The subject of this sketch is a man of courage, self-reliance and of the
utmost integrity of purpose, as a result of which he has, during his entire
life stood high in the estimation of his neighbors and friends and is
therefore deserving of a place in this book.
H. N. Woodward was born
in Des Moines county, Iowa, in 1855, the son of Abner M. and Silvia (Scogin)
Woodward. His paternal grandfather was born in New Jersey. He moved to Ohio
and devoted his life to farming. Like all his people, he was a Quaker in his
religious affiliations. Grandmother Scogin was born in Kentucky, and lived
to be eighty-two years old, rearing a large family of fifteen children. She
was twice married. Grandfather Scrogin was born in November in the memorable
year in our country's history 1812.
The father of the subject of this
sketch was born in Ohio and received his early education in the public
schools there and after that he received an academic education. He left Ohio
before he was twenty-one years of age and went with his mother to Iowa, and
settled on a farm near Burlington, where he remained for some time. He later
went South about the close of the war to the Polk plantation, for the
purpose of managing negroes under the Freemen's Bureau, and from there he
went to Mississippi, later spending two years in Tennessee, having spent one
year in Mississippi in a very responsible position, which was filled to the
entire satisfaction of the Bureau. They gave him fine letters commending his
course and the results of his work while there. He then bought a farm in
Marion county, Illinois, in 1866, and farmed with much success for a period
of thirteen years. He then formed a partnership with Colonel Morrison, in
Odin, for carrying on a grain business which partnership continued for a
period of eight years, when he bought out Colonel Morrison's interests and
Mr. Woodward retained his interest until his death.
In 1886 the Odin
Coal Company was put in operation, and Mr. Woodward financed the
corporation. He was secretary and later treasurer of the same and always a
director, having remained such until his death which occurred in 1890. He
was a loyal Mason. The mother of the subject is living in 1908, at the age
of eighty years. She is a fine old lady with many beautiful attributes.
There are six children in this family, four of whom lived to maturity.
H. N. Woodward, our subject, first attended the public schools in Marion
county, but thirsting for higher learning he entered the University of
Illinois, where he made a splendid record for scholarship. After leaving
college he decided to continue the work which he knew the most about
farming, and he followed this until he was twenty-seven years old. He went
into the grain and hay business by purchasing Colonel Morrison's business.
He was successful in this from the first, more so, in fact, than at farming;
however, every year he devoted to farm work added to his competence, for he
was a careful and conservative manager. He has enlarged his latter line of
business until he now carries on a general merchandising establishment. In
1902 the same was incorporated since which time Mr. Woodward has been
president and is the largest stockholder, being the active manager, under
whose able direction the business has increased to a satisfactory state and
is rapidly growing.
After the death of his father, our subject was
director and treasurer of the Odin Coal Company, which position he ably
retained for a period of twelve years. He is at present connected with the
Marion County Coal Company, of Junction City, a corporation. Mr. Woodward
was a director in the same, but is not at present. In all his business
dealings he has been regarded by everyone as a man of unusual tact and
shrewdness and ever fair and honest. Success seems to attend his efforts in
whatever line he undertakes.
Mr. Woodward was united in marriage in
1883 with Agnes Ferguson, daughter of William and Eliza (Hildreth) Ferguson,
natives of Ohio, where they lived on a farm. Five children have been born to
the subject and wife, named in order of birth as follows: Grace, born in
1884, is living at home with her parents; Lucile, the second child, was born
in 1886, is single and living at home; Nelson was born in 1888, and is
deceased; having died in 1890; Edwin was born in 1893, and is attending high
school in 1908; Agnes, who was born in 1897, is also a pupil in the Odin
schools.
Mr. Woodward, in his fraternal relations, is a member of the
Masonic fraternity and the Woodmen. In politics he is a Republican, taking
considerable interest in the affairs of his party, especially in reference
to the local officials. Both he and his wife are faithful members of the
Methodist church. The former takes a great interest in educational matters.
He is known as a man of industry and frugality. He has a beautiful home at
Odin.
Extracted 03 Nov 2017 by Norma Hass from 1909 Biographical and Reminiscent History of Richland, Clay and Marion Counties, Illinois, pages 353-354.