An Illustrated History of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties, 1902
published by Western Historical Publishing Company

Joel B. Wood

Born in Barre, Washington county, Vermont, on May 13, 1843. our subject grew to manhood there, remaining at home with his parents until twenty years old, working on the farm most of the time, but attending school at least a portion of each year. When twenty three years of age, he put into execution a project, previously formed, of trying his fortunes in the wild west, corssing the plains with mule teams, and finally coming to a halt in Eagle valley, Baker county. He remained there most of the time during the first three years of his stay in the occident, then spent a half decade in the Sparta mines, eventually coming to Pine valley, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land. Before the time arrived for making final proof, however, he sold his improvements, and purchased a quarter section a half mile east of where Pine postoffice now is, upon which he has ever since lived, engaged in general farming and raising cattle and horses.

Mr. Wood takes a quite active interest in political matters, supporting the tenets of the Republcian party. In this connection it is of interest to record that his father, Ezekiel, who lived and died in Vermont, cast his first vote for William Henry Harrison, Whig candidate for president, and his last for Benjamin Harrison. He died at the old homestead in Barre in 1889 at the age of eighty-four. Our subject's mother, Emily (Foss) Wood, likewise a native of Vermont died in the Green Mountain state at the age of sixty-six. Mr. Wood handles a goodly number of fine sheep, in addition to his other enterprises.

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