California Biographies Transcribed by Peggy Hooper This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm Source: History of the state of California and biographical record of the San Joaquin Valley, California. An historical story of the state's marvelous growth from its earliest settlement to the present time. Prof. James Miller Guinn , A. M. The Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago 1905 Notes: Missing Page: 865-866,983-984,1175-1176 HON. MIRABEAU DALLAS WOOD. Active, enterprising, and of great business aptitude and talent, Hon. Mirabeau D. Wood holds high rank among the prominent citizens of Merced, and is ever among the foremost to forward all projects conducive to the public welfare. He is a man of solid worth, and his intelligence and abilities have met with due recognition from his fellow-men, who have elected him to many public positions of importance, in all of which he has served with credit to himself and to the honor of his constitutents. A son of the late Igdaliah Wood, he was born May 22, 1846. in Gadsden county, Fla. He comes of English ancestry, his paternal great-grandfather having emigrated from England to the United States in colonial times, becoming a settler of South Carolina. Born and reared in South Carolina, Igdaliah Wood was educated for the law, and after his admission to the bar was for some time engaged in the practice of his profession in his native state. Subsequently removing to Florida, he purchased a plantation, and was there engaged in agricultural and horticultural pursuits until his death, at the age of seventy-two years. He was a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and belonged to the Methodist Episco- pal Church. He married Eliza Dixon, who was born in South Carolina, which was also the birth place of her father, Abel Dixon, a farmer and a soldier in the war of 1812. Her Grandfather Dixon, who was of Scotch descent, served in the Revolutionary war. Of the thirteen children born of their union, twelve grew to years of maturity, and four of the sons served in the Confederate army. The mother died in Florida, on the home plantation. The youngest of the family of thirteen children, Mirabeau D. Wood, grew to man's estate on the home farm, receiving his education at private schools, and in Mount Pleasant Academy. In 1863 he enlisted in Company K, Sixth Florida Confederate Volunteer Infantry, as a private, and being assigned to General Bragg's division, served in many engagements in Kentucky and Tennessee, covering the retreat of the soldiers out of Kentucky after the battle of Perryville, and being at the front in the battle of Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain and Chickamauga. Subsequently taking part in the Georgia campaign, he was commissioned second lieutenant, and at the engagement at Kenesaw Mountain had charge of Company F, whose officers had nearly all been killed. July 22, at Peachtree, Lieutenant Wood was captured and sent as a prisoner to Johnson's Island, where he remained until paroled the following spring, when he returned to his Florida home. In 1866 Mr. Wood became superintendent of a saw mill, a position that he retained two years. In 1868, at the age of twenty-one years, he was elected state senator, representing Washington and Holmes counties in the Florida senate. Resigning the senatorship at the close of the ses- sion, he started for California, and arrived in Sonoma county October 22, 1868, the day of the big earthquake. The same fall Mr. Wood began farming in Stanislaus county. Removing to Merced county in the spring of 1869, he bought six hundred acres of land on Bear creek, near Merced, and for ten years was successfully employed in farming and stock-raising. Going then to Sonoma county, he completed the course in the normal school at Santa Rosa, where he also taught school for some time. Returning to Merced in 1882, Mr. Wood served as deputy county assessor for a year, and in the fall of 1882 was nominated on the Democratic ticket for county treasurer. Being elected, he served most ably for two years, when he was re-elected for another term of two years, and served, in all, from January, 1883, until January, 1887. Being then elected county assessor, he filled the office with eminent satisfaction until January, 1891. The ensuing two years he was engaged in the grocery business. In February, 1893, being appointed by the board of supervisors as superintendent of Merced County Hospital, he served until February, 1897, giving his entire attention to the duties of his office. Embarking then in the grain business, Mr. Wood was first bookkeeper for the firm of Balfour, Guthrie & Co., in Merced, but was soon afterward made their agent, and in this capacity has since had entire control of their grain buying, warehouse, lands, etc., in Merced county. He is also carrying on a substantial insurance business, representing the Caledonian and the Fire Association of Philadelphia. In Merced county Mr. Wood married Annie Rucker, who was born in Missouri, a daughter of A. G. Rucker, and died in Sonoma county, Cal. She bore him three children, namely : George Marvin, who died in Merced ; Lou, wife of Bert Crane, of Turlock, Cal. ; and Jesse D., engaged in business with his father, having charge of the shipping department. For his second wife Mr. Wood married, in Sonoma county, Maron L. England, who was born in Missouri, but reared and educated in Sonoma county, where her father was a pioneer settler. Seven children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Wood, namely: Bessie, Dallas England, Marjorie, Barton Dixon, Kenneth Eugene, Carol and Melville. Politically Mr. Wood has always been ac- tively identified with the Democratic party. He was a member and the president of the first board of trustees of Merced, and for one term was a member of the County Board of Educa- tion. