I think that this William Henry may be the John Henry spoke of in this narrative (birth/death dates are the same), also WH had a son named John Henry, so maybe that was the confusion:
"In the spring of 1840 Henry Wood and a friend, Posey Freeman explored the North Fork hills in search of land to be homesteaded. At that time the Shawnee Indians guarded that stream as their hunting ground. There was an abundance of game-deer, bear, elk, wild turkey and fish. Returning to the Meremac they loaded their families and household goods into oxcarts and headed for the North Fork hills. It took 25 days to make their way back through the wilderness to the settlement where they established their first camp March 10, 1840. J. H. Wood (sic) was born that same fall and was the first white child born in that area. . . .
"John Henry Wood (sic). . .was the first white child born on North Fork and lived his entire life, 86 years on the same creek (1926)... [in 1898] HW Wood died in the home of his son John Henry" (sic).
[from White River Valley Historical Quarterly, Vol 9, No 1, Fall 1985 - "The Early Settlement of The North Fork Area in the Eastern Part of Douglas County, Missouri", contributed by Ray Lovan]
"In the spring of 1840 Henry Wood and a friend, Posey Freeman explored the North Fork hills in search of land to be homesteaded. At that time the Shawnee Indians guarded that stream as their hunting ground. There was an abundance of game-deer, bear, elk, wild turkey and fish. Returning to the Meremac they loaded their families and household goods into oxcarts and headed for the North Fork hills. It took 25 days to make their way back through the wilderness to the settlement where they established their first camp March 10, 1840. J. H. Wood (sic) was born that same fall and was the first white child born in that area. . . .
"John Henry Wood (sic). . .was the first white child born on North Fork and lived his entire life, 86 years on the same creek (1926)... [in 1898] HW Wood died in the home of his son John Henry" (sic).
[from White River Valley Historical Quarterly, Vol 9, No 1, Fall 1985 - "The Early Settlement of The North Fork Area in the Eastern Part of Douglas County, Missouri", contributed by Ray Lovan]
I think that this William Henry may be the John Henry spoke of in this narrative (birth/death dates are the same), also WH had a son named John Henry, so maybe that was the confusion:
"In the spring of 1840 Henry Wood and a friend, Posey Freeman explored the North Fork hills in search of land to be homesteaded. At that time the Shawnee Indians guarded that stream as their hunting ground. There was an abundance of game-deer, bear, elk, wild turkey and fish. Returning to the Meremac they loaded their families and household goods into oxcarts and headed for the North Fork hills. It took 25 days to make their way back through the wilderness to the settlement where they established their first camp March 10, 1840. J. H. Wood (sic) was born that same fall and was the first white child born in that area. . . .
"John Henry Wood (sic). . .was the first white child born on North Fork and lived his entire life, 86 years on the same creek (1926)... [in 1898] HW Wood died in the home of his son John Henry" (sic).
[from White River Valley Historical Quarterly, Vol 9, No 1, Fall 1985 - "The Early Settlement of The North Fork Area in the Eastern Part of Douglas County, Missouri", contributed by Ray Lovan]
"In the spring of 1840 Henry Wood and a friend, Posey Freeman explored the North Fork hills in search of land to be homesteaded. At that time the Shawnee Indians guarded that stream as their hunting ground. There was an abundance of game-deer, bear, elk, wild turkey and fish. Returning to the Meremac they loaded their families and household goods into oxcarts and headed for the North Fork hills. It took 25 days to make their way back through the wilderness to the settlement where they established their first camp March 10, 1840. J. H. Wood (sic) was born that same fall and was the first white child born in that area. . . .
"John Henry Wood (sic). . .was the first white child born on North Fork and lived his entire life, 86 years on the same creek (1926)... [in 1898] HW Wood died in the home of his son John Henry" (sic).
[from White River Valley Historical Quarterly, Vol 9, No 1, Fall 1985 - "The Early Settlement of The North Fork Area in the Eastern Part of Douglas County, Missouri", contributed by Ray Lovan]
Inscription
William H. Wood
Nov 12, 1840 - Oct 3, 1926
(buried beside his wife Susan)
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