"An Illustrated history of Baker, Grant, Malheur and Harney Counties : with a
brief outline of the early history of the state of Oregon." Chicago?: Western
Historical Pub. Co., 1902.  Page 302.  Baker County.

WILLIAM ASHWOOD

     This prosperous and progressive farmer and stock raiser is a native of the
vicinity of Mineral Point, Iowa county Wisconsin, born June 17, 1854.  He grew
to manhood there, receiving a public school education.  In the year 1876 he
crossed the plains with horses to the west and the same year he settled in
Harlan county, Nebraska, near Orleans, where he farmed during the ensuing six
years.  He then came to Baker county, purchased a farm three and a half miles
west of Haines, and again engaged in agricultural pursuits and stock raising.
He is now the owner of a fine farm of four hundred acres, all well improved, and
everywhere reflecting credit upon the industry and progressiveness of the man
whose labor brought it to its present state.  A very energetic and successful
farmer and stock raiser, Mr. Ashwood is also a deserving citizen, possessed of a
broadminded public spirit and taking a very vital interest in everything which
concerns the general welfare.  His interest in the cause of education is
manifested by his having consented to serve for six years as director of his
school district. 
     Fraternally Mr. Ashwood is affiliated with Haines Lodge, No. 11, A.O.U.W.,
and in religious persuasion he is a Methodist, his membership at present being
in the church of that denomination at Haines.  On December 24, 1878, in Harlan
county, Nebraska, our subject married Miss Kiturah, a daughter of martin and
Jane Marzolf, and a native of Mineral Point, Wisconsin.  Their union has been
blessed by the advent of four children:  James, Mary, Millie and Minnie.  Mr.
Ashwood is interested in a company composed of twelve neighbors, which owns a
threshing outfit for the use of each one on his farm.  His is also stockholder
in an irrigating company that has built a reservoir in the mountains for the
purpose of furnishing water for irrigating the farms of the neighborhood.  When
Mr. Ashwood took the farm where he now lives it was covered with sage brush and
every one prophesied that he would be obliged to abandon it.  However, he has
gone forward, attended with the success that his wisdom and skill deserve and is
to-day possessed of as fine a farm as lies in the precincts of Baker county.
Thus do wisdom, foresight and pluck overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles,
make the desert blossom as the rose and attach civilization's joys and comforts
to the once barren land of the savage.

*******************

Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in September 2005 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.