Husband Hiram Woodward 1 2
Born: 2 May 1827 - White Haven, Luzerne Co, PA 3
Christened:
Died: 1894 - Penfield, Huston Twp, Clearfield Co, PA 2
Buried:
Father: Daniel Woodward (Abt 1800-1884) 4
Mother: Nancy Eiek ( -1876) 4
Marriage:
Wife Abigail Watrous 5 6
Born: - Scranton, Lackawanna Co, PA
Christened:
Died: 1889 - Penfield, Huston Twp, Clearfield Co, PA 6
Buried:
Father: Jonathan B. Watrous ( - ) 5
Mother: Matilda Moore ( - ) 5
Children
1 M George R. Woodward 5 6
Born: 1854 - White Haven, Luzerne Co, PA 6
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: [Unk] Earley ( -Bef 1913)
2 F Alice R. Woodward 5 6
Born: 1856 - White Haven, Luzerne Co, PA 6
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: James Early ( - ) 6
Spouse: Webster Comstock ( - ) 5 6
3 M William Daniel Woodward 5 6
Born: 1859 - Wilkinsburg, Allegheny Co, PA 6
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Lillian Robacker (1863- ) 6
4 M Mahlon Woodward 5
Born:
Christened:
Died: while young
Buried:
5 F Meribah Woodward 5
Born:
Christened:
Died: Bef 1898
Buried:
6 M Friend Woodward 5
Born:
Christened:
Died: Bef 1898
Buried:
General Notes: Husband - Hiram Woodward
He was educated in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, completing his education in Wyoming Seminary. He then engaged in lumbering in his native county, and in 1854 he went to Penfield as agent for Reading, Fisher & Co., lumber dealers of Williamsport, in whose employ he remained over twenty years. He settled in the dense forest and opened up a farm, clearing more than three hundred acres, which he brought to a high state of cultivation. He was indefatigable in the advancement of the interests of the town, and erected the "Penfield Hotel," besides many of the residences and other buildings in the place. There had been a post office called Penfield since 1832, and in 1856 Mr. Woodward was placed in charge; but in 1857 it was transferred to Tyler, its name being changed to that of its new location. Later it was re-established at Penfield, and Mr. Woodward was appointed postmaster a second time, in 1872. A number of other public offices were held by him, and he was county auditor for one term, beginning in 1862. In his political affiliations he was a Democrat, and he was one of the prominent advisers of the party in his locality.
As a pioneer settler, Mr. Woodward was active in establishing and encouraging religious movements, and he assisted in building various churches at Penfield.
He and John Du Bois were the parties who made the establishment of mills at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, a possible success. They cleared Bennett branch of the Sinnamahoning, and drove the first logs down the creek, and they were arrested fourteen times in one day in order to try and prevent them running logs down the stream. Cables were frequently stretched across the water to wreck the ark on the raft. Had not Mr. Woodward and Mr. Du Bois made a success of the driving of logs on the west branch of the Susquehanna, the mills for the cutting of lumber at Williamsport would have been abandoned, and the immense quantities of pine in that region would have been rafted to Port Deposit, at the mouth of the Susquehanna, and there cut up.
The Woodwards of Kane descend from a hardy pioneer lumberman, Hiram Woodward, of Welsh descent. He was born in White Haven, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, where he grew to manhood and obtained an education. Later he settled in the village of Penfield, Huston township, Clearfield County, where he died, an old man. He settled in Penfield in 1854, bought the interest of Wilson & Hoyt and began lumbering. There had been little done at Penfield prior to his coming and when Mr. Woodward informed the villagers of the number of logs he intended to "drive" they declared it impossible and threats were made on all sides against the undertaking, but nothing daunted, he persevered, put the specified number of logs in the creek and from that time forward lumbering became the principal business of Huston township, although there was much early opposition from the "Squatters" who claimed it would impoverish the township. During the winter of 1854-55 Hiram Woodward had a contract with Reading Fisher & Company to put in a large "drive" of logs and run them to market on the spring rise. The "driving" was done with a partner, John Du Bois, they following the "drive" on a raft on which a shanty was built. The opposition to logging had then reached such a stage that all sorts of obstructions were met with by the drivers. When the raft reached the "narrows," just below Caledonia, a very swift, rough and dangerous passage, they found a rope cable stretched across the stream securely fastened on both shores. Just as the raft shot under the rope Mr. Woodward managed to get over it. Mr. Du Bois attempted to cut it with a broad axe, but slipped, missing the rope. He quickly struck again and severed the cable just as it had reached the shanty, which would have been swept off the raft with a woman and three children who were in it. No damage was done, although a furious bombardment of rocks was kept up by the infuriated men on the shore. Another diabolical trick was often perpetrated, spikes being driven into the logs, ruining saws and endangering the lives of the sawyers. He was once attacked by several of the dastards, but frightened them off by pretending to be armed. But after the law had dealt with several, the trouble ceased. Mr. Woodward was a prominent Democrat and held important county offices. He continued actively interested in lumbering all his active years, then retired to Penfield. Both he and his wife were Presbyterians. [GPHNP, 285]