History of Lee County, Illinois - Bushnell Historical Society

114 HISTORY OF LEE COUNTY
He has always remained a resident of this county and enjoys an
enviable reputation as one of its popular, progressive and enterprising
young men.
LEWIS WOOD.
Lewis Wood, a veteran of the Civil war, living retired after
forty-four years in the service of the Northwestern Railroad Com-
pany, was born in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, May 14, 1848.
He is a son of James and Melissa (Vosburg^ Wood, natives of
Pennsylvania, who came to Illinois in 1852, and located in Ogle
county, where the father served as foreman in the construction of
a dam across the Rock river at Oregon, Illinois. Both passed
away in this state. To their union were born eleven children,
the subject of this review being the eighth in the order of
birth.
Lewis Wood remained with his parents imtil 1864, when he
ran away from home and joined the union army, enlisting in the
One Hundred and Fortieth Illinois Voliinteer Infantry under
Captain George Turkenton. He was one of six brothers who
served the imion during the conflict and all came out of the serv-
ice alive. Lewis Wood was mustered out with honorable discharge
at Chicago, Illinois, and immediately returned home, where
he remained until 1867. Two years later he entered the service
of the Northwestern Railroad Company and for forty-four years
and five months thereafter remained connected with this corpor-
ation, rendering his employers efficient, conscientious and capable
service. He became known as one of the most reliable men in the
employ of the company and in the course of years won the con-
fidence and regard of his superiors and the good-will of his associates.
Mr. Wood draws a pension of seventeen dollars and
seventeen cents a month from the Northwestern Railroad and
also fifteen dollars a month from the government, as a veteran of
the Ci'sdl war. He owns a comfortable residence in the village of
Ashton and is here spending his retired life, being widely and
favorably known in the community.
In 1867 Mr. Wood was imited in marriage to Miss Susan Moot,
a native of Canada, and a daughter of Silas and Theresa Moot,
also natives of the Dominion. The parents came to the United
States in 1863, locating in Lee county, Illinois, where both passed