William Henry Woods [RG1074.AM]

HISTORY NEBRASKA MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID



RG1074.AM:  William Henry Woods, 1839-1927



Papers:  1864-1927

Fort Calhoun, Washington County, Nebraska:  Journalist, historian

Size:  5.0 cu.ft.; 10 boxes + oversize



BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE



William Henry Woods was born in England, and was brought to America in 1849 because of poor health.  He was orphaned in 1850 and made his way as a printer’s devil, boot black, or stable boy.  In 1861 he enlisted in Company B, 10th Missouri Infantry, where he was given medical training.  He married in 1863, and was discharged from the Army in 1864.  Then he worked as a drug store clerk, and got into mission and YMCA work.  Between 1870 and 1872, he was a circuit rider around Ft. Calhoun.  In the early 1880’s he seems to have gone into journalism and, at the urging of Governor Furnas, began his study of Ft. Atkinson.  He wrote a series of articles on pioneer history and was recognized as an authority on early Nebraska.  Woods died on February 8, 1927 and was buried in the Fort Calhoun Cemetery.



SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE



This collection consists of ten manuscript boxes of material consisting mainly of information accumulated by William Henry Woods for his newspaper column, “Pioneer Days.”  Also included are various materials relating to people and events around Washington County.  There is a great deal of information in letters and clippings concerned with the history and location of Fort Atkinson.



Correspondents include: Jacob Adriance, 1919; Robert J. Burdette, 1902, 1905, 1913; Lorenzo Crounse, 1906; Eugene Fontanelle, 1915, 1918-1919; Robert W. Furnas, 1902; John Goss, 1905-1906, 1909; Gilbert M. Hitchcock, 1903, 1910-1911; Robert R. Latta, 1919; Charles S. Lobingier, 1902-1905; Nellie Magee, 1913; Samuel R. McKelvie, 1921; Roscoe Pound, 1904; Charles W. Pool, 1916; and A.E. Sheldon.



INVENTORY



Box 1

Folder




    1. Correspondence, 1874-1906

    1. Correspondence, 1907-1911

    1. Correspondence, 1912-1918

    1. Correspondence, 1919-1927

    1. Correspondence, undated and fragments

    1. Diary/register, 1898-1899

    1. Diary/register, 1908-1909, 1915-1917

      Diary/register, 1908-1910, 1922

    1. Diary/register, 1909-1923

      Diary/register, 1909-1910, 1918-1926



Box 2

Folder




    1. Diary/register, 1910-1915

      Diary/register, 1912-1915

    1. Diary/register, 1912-1921

      Diary/register, 1913-1922

      Diary/register, 1921

    1. Diary/register, 1921-1923

      Diary/register, 1923-1925

      Diary/register, 1925

    1. Diary/register, 1925-1926

      Diary/register, 1926-1927



Box 3

Folder




    1. Autobiographical information, W.H. Woods and Woods family

    1. Civil War reminiscences and clippings

    1. Washington County Centennial Association minutes, 1921

    1. Biographical sketches and notes, including:

      Black, Isaac

      Cruickshank, James A. and wife (poem read at their 66th wedding anniversary)

      Kountze, Herman

      McMullen, Adam

      Montrieul, Joseph

    1. Historical notes (used in “Pioneer History” column)

    1. Scrapbook, 1889, Jan.-1890, May

    1. Scrapbook, 1890



Box 4

Item




    1. Scrapbook, 1890, May-1891, Aug.

    1. Scrapbook, 1891, Aug.-1894, Nov.



Box 5

Item




    1. Scrapbook, ca. 1898-1901

    1. Scrapbook, “Veter’n,” 1902-1924

    1. Scrapbook, “Pioneer History for Schools, 1912-1915

    1. Scrapbook, “Pioneer History for Schools – D.A.R.,” 1912-1915

    1. Scrapbook, “Officers’ Graves,” 1914

    1. Scrapbook, “Fort Cal City,” ca. 1915-1923

    1. Scrapbook, “D.A.R. 2,” 1916

    1. Scrapbook, “Pioneer History 2,” 1916-1917



Box 6

Item




    1. Scrapbook, “Pioneer History – D.A.R. 3,” 1917

    1. Scrapbook, “Fort,” 1918

    1. Scrapbook, “A War Album,” ca. 1919

    1. Scrapbook, “D.A.R. – W. Hist.,” 1919

    1. Scrapbook, “D.A.R.,” 1920

    1. Scrapbook, “Woods History & C.,” ca. 1905-1916

    1. Scrapbook, “D.A.R.,” 1922-1923



Box 7

Item




    1. Scrapbook, “Cannon, 1920 – Depot Celebration”

    1. Scrapbook, ca. 1922-1926

    1. Scrapbook, “D.A.R., 1924”

    1. Scrapbook, “Feb. 15-1924”

    1. Scrapbook, “Apr. 1924”



Box 8

Item




    1. Scrapbook, “D.A.R., Jul. 11, 1924”

    1. Scrapbook, “D.A.R., Nov. 7, 1924”

    1. Scrapbook, “PION.,” ca. 1924

    1. Scrapbook, “D.A.R., Jan. 16, 1925”

    1. Scrapbook, “D.A.R., May 6, 1925”

    1. Scrapbook, “May 8, 1925”

    1. Scrapbook, “Fontenelle, 1925”

    1. Scrapbook, “Old Fort, 1925”

    1. Scrapbook, “1926 Woods”

    1. Scrapbook, “Woods, July 30, 1926”

    1. Scrapbook, “D.A.R., November 1926”

    1. Scrapbook, 1924 (see oversize)



Box 9

Folder




    1. Newspaper clippings

    1. Newspaper clippings

    1. Newspaper clippings

    1. Newspaper clippings

    1. Newspaper clippings

    1. Blair High School – events, programs, etc.

    1. Business cards, calling cards, etc.



Box 10

Folder




    1. Certificates

    1. Douglas County Veterans’ Association

    1. Elections/politics

    1. Fort Calhoun – events, programs, meetings, etc.

    1. Fort Calhoun/Fort Atkinson Centennial, 1919

    1. Fort Calhoun Historical Association

    1. Invitations – weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, commencements, etc.

    1. McKeith, Rev. George R.

    1. Nebraska Academy of Sciences

    1. Nebraska and Washington County

    1. Rally Day

    1. Territorial warrants

    1. Washington County – meetings, events, programs, etc.

    1. Washington County Pioneers and Old Settlers Association

    1. Washington County Veteran Association

    1. Miscellaneous



 



Subject headings:



Adriance, Jacob, 1835-1922

Burdette, Robert J.

Crounse, Lorenzo, 1834-1909

Fontenelle Family

Fontenelle, Eugene, 1863-1944

Fort Atkinson (Nebraska) — History

Fort Calhoun (Nebraska) — History

Frontier and pioneer life

Furnas, Robert Wilkinson, 1824-1905

Goss, John Q., 1827-1918

Hitchcock, Gilbert Monell, 1859-1934

Journalists — Nebraska

Lobingier, Charles Sumner, 1866-

Magee, Nellie Throop, 1874-1964

McKelvie, Samuel Roy, 1881-1956

Pound, Roscoe, 1870-1964

Pool, Charles Wesley, 1856-1930

Sheldon, Addison Erwin, 1861-1943

Washington County (Nebraska) — History

Woods, William Henry, 1839-1927



 



WFS/HEK/js            08-31-1965

TMM                      02-27-2017

 

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