Cyrus Woods was born in Tennessee between 1810 and 1824. It is not known whether he was enslaved or free. But, by 1844, he was in the North. There he was made a probationary minister by the Indiana Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He never made it out of probation but he was called an Elder by his daughter Rachel Madison’s death record. In 1850, Cyrus was living in Columbus, OH, and working as a laborer.
On 21 July 1850, also in Columbus, he became the second husband of Martha J. Brown, a native of Virginia. They would have three children, to go with Martha’s four children from her first marriage. Ten years later, in 1870, the Woods family were in Martinsburgh, a village south of Mount Vernon, and Cyrus continued to work as a day laborer.
But in late June 1861, when the Civil War was just two months old, Cyrus died. Because he had died intestate, an executor’s bond had to be posted on 1 July 1861, with a former director of the County Poorhouse as one of the witnesses. Cyrus is believed to have had a pauper’s burial at the Mound View Cemetery in Mount Vernon but his grave is unmarked. His widow and her children moved back to Columbus. Today, Cyrus is best known as the father of Granville Tailer Woods, “The Black Edison”.
On 21 July 1850, also in Columbus, he became the second husband of Martha J. Brown, a native of Virginia. They would have three children, to go with Martha’s four children from her first marriage. Ten years later, in 1870, the Woods family were in Martinsburgh, a village south of Mount Vernon, and Cyrus continued to work as a day laborer.
But in late June 1861, when the Civil War was just two months old, Cyrus died. Because he had died intestate, an executor’s bond had to be posted on 1 July 1861, with a former director of the County Poorhouse as one of the witnesses. Cyrus is believed to have had a pauper’s burial at the Mound View Cemetery in Mount Vernon but his grave is unmarked. His widow and her children moved back to Columbus. Today, Cyrus is best known as the father of Granville Tailer Woods, “The Black Edison”.
Cyrus Woods was born in Tennessee between 1810 and 1824. It is not known whether he was enslaved or free. But, by 1844, he was in the North. There he was made a probationary minister by the Indiana Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He never made it out of probation but he was called an Elder by his daughter Rachel Madison’s death record. In 1850, Cyrus was living in Columbus, OH, and working as a laborer.
On 21 July 1850, also in Columbus, he became the second husband of Martha J. Brown, a native of Virginia. They would have three children, to go with Martha’s four children from her first marriage. Ten years later, in 1870, the Woods family were in Martinsburgh, a village south of Mount Vernon, and Cyrus continued to work as a day laborer.
But in late June 1861, when the Civil War was just two months old, Cyrus died. Because he had died intestate, an executor’s bond had to be posted on 1 July 1861, with a former director of the County Poorhouse as one of the witnesses. Cyrus is believed to have had a pauper’s burial at the Mound View Cemetery in Mount Vernon but his grave is unmarked. His widow and her children moved back to Columbus. Today, Cyrus is best known as the father of Granville Tailer Woods, “The Black Edison”.
On 21 July 1850, also in Columbus, he became the second husband of Martha J. Brown, a native of Virginia. They would have three children, to go with Martha’s four children from her first marriage. Ten years later, in 1870, the Woods family were in Martinsburgh, a village south of Mount Vernon, and Cyrus continued to work as a day laborer.
But in late June 1861, when the Civil War was just two months old, Cyrus died. Because he had died intestate, an executor’s bond had to be posted on 1 July 1861, with a former director of the County Poorhouse as one of the witnesses. Cyrus is believed to have had a pauper’s burial at the Mound View Cemetery in Mount Vernon but his grave is unmarked. His widow and her children moved back to Columbus. Today, Cyrus is best known as the father of Granville Tailer Woods, “The Black Edison”.
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