Collection number: MS 301
Size:
(1 file)
(0.01 cu. ft. cu.ft.)
About The Wood Family, Ossipee NH
The Wood family of Ossipee New Hampshire included parents William Wood son of John and Abigail (1804-1881), Mary Ann (Veasey or Avery) Wood daughter of Nathaniel and Sarah Twombly (1809-1864), and their children. Children included George W. Wood (ca. 1838-1920), Hannah A. Wood (1842-1858), Zachary/Zacharia Wood, Annie (Wood) Lear (sp?), and Elizabeth "Lizzie" Wood.
About the Letters
The 9 letters are written from family members to George W. Wood. They detail family and local news, births and deaths, the Civil War, and George's travels to California, as well as mentions of a local African American man working for the family as a farm laborer. Names and subjects mentioned include:
- 1857, April 27. Selectmen of the town of Ossipee, letter attesting to the good character of George W. Wood. Signed Joseph Q. Roles, Luther Young, Jacob F. Brown, Samuel R. Farmer yeoman.
- 1857, August. Annie L or P (Wood) Lear (sp?) to "darling brother" George. Family/community news, including mentions of Neddie Pike and a Dr. Blake.
- 1858, January 25. Long letter from Hannah A. Wood to her brother George, dated several months before Hannah died. Family news, singing schools in Ossipee (two), an unnamed African American man doing field work for the family, parties, Lydia Roles, Hannah Lord.
- 1862, Mary Wood to her son George. Relates the plight of Mary Ann Plourd of Ossipee, whose husband mortgaged their farm to the hilt and then deserted her and the children. The "Little Read fellow" has died in the Civil War, sister Hannah Wood is sick, mentions African American field laborer. Also named are Samuel Quarles, John Peavy, Joseph Nicoals and brother, and the 9th New Hampshire Regiment.
- 1863, January 16, Zachary Wood to brother George. Mentions Cordealia Goldsmith, Leida Roles' marriage to Howard Frost, Hannah Lord, Albert Lord, John Peary, Bird Abbott, and Charles Wood.
- 186-, Mary Wood to her son George. Mary tells her son not to go to San Francisco to search for gold, that Horance Wood is married and has one child, and that the New Hampshire draft is not yet on. The last item dates the letter to 1863-5.
- 186-, Elizabeth "Lizzie" to brother George and a sister. This letter is addressed to "George W. Wood, New River, Trinity County, California." Discusses the war, and mentions that Charles Abbott has died in Kentucky (part of the Wood family may have emigrated north from Kentucky).
- 1884, August 3, Mary Wood to son George. Apologizes for not attending George's marriage due to the farm work, relates family news, mentions Hannah Pearry, deaths of Charles Abbott and Daniel Walker.
- 1910, April 18. Letter from Inez and Frank Jacobs (Areata California) to George Wood (Farmington, N.H.).
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
This collection is open.
Copyright Notice
Contents of this collection are governed by U.S. copyright law. For questions about publication or reproduction rights, contact Special Collections staff.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Folder 1, Box 29, Wood Family Letters, 1857-1910, MS 301, Milne Special Collections and Archives, University of New Hampshire Library, Durham, NH, USA.
Acquisitions Information
Purchase, 2020
Separated Material
No material was separated during processing, but there were probably originally more letters.
Collection Arrangement
Arrangement is chronological.
