Stephen Mosher Wood and Gracia Pope Wood papers

1    COLLECTION SUMMARY

1.1      Introduction

The Stephen Mosher Wood and Gracia Pope Wood papers include materials from the Wood Family who lived in Elmdale, Kansas. Stephen Mosher Wood was a Lieutenant and Quartermaster in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After his service, Stephen settled in Kansas where he was active in the community, serving in public offices. He donated land to the state Y.M.C.A., now known as Camp Wood.

Gracia Pope Wood was Stephen Wood’s granddaughter and had a thirty-year career as a writer during World War II. Stephen M. Wood created and collected the materials in this collection for personal records. Stephen’s documents include tax and land documents, personal communication letters, and military records. Pope Wood created journals of her formative years and time spent attending Washburn University, as well as examples of her work in New York, personal communications, and photographs.  

1.2      Abstract

American Civil War, Lieutenant, Quartermaster, politician, philanthropist; of Elmdale, KS and Murrow County, Ohio, USA.

Journalist, writer, Washburn University Alumni; of Elmdale and Topeka, KS and New York, New York, USA.

1.3      Dates

                         1860s – 1940s

1.4      Quantity

           1 Box (5 inches)

1.5      Creators

      Stephen Mosher Wood (1832 – 1920)

      Gracia Pope Wood (1895 – 1953)

1.6      Title

       Stephen Mosher Wood and Gracia Pope Wood papers

1.7      UID and/or Call #

                         Call #: 008-06-07-06

                         UID# 510258

1.8      Language

      English

      1.9     Notes

This finding aid describes materials held by the Kansas State Historical Society. Materials may be used in the Research Room in the society’s Center for Historical Research during regular research hours. That part of the collection on microfilm may also be borrowed through interlibrary loan for your use at a participating public, academic, or research library. Information on interlibrary loan is available from the Kansas State Historical Society and on its web site, http://www.kshs.org. Support for telephone, mail and online research and reference is limited.

In a continuing effort to improve the completeness and accuracy of finding aids, revisions are made as more or new information becomes available. Consequently, this finding aid may differ slightly from what appears on the microfilm or on the Kansas State Historical Society’s web site.

      1.10   Repository

                 Kansas State Historical Society (Topeka)

2    BIOGRAPHY OR HISTORY

Stephen Mosher Wood was born in Morrow County, Ohio on June 10, 1832, to parents David Wood (1792-1847) and Ester Ward Mosher Wood (1798-1864). He grew up on a farm in Ohio and received general education. He married Caroline Halsey Breese (1833-1920) on May 11, 1853. They had four children; Wallace Alfred Wood (1856-1936); Clarence David Wood (1859-1926); Carrie E Wood (1868-1960); and Sidney Breese Wood (1871-1906). Wood and his family lived in Iowa and farmed until the start of the American Civil War. In November 1861, Stephen enlisted in the Union Army. According to Mrs. Woods obituary their first two children were born in Iowa and she “lived there during the strenuous days when John Brown, a frequent visitor in her home, was drilling his troops for Harper’s Ferry.”[1]

In 1861, Wood enlisted in the Union army, as a second lieutenant of the Sixth Missouri Cavalry.[2] He received multiple promotions, eventually becoming pontoon brigade quartermaster in 1864.[3] While serving, he spent time in Missouri, Mississippi, and Louisiana. In 1866, after completing his service, Wood moved to Diamond Creek Township in Kansas.[4]

Wood was a Kansas House Representative of Chase County in 1871 and 1875. In 1877, he was appointed Regent of the Kansas State Agricultural College and reappointed in 1880.[5] Additionally, Wood was a member of the board of trustees of the State Blind Asylum from 1873 – 1875 and on the Board of State Railroad Tax Assessors from 1872 – 1874.[6]

In 1910 he was postmaster for Elmdale, and resigned from that position in 1911, when he became mayor.[7] In 1915, Wood donated 40 acres of land to the Kansas State YMCA camp, which is named for him.[8]

Stephen Wood passed away at the age of 89, on December 24, 1920[9] from illness associated with pneumonia.[10] He is buried in Elmdale Cemetery located in Chase County, Kansas.

Gracia Pope Wood was born on February 9, 1895. Her parents were Wallace Wood (Stephen Wood’s oldest son) and his first wife, Gracia Pope (1860 – 1895). Wood’s mother died shortly after giving birth to her namesake. According to Pope Wood’s obituary, “she was reared in the home of her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Wood.”[11] After attending elementary schools in Elmdale and Cottonwood Falls, Gracia Wood attended Washburn College from 1914-1918, graduating with a B.A. in English and a minor in philosophy.[12] Following graduation, she was employed at the Topeka State Journal and Topeka Capital. Her career took her to New York, where she worked for eight years as a copy writer for an advertising firm, a radio script writer, publicity work for National Child Labor Comittee, and free-lance writing.[13] Pope Wood had a successful thirty-year career as a professional writer. She passed away on October 3, 1953 and is buried in Elmdale Cemetery.

3    SCOPE AND CONTENTS

This collection includes three series: Stephen M. Wood’s items, Gracia Pope Wood’s items, and staff collected research. Stephen M. Wood’s items are divided into four sub-series: personal correspondence, military records, warranty deed and land records, and tax documents. Gracia Pope Wood’s items are divided into four series: manuscript diaries, photographs, radio broadcast transcripts, and miscellaneous documents.

