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27 November 1896: Emily Ann Frazier letter to Jane Wood Frazier Patterson
Transcribed Letter: Valley? Farm Nov 27th 1896 Dear Jane, You must not think that I am going to tell you anything new or strange because I write. That would be out of my power. You have lived here and know how little news reaches here. I send you two newspapers the only ones I have seen since I came here except a Dutch paper sent her to Mr. Wickeland as it will not be very interesting to you or I, I will give it to Mr. Frazier for gun wadding. I think we will hear more news now as there is a regular mail to Fort Graham once a week. …
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26 January 1880: William Riddell to his sister, Isabella Riddell Wood
Transcribed Letter: Wellgreen 26th January 1880 My Dear Sister, I received your letter of 16th Agust 79/ all right and was glad to see you were all well once more, as you say the time is uncertain, it will not be long that we will have the priviledge of writing to one another in this world, but I hope we are all Trusting in Jessus Christ, so that when our latter End does come we may all meet in a Better world, and meet with those who are gone Before, to Dwell for ever with he Lord, this is a world of sin and Sorrow and triles, but if we…
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May 7, 1853: Margaret Riddell Letter to Her Sister, Isabella Riddell Wood
Y’all owe me big for this one. Not only is is difficult to read, but dear Aunt Margaret used inventive spelling, wrong punctuation, and random acts of capitalization. Bless her heart. Cobourgh Place, Sighthill January 7th, 1853 Dear Sister, I hop you wil excuse me for not writing before this time to you. It is wonderful how the time slips by in the worald, I am hapy to inform you that My Mother is just about her usewall way for health although she is very frail. She cannot walk through the house without me supporting her by the wone side and she cannot turn herself in her bed, I put…
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28 October 1862 Near Little Rock, Arkansas: John Wood to Mother Isabella Wood
John Wood writes a short letter to his mother letting her know that he is well and that everyone with his are well. Evidently, they have captured some Union soldiers and are sending them to Little Rock. Transcription: October the 28, 1862 Mrs. Wood, I have taken the opportunity of writing you a few lines to let you know that I am well at present all the boys is well the arcansas taken 80 yanks the other day. We are sending the yanks to Little Rock every day. I must bring my letter to a close John Wood
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The Colony of Kent
The Colony of Kent The failed Colony of Kent is a fascinating part of the Woods’ story. It was here, we believe, that they meant to settle. We are basing this on a couple of bits of information. One, Lt. (or Capt.) Charles Finch MacKenzie was in charge of leading their group of settlers. The Colony of Kent articles included here both indicate that MacKenzie was still engaged with that endeavor when the Woods arrived in the spring of 1851. Also, the Wood family were taken to Fort Graham, very near the site of the failing/failed colony. The news article below by John Banta indicated that “within a year” the…
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A Long Way From Home: The Elisha Smith Wyman Story
Elisha Smith Wyman It is a long way from Maine to Texas, and yet, that is the path of the life Elisha Smith Wyman. He was born in Livermore, Androscoggin, Maine on May 15, 1811. His parents were Thomas and Susannah Smith Wyman. On August 8, 1833, he enlisted in the U. S. Army in Boston, Massachusetts for a three-year term. By 1846, Elisha Smith Wyman had made his home in present day Hill County. What we know of his military career comes from his enlistment records. Wyman was stationed at Ft. Gibson, Oklahoma in May of 1836. On November 2, 1836, he was at Camp Nacogdoches, Texas. Wyman enrolled…
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Isabella Wood’s Letter Describing Their Journey to Texas
Click here to be taken to the Heart of Texas Tales website where the images of the original letter are found. Copy Mrs. Wood’s Letter Received Oct. 1851 Sent away an answer to Mrs. Wood Letter on the 27 Oct 1851 Copy Mrs. Wood’s Letter Ft. Grame Texas America 1st Sept 1851 Dear Mr. & Mrs. Smith. No doubt it will alarm you My writing in place of Mrs. Park, your daughter who died on the 15 June at a Mr. Lamb’s in Leon county on their way up the country 30 miles from the place where I was taken sick and three of my family. They thought me…
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James & Isabella Wood and Family
James and Isabella Wood Scottish immigrants, James and Isabella Wood, arrived in Texas in 1851. They, and their children, contributed to the success of Hill County and are an important part of Texas frontier history. James Wood (b. 1799) and Isabella Riddell (b. 1806) married in 1830. They had ten children. One child, James (their first son to be named James, another would follow) drowned in their native land of Scotland. When they immigrated to Texas in 1851, they traveled with their nine children: Margaret (b. 1831), Jane Mason (b. 1832), Hugh (b. 1834), Isabella (b. 1835), Christina (b. 1836), Martha (b. 1838), John (b. 1841), Jeanette (b. 1848),…