Abraham Edward Wood (1884 - 1911)

Born 17 Feb 1884 in Delaware, Logan County, Arkansas

Ancestors

Husband of Virgie Fronie (Allen) Wood — married 15 Aug 1904 in Logan County, Arkansas

Descendants

Died 30 May 1911 at age 27 in New Blaine, Logan County, Arkansas

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Peggy McReynolds [send private message] and Iver Jacobson [send private message]

Biography

Abraham was born in 1884; the eldest of 9 children George William Wood would rear with his wife Permelia Robinson Wood. In 1904 Abraham Wood went to the St Louis Worlds Fair with his father and brother Watt. This was shortly before he married Virgie Allen on August 15, 1904 in Logan County, Arkansas.

He became a teacher at Oak Mound School near Scranton, Arkansas (descendants have his school bell.) He played coronet in the New Blaine band with his brother-in-law Joe Allen. Abe was a Mason and taught Sunday School at Elizabeth Hall, the local Mason's hall that was used for multiple purposes. Descendants have a photograph of Abe's Sunday School class with his sons Byron and Lynn Wood in attendance. Abe and his brother-in-law, Tom Lipe, built the first dwelling in Scranton.

He was the first Mayor of Scranton, which incorporated in December 1910. Attempts to verify this via the City of Scranton's records were disappointing. The only document the City had from 1910 and 1911, was a petition for incorporation (attached) which was signed by A.E. Wood and about a dozen other men. Scranton was incorporated only 6 months before his death.

Note: July 2015 by Peggy Sneegas

Attached are two pages copied from the City of Scranton’s files, obtained June 12, 2015 by Georgia McReynolds and Peggy Sneegas. The Scranton Bank is the best contact point for the City’s records since City representatives don’t work full time. Unfortunately, these attached pages are the only documents on file for the years 1910, 1911 and 1912. No one at Scranton knew who the first mayor was, however A.E. Wood was one of the petitioners for incorporation. Thomas Lipe, brother in law to A.E. Wood , also signed the petition. Family research by Nada/Annie Wood states that Abraham Edward Wood was the first mayor of Scranton Arkansas. This research included discussions with Abe's widow, Virgie. Abe died about 6 months after the city was incorporated. In the 1980s Georgia McReynolds remembers taking Hazel Wood to the Scranton High School because a teacher at the school wanted a picture of Abraham Edward Wood.

Abe died at the age of 27 in New Blaine Arkansas. As he helped construct a house, he was struck by lighting and killed. The house was in New Blaine on the Billy Jack Landing Road "loop", north of Roy Rollan's store. ( Note: I remember reading someone's notes about the incident on the internet but I can no longer find the article. I'll keep looking.)

Sources

• Find A Grave: Memorial #63495854 at Elizabeth Hall Cemetery
• "Family records" written by Joseph and Mary Ann's gg grandaugher Anna (Wood) Holsti , (a daughter of Byron Wood); these notes included interviews with Girtie, Virgie and Hazel Wood. Documentation probably began in the 1970s.
• Family research by Peggy (McReynolds) Sneegas; based on personal knowledge and conversations with Abe's granddaughter Georgia.
• "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3F6-DP7 : accessed 9 April 2018), Abraham Woods in household of George W Woods, Dardanelle & Delaware Townships (excl. Dardanelle town) Mt. Nebo town, Yell, Arkansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 154, sheet 17B, family 310, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,080.
• "Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQ19-PV4 : 17 October 2017), A. E. Wood and Virgie F. Allen, 21 Aug 1904; citing Marriage, , Yell, Arkansas, United States, county offices, Arkansas; FHL microfilm 1,026,822.
• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKVZ-JNJ : accessed 9 April 2018), Abraham E Work, River, Logan, Arkansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 54, sheet 1A, family 6, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 56; FHL microfilm 1,374,069.
• "Yell County Heritage" by Yell County Historical and Genealogical Association, Yell County Arkansas in 1997 Pages 622 and 623