Joseph Hirst Wood, was born in Wellsville, Cache County, Utah on the 2nd of May 1876. He was the son of Mary Hirst Wood and George Wood, who had emigrated from Yorkshire, England to Utah. The Wood family emigrated in 1855 and the Hirst family 1868.
Grandfather George Wood was 16 years old when he left England with this 12-year-old brother, John; sisters, Alice and Mary and their mother, Rebecca. Their lives had been very grim after their father had left for America to make a new home for his family. He never returned for them. So when Rebecca had the opportunity to leave Slaithwaite with a group of Saints, she did. After a month’s voyage, they arrived in America. They traveled by train to St. Louis. Here they obtained a wagon and traveled across the plains by ox team, arriving in Salt Lake City, Utah late in the fall – October 24, 1855. Their trip required six months, which indicates the hardships this brave family encountered. In comparison, the Hirst family made the trip in three months.
Great-grandmother Rebecca and her family settled for a time in Murray, and then moved to Wellsville, Utah. Grandfather George was an energetic and ambitious young man. Besides farming, herding cattle and horses, he served with the Mormon men, which mobilized to keep Johnson’s army out of the valley. He also worked for the Union Pacific Railroad when it was joined with the Central Pacific Railroad at Promontory Point, Utah.
Joseph’s mother, Mary Hirst, and her family left England on June 20, 1868 with the last group of L D S emigrants to cross the ocean from England in a sailing vessel. When they arrived in New York City, they took the train as far as Fort Benton, the terminal of the railroad. They joined Captain Holman’s Company, Camp 31, which was the last company to cross the plains by ox team. They arrived in Salt Lake City in the fall of 1868 after a trip of many hardships. The Hirsts located on a ranch belonging to Dr. W. F. Anderson in Jordan, Utah. They lived here four years, and then moved to Pleasant Green, now known as Magna where the Hirsts homesteaded.
Grandfather George Wood freighted across the plains and brought back emigrants from the rail terminal. It was on one of these trips that he met Mary Hirst. He picked her from among the emigrants girls, courting her that winter and spring. They were married June 21, 1869.
George and Mary’s first home was a long cabin with a dirt floor and roof. Four of their children were born here. Later a frame house was built with two large rooms downstairs and two upstairs. As their family grew, another addition was made to the house, which gave them a comfortable home with a kitchen, living room, and four bedrooms.
Joe was the fifth child of thirteen born to Mary and George. There were five boys and eight girls: Mary Alice, George Hirst, Henry Hirst, John Hirst, Joseph Hirst, Sara Ellen, Charlotte Annie, Martha Rebecca, Ida, Ella, Margaret, William Brook, and Olive. Joe and the older children received their education in a school that was moved from time to time to different homes. A school was built in College Ward with 1 teacher. The younger children attended it.
Both Joe and Henry were baptized the same day, - June 1, 1884.
Three of Mary and George’s children died before reaching adulthood. Martha Rebecca lived only eight hours. Charlotte Annie died when she was 17 hears old and their youngest son, William Brook, died of Diphtheria on January 18, 1902 when he was 12 years old. His death was a great tragedy to his parents. All of the older boys were married and had left home. Grandfather George was 64 years old by this time and lost any desire to continue farming.
As young men, Joseph and John had a freighting outfit that started in Corrinne, Utah near Ogden. They freighted north through Dillon, Montana to Three Forks, Montana that was a major junction of the railroad coming through the country. A picture taken about 1895 in Dillon shows John and Joe and their big freight wagon. They had a six horse team with John astride “Old Babe” and Joe up on the freight wagon.
John married a Montana girl, Lula Kirkpatrick, from Three Forks. They were married in Billings, Montana in 1901. Joe, too, married a Montana girl in 1901. He married my mother, Sarah Alberta Wallace. They were married July 17, 1901 in Anaconda, Montana. They were married by, Frank Kennedy, Justice of the Peace. Her mother, Martha E. Wallace and a man by the name of Charles E Bates were witnesses. John and his wife returned to Logan to live. Their first child was born here. Joe and Sarah returned to Wellsville.
