D. B. Wood
Surnames: Bishop, Burleigh, Darling, Foster, Howard, Potter, Strong
From Portrait and Biographical Album of Rock County, Wisconsin, publ. 1889 - page 841-842
D. B. WOOD, deceased, is numbered among the pioneer settlers of the county, and was a leading farmer for many years. He was born in Oneida County, N.Y., in 1815, the son of David and Sarah (BISHOP) WOOD, who were parents of eleven children, five of whom are now living. Our subject became a resident of Rock County in 1841, but previous to that time had resided in Michigan, where he married Miss Rhoda HOWARD, Nov. 29, 1837. On removing to Wisconsin he located in Harmony, where he engaged in farming for many years, owning a fine tract of valuable land, which he at length rented, removing to Milton to live a retired life. His wife dying Oct. 5, 1876, he was again married on the 22d day of November, 1877, to Abbie J. ROOT, a resident of Whitewater, Wis. She was born Feb. 18, 1816, in Oneida County, N.Y., a daughter of Lyman BURLEIGH, a native of Connecticut, who died in 1863, his wife surviving him until April 1, 1886. There was also one son in the family, Horace Bishop, who was born Feb. 17, 1819.
Mr. WOOD was a trustee of the Congregational Church, and took a deep interest in religious matters, being a leading worker in the society. He was also a friend to education, serving on the school board for some years, and in politics was a stalwart supporter of the Republican party. His death occurred in May, 1882, and proved a loss to the entire community. He was an honored pioneer, having witnessed almost the entire growth of the county, had been prominently identified with the work of development, and was an important factor in the upbuilding of all leading public interests. His excellent wife is still living in Milton, where she is surrounded by a large circle of friends.
The following items of the history of the family of Mrs. Abbie (BURLEIGH) ROOT, who became Mrs. WOOD, will be found interesting in this connection. Cyril BURLEIGH, her grandfather, moved from Connecticut to Clinton, Oneida Co., N.Y., and thence to Verona, N.Y. In 1817 he went to Covington, Wyoming Co., N.Y., and built a house on the summit of a steep eminence since known as Burleigh Hill. After a few years he removed to the adjoining town of Bethany, and thence to Sweden, Monroe Co., N.Y., where his wife died June 8, 1832, aged sixty-one years. Removing to Byron, N.Y., where he was a farmer and hotel keeper, he married Sally DARLING, a sister of his son-in-law. He later moved successively to Caryville, Barre and Murray, and thence back to Barre. In 1844 he came West and located in Milwaukee, where he died July 5, 1847. Having been Justice of the Peace many years in his early life, he was known as Squire BURLEIGH. His health was always good, and he retained his mental and physical faculties in a remarkable degree to the end of his life. A man of sterling integrity and fine social qualities, he had a wide acquaintance and was highly respected by all who knew him. His son, Lyman BURLEIGH, was born in Union, Conn., Sept. 7, 1791, and died in Albion, N.Y., Oct. 5, 1863. He was married at Verona, Oneida Co., N.Y., March 8, 1815, to Nancy BISHOP, who died in 1883. His daughter, Abbie J., granddaughter of Cyril BURLEIGH, was born in Verona, N.Y., and was married May 4, 1836 to Francis Ashbury ROOT, who was a grocer at Barre, N.Y., and at Milwaukee and Trenton, Wis., and died at the latter place Aug. 30, 1850, at the age of forty years. Her subsequent marriage to the late D. B. WOOD is above referred to. Her children by her former marriage were as follows: Lyman Burleigh ROOT, born in Clarindon, N.Y., Oct. 12, 1837, married at Barton, Wis., Ella FOSTER, and is now a farmer at Cold Springs, Jefferson County, who has children - Francis Asbury, born at Trenton, Wis., July 4, 1866, and Albert Jay, born at Cold Springs, Wis., Dec. 24, 1869; Celia Elizabeth, born at Albion, N.Y., Aug. 21, 1840, who married Barney POTTER, a merchant of Trenton, Wis., had a son named Albert Lyman, who died young, and died at West Bend, Wis., Feb. 2, 1866. Horace Bishop BURLEIGH, brother of Mrs. WOOD, was born in Covington, N.Y., and married April 12, 1847, Miss Elizabeth C. STRONG, daughter of Timothy STRONG, long the able editor of the Orleans American, at Albion, N.Y., and lived most of his life in that town, but during the past few years has lived in Dakota. He has a large family, who rank among the most respectable people in the communities in which they have their homes.