Harold Gilbert Wood was born on September 3, 1899 in Lewiston, Utah to Charles Gilbert and Letitia Litz Wood. He was raised in Lewiston and nearby Cornish on his parent’s farm. He graduated from the University of Utah as well as of the University of Michigan Law School. He married Elna Ivie in Salt Lake City on Sept. 24, 1929. Afterwards they moved to Lewiston where Harold farmed the rest of his life. Harold was a member of the Lewiston Lions Club, served as a Lewiston City Councilman, and was a past president of Dairy Herd Improvement Association in Cache County. He died on June 16, 1976 survived by his two boys Charles Robert and William Craig and a daughter Marylyn Freshwater.
Provenance:
Upon his death Harold G. Wood had his papers, family history, autobiographies, and poems donated to USU Special Collections in 1976.
Scope and Content:
The Harold G. Wood collection contains four rough drafts and one final draft of his autobiography entitled “As it Seemed to Me.” Along with his autobiography he wrote numerous poems that are collected in rough draft and final forms. His writings comprise most of the collection, but his wife, Elna, wrote a memoir entitled “My Memoirs.” Finally, the last part of Box 1 includes his family history, while Box 2 includes childhood projects from his elementary school years.
This collection gives great insight into a rural community in the north end of Cache Valley during the first half of the twentieth century. Wood’s autobiography touches on numerous subjects including farming, family life, religion, school, water rights, and his positions in the city council and as the president of the Dairy Herd Improvement Association. On a literary note his poems reflect his humorous side and life in northern Cache Valley during the early to mid-twentieth century.
This collection is organized to represent the completion of his autobiography. The first four folders of Box 1 contain rough drafts while Folder 5 contains the completed “As it Seemed to Me.” His poems reflect the same organization with rough drafts in Folder 6 while Folder 7 includes the final poems. The last folder of Box 1 includes his family history, complete with genealogical charts and newspaper clippings with stories about the historic house his father built in Lewiston.
Inventory:
Box 1
Fd 1: Hand written rough draft of "As it Seemed to Me"
Fd 2: Incomplete typed rough draft of "As it Seemed to Me"
Fd 3: Incomplete typed rough draft of "As it Seemed to Me"
Fd 4: Misc. loose, rough draft sheets
Fd 5: Copies of complete "As it Seemed to Me"
Fd 6: Final draft of collection of poems
Fd 7: Copies of poems
Fd 8: Elna I. Wood's "My Memoirs"
Fd 9: Family history
Box 2
Fd 1: Collection of Wood’s school projects from elementary school.
For more information: 435/797-2663; Manuscript Librarian.
Special Collections & Archives, Merrill Library, Utah State University Libraries, Utah State University 84322-3000