In the spring of 1902 George and Henry moved to the beautiful Snake River Valley. They were attracted there by the unlimited acres of open rangeland in Idaho. They took three weeks herding their cattle, leading their horses behind the two wagons loaded with their possessions. Later their families joined them in Burton.
Joe and Sarah returned to the farm to help farm the place. They moved into the house Grandfather George and Henry had built for Henry’s family, which had been recently vacated by them. This was in 1902. It was a nice little house with 2 rooms, a pantry and a clothes closet. It was in this house that Martha Arvilla Wallace Wood was born May 6, 1903. Bishop Evan R. Owen blessed her June 7, 1903. They stayed on the farm until 1904 when Grandfather George Wood sold the farm to Joe Parkinson for $5000. Grandfather moved his family to Logan.
Grandfather always seemed willing to help his children. This time he hired a railroad boxcar to help Joe and John move all the farm equipment, horses, machinery, harnesses and all the other equipment to Rexburg. He asked Alice if she would like to go. When she agreed, they put her furniture and belongings in the boxcar too. John and Joe used the freight wagons to move and load the equipment into the boxcar. All rode in the caboose at the end of the train and Ida went along, too. They arrived in Rexburg about dusk. They went to the home of Great-aunt Mary Wood Wilson (Grandfathers George’s sister) who was living at Wilson, Wyoming and her house was empty. They cleaned it up a bit, and beds were made on the floor for the group. They stayed at the Wilson home until they were settled in their own homes.
Henry and George H. each bought farms on their arrival in Idaho. George H. bought 80 acres of the Sam Hall farm and Henry bough a farm joining it on the east. George H. eventually bought another 40 acres across the Texas Slough. When John came in 1904 he bought a farm joining this. Joe bought 40 acres* three miles west of Rexburg. Viona was born here May 14, 1905. Bob Cantwell, my cousin, was staying with my parents then. He said, “How well I remember that big night.” It was he who went to get Mrs. Watts, the midwife who took care of my mother and me.
It was interesting to learn some of the history of this 40-acre farm*. Otto A. Gustavson, who received his patent March 29, 1890, had homesteaded it. Joe bought it from Mr. Thomas Clegg, aided by his brother George H. who gave a bond for deed.
My mother, Sarah, left my father when I was one year old and Arvilla 3 years old. My father was not home when she left. She said that she turned all the stock loose so none would suffer from lack of water or feed. There may have been a touch of temper showing, too. I thought she had driven the team and buggy to catch the train but was relieved to learn she had Carl Jensen driver her from the Burton store to Thornton. He took care of the team, returning it to the Burton Store. His brother, Henry, witnessed a photo-static copy of the divorce obtained by Joe from Sarah on March 9, 1907 in St. Anthony.
Two days later, March 11, 1907 Joe was married to Margaret Hill Gunnell of Burton, formerly of Wellsville. She was born December 28, 1884, daughter of George B. and Janett Hill Gunnell. Maggie, as we called her, was baptized May 2, 1894, endowed February 19, 1908, and sealed to her husband February 19, 1908 in the Logan Temple. They lived on the 40-acre farm 3 miles west of Rexburg. Maggie worked very hard and was an excellent housekeeper. Loyal lived with Maggie and Joe. They adopted a daughter, Eileen, who was born March 13, 1914. I could not find a record of her being sealed to her parents at the Logan Temple.
Eileen married Theodore C. Emerson of Denver, Colorado. Ted worked on construction so they moved about a great deal and several times worked in the Sheridan, Wyoming area. We were happy to be together when ever we could arrange it. Eileen died November 18, 1953 at Strasburg, Colorado. She was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery in Denver, Colorado on November 21, 1953.
In the history of Rexburg and vicinity received from the Idaho Historical Society, it stated that the first company of emigrants, who came to Rexburg after the preliminary arrangements were made, was composed of a group that included Francis C. Gunnell of Wellsville. On March 14, 1883, Henry Flamm and Francis C. Gunnell were set apart as Bishop Rick’s’ counselors. He could have been the grandfather or uncle of Maggie.
A tragic thing happened to Joe and Maggie while Joe was away from home. The big barn caught fire and burned with some of his horses including the big stallion. It nearly killed Maggie trying to get the horses out of the barn. The neighbors tried to help but it was a terrible loss.
