HORACE V. WOOD
Horace V. Wood, a native of New England and a scion of one of the staunch old Colonial families of that historic cradle of much of our national history, was little more than a boy when he came to California and here numbered himself as a pioneer of the year 1850. With the passing years he made his character and ability count in constructive business enterprise, and he was one of the substantial citizens and representative men of affairs in San Francisco at the time of his death, in 1886.
Mr. Wood was born at Freedom, New Hampshire, on the 9th of June 1837, and much of his early education was acquired in the schools of Boston, Massachusetts. He was a lad of only thirteen years at the time of his arrival in San Francisco, in 1850, he having made the voyage around Cape Horn, having passed 161 days on shipboard and having encountered many hardships while on this memorable voyage. The New England youth had the distinction of driving the first water wagon in San Francisco, and it may be inferred that he made the vehicle more popular than the modern “waterwagon” is to the topers of ante-prohibition days. As a boy he delivered to citizens pure drinking water and received for the same 25 cents a bucket. The well from which he obtained his supplies was then the only one in the town, and it is interesting to record that this pioneer well is still in existence and renders good service upon demand.
Finally Mr. Wood made his way to the gold fields, where active mining operations were in progress, but he soon returned to San Francisco and entered the employ of the firm of Pope & Talbott, engaged in the wholesale lumber trade. Later he engaged in the wholesale and retail meat business, and in this line of enterprise he won substantial success, his connection therewith having continued until his death, at the age of forty-nine years. He held membership in the Congregational Church, his wife having been a communicant of the Catholic Church, and he was affiliated with the Masonic fraternity.
The year 1861 recorded the marriage of Mr. Wood and Miss Anna Lunney, who was born in Ireland and who survived him by a score of years, she having continued to maintain her home in San Francisco until her death in 1907. The only child of this union is Mary B., who was born and reared in San Francisco, where her home is at 1187 Green Street. Miss Mary B. Wood became the wife of Stephen C. Glover, who likewise was born and reared in California and who became a popular member of Niantic Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West. Mr. Glover was graduated from the law department of the University of California, and thereafter continued in the practice of his profession until his death, which occurred in 1913, at Phoenix, Arizona. In his practice he gained success and high repute, his professional work having been largely in the adjusting and settling of estates. He was a communicant of the Catholic Church, as is also his widow, and is not survived by children.
Source: History of the San Francisco Bay Region Vol. 3 page 97 by Millard. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc. 1924.
Louise E. Shoemaker, Transcriber 11/14/2003