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South and one of its trustees. HON. MIRABEAU DALLAS WOOD Source: HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY A pioneer of 1868 in California and one of the early settlers and among the most representative men of Merced County is M. D. Wood, manager of the Security Savings Bank in Merced. He was born May 22, 1846, in Gadsden County, Fla., a son of Igdaliah and Eliza (Dixon) Wood, both born in South Carolina. The father was educated for the law, and after his admission to the bar practiced for a time in his native state. He later moved to Florida and purchased a plantation and there was engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death, at the age of seventy-two. He was of English ancestry, his paternal grandfather having been an early settler of South Carolina in colonial days. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Abel Dixon, was of Scotch descent and served in the War of the Revolution, also in the War of 1812. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Igdaliah Wood there were thirteen children born, of whom twelve grew to years of maturity; four sons served in the Confederate army. The mother died in Florida. M. D. Wood was the youngest of thirteen children. He grew up on the home plantation and was educated in private schools and Mount Pleasant Academy. In 1863 he enlisted in Company K, Sixth Florida Confederate Volunteer Infantry as a private, serving under General Bragg and participating in many engagements in Kentucky and Tennessee, covering the retreat of the soldiers out of Kentucky after the battle of Perryville, and being at the front at Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain and Chickamauga. He took part in the Georgia campaign, was commissioned a second lieutenant, and at Kenesaw Mountain had charge of Company F, whose officers had nearly all been killed. July 22, at Peachtree, Lieutenant Wood was captured and sent as a prisoner to Johnson's Island, remaining until paroled the following spring, when he returned to his Florida home. In 1866 Mr. Wood became superintendent of a sawmill, and two years later, in 1868, he was elected to the Florida State Senate. Resigning at the close of the session he started for California and arrived in Sonoma County, October 22, 1868, the day of the big earthquake. The same fall Mr. Wood embarked in ranching in Stanislaus County. Removing to Merced County the following spring he purchased 600 acres on Bear Creek, and for ten years successfully farmed, then returned to Sonoma County and at Santa Rosa completed the normal course and taught there for some time. Returning to Merced in 1882, Mr. Wood served as deputy county assessor for a year, and that same fall he was nominated for county treasurer on the Democratic ticket, was elected and served two terms, from January, 1883 to January, 1887. He was elected county assessor in the fall of 1887 and filled that office until January, 1891. The next two years he was in the grocery business. In February, 1893, he was appointed by the board of supervisors, superintendent of the county hospital and gave his entire attention to that position until in February, 1897, when he engaged in the grain business. He was agent for Balrour, Guthrie Company in Merced and for several years had entire charge of their grain-buying, warehouses and lands in Merced County. He also carried on a successful insurance business. In 1907 he became first vice-president and manager of the Merced Security Savings Bank, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversay on March 9, 1925, giving a banquet the following Saturday evening. In Merced County Mr. Wood married Annie Rucker, born in Missouri, the daughter of A. G. Rucker. She bore him three children: George Marvin, who died in Merced; Lou, who became the wife of Bert Crane of Turlock and died in April, 1925; and Jesse D., who was associated with his father in the insurance and grain business and is now the agent for Balfour, Guthrie & Co. Mrs. Wood died in Sonoma County. For his second wife Mr. Wood married in Sonoma County, Maron L. England, a native of Missouri but reared and educated in Sonoma County. Seven children blessed this union: Bessie, who became the wife of J. G. McKerty, of Merced; Dallas England who is part owner and editor of the Palo Alto Times; Marjorie, who married L. G. Mackie of Berkeley; Barton Dixon, who saw service in the World War and is now an architectural engineer in Detroit, Mich.; Kenneth Eugene, an assistant cashier of the Security Savings Bank; Carol V., who is at home; and Melville, who is connected with the San Joaquin Light and Power Co. at Merced. Mr. Wood has always been active in Democratic circles; he was a member and president of the first board of trustees of Merced, and for one term was a member of the county board of education. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and served for years as one of the trustees. He has been a member of the Knights of Pythias for almost fifty years. He is a man of solid worth and his well-directed intelligence and worth-while abilities have met with due recognition from his fellow-men, by whom he is conceded to rank among the most prominent citizens of Merced County.