidate for the office of Clerk of Trinity county, of which county the 
present county of Humboldt then formed a part. The Democratic can- 
didate was successful. Shortly afterwards Humboldt county was created 
by act of the Legislature, and L. K. Wood became County Clerk of the 
new county. He afterwards became a farmer on Areata bottom, and 
married the daughter of James Hanna, Esq., and raised a large family. 
Most of the children still reside in Humboldt county. He died at Areata 
on the 12th day of July, 1874. 

Through the courtesy of his sons, the author was permitted to take this 
sketch from a narrative written by L. K. Wood several years ago, and 
published at the time in the Humboldt Times.