Joe had a great love for horses. He owned four stallions through this life. One was named Spring, another a dark gray, and one named Even was black. He may have had two Percherons, a Shire, and a Hamilton. He was always trading and dealing and of course breeding them. He always road a beautiful horse where ever he went. He wore a black hat and had a black mustache. He was very dark. Some said that he was a “Black Englishman”. He was about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed about 155 or 160 pounds. He had deep-set brown eyes, bushy eyebrows, and full lips. He stood very straight and set his horse very erect. He was a fine looking man.
Maggie passed away in October 1916 and is buried in the Burton Cemetery.
Aunt Alice took out a homestead about 2 ½ or 3 miles southeast of Rexburg. Joe built a cabin, plowed part of the land and planted grain and fenced it all in. Joe was to get 80 acres for his share while Alice would live on it and prove up on it. Joe had horses in the farm pasture. After Alice had proved up on the land she sold her share to Joe Sorenson, a carpenter from Rexburg. The deal was that he would build a frame house for Alice. I do not know what Joe did with his 80 acres.
Joe was married to Ida Oly Meyers, October 2, 1918 at Idaho Falls. They too, made their home on the 40 acre farm 3 miles west of Rexburg. Eileen and Loyal shared this home with them. Joseph Merlin (Bud) was born here October 1, 1919 and Ida Ruby on September 2, 1921. I came to Rexburg about August 1920 – The summer after Bud was born, thrilled that I had a brother. I remember the place on the Snake River as Eileen and I would wade in the river on hot days. They had a hay ranch and the family lived here in the summer, returning to the 40-acre farm for the winter. Ida cooked for as many as 12 men in the haying season. When I was there I had a taste of this. Ida was in town a few days at her mother’s and I cooked for a harvest crew of some kind. Joe bought bread in town. To get the dishes done, clean the kitchen, plan the next meal, prepare the meal and serve seemed like an impossible task. It was really Bob Cantwell that got me through it. He would come in from the field early and help me get the meal on the table. Another thing I remember is the enormous amount of peaches Ida was canning and the peach preserves she put in crocks. The family used to go to Brigham, Utah to pick fruit. They would spend a night with Aunt Ida and her family. The family always looked to this trip.
I enjoyed my stay with my father and his family and appreciated the family life they had. I think Joe had difficulty in accepting me as his daughter as I did in accepting him as my father. I do not recall that I had known that I had a father living previous to this visit. My memories were of stepfathers, a foster father, grandmother, my aunt and other people taking care of me. I lived with my mother the year I graduated from the 8th grade. They must have made some arrangement for me to come to Rexburg. Ida was very good to me. She was a young mother with four children in here home of different parentage: Loyal, Eileen, Bud and me and she managed it very well. Ida was only six years older than me and it may have been that which made my father decide I should go back to my mother.
Returning to Sheridan, I found my mother had moved to Des Moines, Iowa. Arvilla helped me get a job for the balance of the winter. Then I got a job working for the Harry Churchill family for my room and board and attend high school. I married Edward N. Shellinger July 17, 1923 and graduated from high school in 1925. I took Norman Training during my last year in high school. I returned to see my father when my three children were small. It was during the depression. It cost Joe more to harvest his potatoes then he could get for them so he was feeding them to his stock. He seemed glad to see me and seemed delighted with his grandchildren.
Sarah died June 29, 1929 in the hospital at Wallace, Idaho. She was 45 years of age. She was buried in the Odd Fellows Cemetery at Mullen, Idaho July 2, 1929. She had Brights Disease, a kidney ailment.
When I started on this history I puzzled over the problem of homesteading. Why didn’t my father homestead? His father homestead, his 3 brothers homesteaded as did his sister Alice. Surely the era of the homestead was on to stir the imagination. After much research we traced some the land transactions.
Gladys Randall learned from two friends of Joe’s – Carl Byrne and Carl Jensen – that Joe applied for a homestead about the time his brothers did, bordering on Moody Creek about 1 ¼ miles up Moody Creek from the Elbow on the west side of the canyon. He was about ½ mile north of her Dad’s – George H.’s place – where Seth Wood’s dry farm house now stands. Instead of proving up on it, he relinquished and sold to Artez Bryne, brother of Carl.
