Woody Family Narrative
One of the earliest settlers at Kern Island (now Bakersfield) was Dr. Sparrell Woody. Dr. Woody was born in Virginia in 1826. He was raised in Missouri, where his parents settled new tracts of land. In 1847 he graduated from St. Louis Medical School. Dr. Woody practiced medicine until gold fever lured him to cross the plains in an oxen driven wagon to California. After a number of years of prospecting gold in Northern California, Dr. Woody gave up and in 1860 he settled in Kern Island. He farmed the land growing corn, potatoes and grain. Soon after Dr. Woody arrived in Kern Island he fell in love with Christian Bohna's daughter, Sarah Louise. In 1861 they were married by a visiting preacher.
In 1862 a large flood along the Kern River washed away all of the crops being grown by the Bohnas and the Woodys. The Bohna family sold their land to a stranger, named Thomas Baker, and moved to Oregon. The Woodys moved to higher ground at the foot of Blue Mountain in the Greenhorn Mountain Range, northeast of what is now Bakersfield. Dr. Woody gave up his medical career and devoted all of his time to farming.
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Cattle and cowboy
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On his new property he continued to grow corn, potatoes, grain and later cotton. Until a mill was built in Bakersfield, Dr. Woody would haul his grain and corn to Visalia to be ground into flour and meal. It was a 75 mile trip, requiring five day, by team and wagon. He also raised livestock on his 4,000 acre ranch. Today the Woody area is still known for its cattle ranching
In 1869 a small community sprang up three miles from the Woody ranch. The town was named in honor of Dr. Woody The town of Woody was growing and so was the Woody family. The Woodys had three daughters, Eugenie, Nettie, and Victoria, and two sons, Stonewall and Elmer. All of the Woody children were born in a log cabin on the Woody ranch.
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Log cabin
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The Woody General Store, which now stands at Pioneer Village, was built in the town of Woody in 1899. This store became the center of the community. In the early days of the Woody store many of the supplies and orders were delivered to the store by stage, sometimes taking more than one month for delivery. Local ranchers and farmers would also trade or barter items that they had made or grown with the general store.
When new supplies arrived, it was common to see many ranch wagons lined up in front of the store. Not only did people shop for goods at the Woody General Store, it was also a place where the community could meet with each other, relax, play a game of checkers, tell stories and exchange news!
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Woody
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By 1901 the town of Woody had grown to include a general store and post office, blacksmith shop, stable, volunteer fire department, a one room school house and a nearby copper mine.
Sarah Woody died in 1909, the following September Dr. Woody passed away. Both are buried in the family plot near the town of Woody.
Today the community of Woody is a small and friendly town. Ranchers and community members children still attend Blake School in the town of Woody, which services grades K-8 in one small building.
Kern County remembers Dr. Woody as one of the first farmers and ranchers in this area. His pioneer spirit and strong character gave him the courage to settle new land and help build a better Kern County!
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Copyright ©2008, Kern County Superintendent of Schools 1300 17th Street - CITY CENTRE, Bakersfield, CA 93301-4533 (661) 636-4000
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