California Biographies
Wood, Ben S.

Transcribed by Peggy Hooper

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

Wood, Ben S. County Recorder and ex-officio County Auditor of Sonoma county; was
born in Jackson county, Missouri, October 18, 1847. He emigrated with his
father's family to California and settled in Napa City in 1853. In the Spring of
1854 he moved with the family to Petaluma in this county, at which place he
continued to reside until 1864, when he was sent to the Pacific Methodist
College. He graduated from that institution with the degree of A. B. in the
Class of 1869, the degree of A. M. being conferred by the same institution two
years later. After spending almost two years in the Coast Range mountains, he
was appointed Deputy County Surveyor by his father, John B. Wood, who was then
living in Healdsburg, and holding the position of County Surveyor for the fifth
term. This appointment he continued to hold, engaged principally in office work,
until March, 1874, at which time he moved to Santa Rosa, having been elected on
the Democratic ticket at the Fall election of the preceding year to the office
of County Recorder and ex-offtcio Auditor. In March, 1876, he was appointed
Deputy Sheriff under Joseph Wright, and resigned the same after serving as
deputy for nineteen months. He was again elected on the Democratic ticket as
Recorder and Auditor at the general election in 1877, which term he is now
filling, having been elected for the third time for the term beginning January
1, 1880. Mr. Wood is married, and has two children.

Source: HISTORY OF SONOMA COUNTY, Alley, Bowen & Co. 1880