American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-02-11
ROCKLAND PIONEER
PASSES TO REWARD
HEBER {. WOOD, LEADING SPIRIT
IN kOCkLAND VALLEY FOR
THIRTY-FIvE YEARS PASSES
AWAY IN UTAH.
Formerly Owned Land Now IncIuded
In Townsite Of Rockland--Was Pio.
neer Dry Farmer and Holds Record
Yield OF More Than Sixty Bushels
per acre.

ny r"Wcr anu HOIdS Record
Yield OF More Than Sixty Bushels
per acre.
Heber @. Wood, pioneer of the
kockland valley. since 1880. died nt
Woods Cross. Utah. Thursday. Febru-
airy 4th, from general debility. He had
been ailing for n year previous to HIS
death and was on his way to Califor-
MA for change OF climate when he
died
Mr.. Wood was tho first successful
dry farmer In the Rockland valley and
the territory surrounding American
Fails. He kept n record OF every i'm
portant date and occurrence that ban
pened In the valley during HIS life. The
book containing his records il now IN
the hands OF his family and for n his
torical reference is probably the r,ost
reliable record OF events since 1880.
In this section OF Idaho
To prove his dream Mr.. Wood In 1907
on n forty acre tract that now Joins
the Meadows and Walker ranch on the
south. eleven miles south of Ameri-
can Falls. harvested n crop of wheat
that averaged sixty bushels TO the acre
and since that time dry farming has
Increased by bounds and leaps and no
dry farm yield has equal,ed hat
harvested by him In the infancy OF
wheat growing in the county.
Daniel c. Wood and Penina Wood,
parents OF the Rockland pioneer,
crossed the plains from Illinois In ~.
Their train OF wagons stopped at
place they chose to call Bountiful later
known as Woods Cross. and here in
1S4S Heber G. was born. He grew to
young manhood at Woods Cross and
In 1877 at the age OF twenty he
was married to Miss Etinice Clarice Al
len OF Woods Cross Three years later
the young couple pioneered TO the
Rockland valley and found but two or
three families That's lli,..4iltf-iicm.
Mr.. Wood was the original owner of
the land that was the original town
site OF Rockland. His first cabin still
stands as a familiar land mark n short
distance west of the town, and is own
ed at present by Jack Hartley. The old
cabin used TO be the social center OF
tho Rockland valley. Tho sentiment
Of many OF the old timers was express
ed by one Of Mr.. Woods old friends at
the funeral. who was heard TO say:
MANY Is the time that ! have danced
all night TO the music of Heber's vio-
lin, and I'd be the last person In tho
world to stay away from his funeral"
Mr.. Wood had "A five piece orchestra
trained I'm his home. All OF his chill
dren were trained IN music. and they
were at the disposal OF merry makers
at any and all times. But the old cab
In was not always the scene OF gayety.
Church services and funerals were
held there as we'll.
Thirteen children were born to Mr..
and Mrs, Wood during their life In
the valley. Nine OF the thirteen are
still living. Mrs. Wood died ten years
ago. The children living are Mrs. Ed
ith Thorne OF American Falls, Mrs. II.
T. McCarty who lives between the
Falls and Rockland. Mrs. Bertha BY
ington Of Rockland, Mrs. Ella Jensen,
now living with her husband on the
home place eleven miles south OF Am
erican Falls. Miss Eva Wood. living at
home. Alma NJ. Wood OF Rockland,
Geo. w. Wood near Sublct, Heber G.
Wood. Jr., Of Rockland and Elder Car
lyle Wood now IN the missionary field
In Georgia for the Mormon faith. The
deceased has five brothers and one
sister living In the west, Geo. w. and
Joseph G.. OF Woods Cross: James w,
living near Ogden; Peter c., IN Mexi-
60 and Daniel G. who lives at Black
foot. A sister. Mrs Joe Tolman lives
at Pocatello.
Mr.. Wood held a sale few weeks
before his death and arranged his af-
fairs preparatory to leaving for n
change of climate that might benefit
his health. He left American Falls
January goth in the best OF spirits and
arrived at the home OF his brother,
George, in Woods Cross Sunday. lie
was late In arriving and missed his
brother Joseph who left for californis
just three hours before he arrived
The two were to have visited the fair
together. Heber was taken suddenly
III and died Thursday morning. This
body was shipped to Rockland and the
funeral services held last Sunday. Six
hundred people were present at the
services held in the l.. ID. s. church
under the auspices OF the bishopric.
Many friends and relatives OF the de-
ceased spoke during the service and
beautiful solos were rendered by Mrs.
Moss and Mrs. Emma Davis. Inter-
ment took place at Fairyiew cemetery
at Rockland.