An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The
Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. 1893

SALEM WOODS, a successful farmer of Snohomish county, Washington, and a pioneer
of the Northwest, was born in Arkwright, Chautauqua county, New York, September
15, 1831. His parents were Larkin and Jerusha A. (Skinner) Woods, both worthy
and prominent people of the Empire State, who died as they had lived, enjoying
the esteem of their fellow men. The subject of this sketch, when eleven years of
age, was deprived by death of his father, and was subsequently adopted by Dr.
Gilman Kendall, a neighbor and worthy man, characterized by all the best
qualities which distinguish the human race. Young Salem remained his foster
father until the fall of 1849. In 1850, when eighteen years of age, Mr. Woods
began boating on Lake Erie, in which business he was employed two seasons. He
then went to work on the Panama Railroad, beginning in June, 1851, and after a
month was taken sick, when he was forced to abandon employment. He returned from
there to Ottawa, Illinois, and for the next two years was engaged in painting
carriages. At the end of this time, induced by the gold excitement in California
to seek his fortune in the West, he started across the plains in the spring of
1854 and reached his destination in September of the same year, after many
difficulties and hardships. The following year was passed by him in the gold
mines with varying success, after which he went to Stockton and worked for two
years in a mill. In 1858 he started for Fraser river, British Columbia, and
spent about another year in the gold diggings of that vicinity. At the end of
that time, in January, 1859, he went to Steilacoom city, Washington, and there
joined a party, hired by Philip Keach, of that town, to cut a trail from that
place to Bellingham Bay, and was engaged in this employment for five months. He
then located a claim of land, on which he resided until May, 1891. Subsequently
Mr. Woods took a homestead and later a timber claim right, thus becoming one of
the most extensive land-owners in Snohomish county. He recently built one of the
handsomest residences on the upper waters of the Snohomish river, his valuable
ranch being in keeping with this final adornment. This prosperity represents
years of labor and intelligent management, together with wise and careful
economy, and he justly deserves his success. In addition to this, he enjoys the
respect of his fellow citizens, in consequence of his uniformly upright business
methods and general courteous treatment of all with whom he comes in contact.
Mr. Woods is a man of family, having been married shortly after his arrival in
Snohomish county to one of the most worthy ladies of that vicinity. Their union
has been blessed by four children: Addie, now married to Mr. Peterson; Amarilla
C., born April 12, 1862; Nora, born December 7, 1867; and Nelson A., born
January 28, 1872. Washington has no more worthy representatives than the members
of this family, who with Mr. Woods enjoys the confidence and esteem of all
right-minded people, finding their happiness and reward in labor honorably
performed and a prevailing sense of duty done.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in January 2004 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.