Tulare County Biographies

A. J. WOODS

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

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

 
In Andrew county, Mo., A. J. Woods, of Tulare county, Cal., was born. The time 
of his birth was October 5, 1845, and he came to California in the spring of 
1863, when he was between sixteen and seventeen years old. The youth settled 
near the site of Lodi, San Joaquin county, where he developed to manhood and 
farmed till 1888. Then he came to Tulare county and located at Waukena and went 
into wheat raising.  He gradually increased the volume of his business until he 
was farming, some years, as many as two thousand acres. In 1890 he bought his 
present ranch of one hundred and ninety acres at Tulare, a productive dairy and 
alfalfa farm, which he now rents out. He has always raised fine horses, and 
recently sold a two�year-old colt for $250.
Miss Eva Pierson, a native of Indiana, whom Mr. Woods wedded in 1872, bore him 
children as follows: Albert B., of Stockton, Minnie and Claude E. His present 
wife�their marriage was celebrated in 1907--was Miss Lizzie Moore. Mr. and Mrs. 
Woods are active members of the Tulare Grange, in which they have held many 
offices. For thirty-five years (since 1877) he has been a Granger, nearly all 
the time holding high positions in the organization. In fact he is one of the 
oldest Grangers in the state. Tulare Grange No. 195 was instituted in 1886 and 
now includes sixty members. It has been an instrument for the promotion of many 
public interests, one of its notable achievements having been its agency in 
securing the Sequoia National Park, in the mountains. The Mooney Grove Park, 
north of Tulare, was promoted by Tulare Grange and a committee of its members 
will handle the money raised by the board of supervisors for the improvement of 
the property. In a general way, this Grange has, during the last twelve years, 
done much to better highways in the county and to bring about the construction 
of good roads. Mrs. Woods was its worthy master in 1911. Its officers were in 
1912: Master, Mrs. C. A. Sayer; lecturer, Mrs. A. J. Woods; overseer, Mrs. L. C. 
Lawson; steward, Frank Stiles; assistant steward, Thomas Jacobs; chaplain, Mrs. 
Emma Loman; treasurer, George Watts; secretary, Mrs. Bertha Morris; gatekeeper, 
A. J. Woods. Mr. Woods is a Mason. In San Joaquin county he served for some 
years as a member of the board of education of his town.
 
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California with Biographical Sketches - 
Los Angeles, Calif., Historic Record Company, 1913, pp. 526-527