Later, Joe purchased 240 acres** on the west side of the North Dry Farm Butte, which is about half way between town and Moody Creek. Court House records show he sold this in April, 1916 to Harvey Summers, who is Maggie’s brother –in-law.
From the Federal Land Office in Boise we learned Joseph H. Wood made a homestead entry*** August 12, 1912. He received title May 19, 1916. The place was called Camas Meadows. It was east of Hamer on Grassy Ridge. Harvey Summers had a homestead beside that of Joe’s. Joe traded his 240 acres near the Buttes for Harvey’s homestead giving Joe 320 acres on Camas Meadows. Joe had many cattle and needed pasture. In 1920 Joe filed an additional entry that was rejected.
Joe had the Bigler place on the North Fork of the Sank River where he raised hay. He used the Camas Meadows homestead to pasture his cattle in the spring. In the summer he kept his cattle on the forest reserve, hiring a man to herd them. In 1920 weather conditions became so bad that crops were poor. There was very little rainfall, it was hot and sultry and the winds blew for days. In the winter of 1921-22 there was a severe winter and there was a shortage of feed for the cattle. Hay went to $40.00 a ton, resulting eventually in the loss of the Snake River hay ranch, Camas Meadows, the original 40-acre farm and the cattle. One wonders how a person could start all over again after a disaster like that.
Loyal was 18 and left about this time.
Joe bought 40 acres in 1922 in Burton where the rest of the children were born: Bertha Arzella, George Earl, Mary Ruth, Henry, Jacob Dwain, and Arlan Blair. This house was a four-room house with no upstairs. He bought an 80-acre place, too, adjacent to the George Gunnell place. He raised potatoes, wheat, and hay. He also raised stallions and they milked about 15 cows at times. He loved cattle and horses and through the years his interest was more in raising them than in dirt farming.
One year all of the families – George Wood, George Thornley, and Joe Wood – went to Yellowstone Park. They camped at Great-aunt Mary Wood Wilson’s ranch at Wilson, Wyoming. They stayed there about a week and camped on their property down by the river. The Wilson’s took them fishing every day. Aunt Ida was frightened by the road so she got into Joe’s car, a Model A Ford, to ride with him. Every time they went around a curve he would blow his horn to warn any approaching cars.
Joe seemed a very stern and strict man although he was very generous and cheerful with his family. Aunt Alice had asthma, as did Joe. He never went to town that he didn’t go to see her. He also would visit his brother, George H. His son, George, would always have a wrestling match with his uncle on the front lawn.
Arvilla passed away in Tulare, California, October 31, 1960. She was diabetic and was blind at the time of her death. I met Ruby in Los Angeles and she drove me to Visalia. The funeral was held in Broaks Funeral Home in Visalia. Her children Hubert, Essie, Wonita, and Kathleen were all there. Officiating was Bishop LeGrand B. Brown. It took the funeral procession about ½ hour to get to Woodlake Cemetery. We drove through orange groves climbing all the time toward the high Sierras. It was a small cemetery in a small town. It was a peaceful place. Her husband’s family lived in the area. Her four children, 16 grandchildren and one great-grand child survive Arvilla.
Eileen had promised to come visit with her husband, Ted in 1937. Joe had very much looked forward to her visit but he passed away before she came. Joe and Ida went to George H.’s house when both he was very sick. George was in the hospital suffering from a stroke, which paralyzed him almost completely. Johnny, George H.’s son was very ill in the hospital too. Ida had been taking Joe to the doctor in Idaho Falls several times a week. Our father died December 19, 1936. George H., his son Johnny, and our father died within a few weeks of one another.
Our father, Joseph’s funeral service was held December 22, 1936 in the Burton Ward Chapel and buried in the Burton cemetery. All his children were there except Arvilla.
Ida and her family continued to live on the farm until 1939 when they moved to Pocatello, Idaho where they built a home.
Ruby moved to Los Angeles, California prior to this. In the following months and years other members of the family visited in California and began making plans to resettle in the area. By 1954 all of Ida and Joe’s family had moved to the Los Angeles area.