4    CONTENTS LIST

Series 1: Stephen M. Wood Papers

            Sub-Series 1: Personal Correspondence (6 items)

This sub-series contains six letters written by Stephen M. Wood to his daughter Carrie and other loved ones in the mid-1860s.

                        Folder 1.1: Items 1-6

   Item 1: May 1863, Letter to Carrie from S.M. Wood

   Item 2: March 1864, Letter to loved ones from S.M. Wood

   Item 3: June 1864, Letter to Carrie from S.M. Wood

   Item 4: October 1864, Letter to loved ones from S.M. Wood

   Item 5: Undated, unaddressed manuscript of military movement and activities

   Item 6: Undated, unaddressed manuscript of military movement and activities

            Sub-Series 2: Military Records (19 items)

This sub-series contains military records from Stephen M. Wood’s military career as a lieutenant and quartermaster. The dates of the documents encompass 1862-1865, with the bulk of records pertaining to Wood’s time in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The types of documents include special and general orders, and ration return documents, and statement of differences. The majority of these documents are handwritten, although some documents are pre-set typed and filled in with handwriting.

 Folder 2.1: Items 1-19

Item 1: Statement of Differences No. 614 (1862 – 1864) Quarterly statements recorded by Wood for the Treasury Department.

 Item 2: 1863 Ration Return

 Item 3: April 24, 1863, Special Orders No. 445

 Item 4: October 24, 1864, General Orders No. 152

 Item 5: 1864, Property Returns confirmation letter from Ordinance Office, War Department.

 Item 6: May 1864, Ration Return Document

 Item 7: June 1864, Return of Ordnance Stores letter from Ordinance Office, War Department.

 Item 8: August 21, 1864 – Letter to S.M. Wood

 Item 9: October 10, 1864, orders from Captain Jerome Bradley to Lieutenant S.M. Wood.

 Item 10: 1864/5, Descriptive List of Person’s employed at the Quarter Master’s Department

 Item 11: January 10, 1865, Letter to Stephen Wood from Brigadier General

 Item 12: January 31, 1864/5, Special Orders No. 24

 Item 13: February 1865, General Orders

 Item 14: February 25, 1865, Orders from the Brigadier General to Quartermasters

 Item 15: July 26, 1865, Special Orders No. 143

 Item 16: August 10, 1865, Special Orders No. 9

 Item 17: August 31, 1865, Document confirming a stolen horse

 Item 18: Copy of August 31, 1865, Document confirming a stolen horse

 Item 19: 1865, Receipt for army services rendered from the United States

            Sub-Series 3: Warranty Deeds and Land Records (6 items)

This sub-series contains Wood family warranty deeds, and one abstract title. The record dates encompass 1868-1924.

                    Folder 3.1: Items 1-6

Item 1: July 12, 1868, Warranty Deed from Christian Schnavely to Stephen M. Wood

Item 2: September 20, 1873, Patent from United States to Prudence Williams, widow of Wilson W. Williams

Item 3: September 10, 1887, Warranty Deed from Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company to Stephen M. Wood

Item 4: February 23, 1899, General Warranty Deed from L.B. Breese to Stephen M. Wood

Item 5: 1894-1899, Abstract Title Wallace and Gracia Wood to Stephen M. Wood

Item 6: February 29, 1924, Warranty Deed from C.D. Wood to Carrie E. Wood

            Sub-Series 4: Tax Documents (34 items)

This sub-series contains Stephen Wood’s tax documents from the United States Treasures office of Chase County, Kansas. The dates encompass 1886 – 1889. The bulk of the sub-series is receipts for taxes paid by Wood. Additionally, there is a copy of a check from 1863 and an envelope from the Treasury Department.

Folder 4.1: Items 1-34

Item 1: Envelope from Treasury Department to S.M. Wood

Item 2: June 1866 Tax Receipt

Item 3: January 1869 Tax Receipt

Item 4: January 1869 Tax Receipt

Item 5: January 1870 Tax Receipt

Item 6: January 1871 Tax Receipt

Item 7: January 1872 Tax Receipt

Item 8: September 1872 Tax Receipt

Item 9: December 1877 Tax Receipt

Item 10: December 1877 Tax Receipt

Item 11: June 1878 Tax Receipt

Item 12: June 1878 Tax Receipt

Item 13: December 1879 Tax Receipt

Item 14: June 1880 Tax Receipt

Item 15: June 1880 Tax Receipt

Item 16: December 1880 Tax Receipt

Item 17: June 1881 Tax Receipt

Item 18: December 1881 Tax Receipt

Item 19: June 1882 Tax Receipt

Item 20: December 1882 Tax Receipt

Item 21: June 1883 Check from S.M. Wood to Treasurer’s Office

Item 22: June 1883 Tax Receipt

Item 23: December 1883 Tax Receipt

Item 24: June 1884 Tax Receipt

Item 25: December 1884 Tax Receipt

Item 26: June 1885 Tax Receipt

Item 27: November 1885 Tax Receipt

Item 28: June 1886 Tax Receipt

Item 29: November 1886 Tax Receipt

Item 30: June 1887 Tax Receipt

Item 31: June 1887 Tax Receipt

Item 32: December 1887 Tax Receipt

Item 33: June 1888 Tax Receipt

Item 34: June 1889 Tax Receipt

Series 2: Gracia Pope Wood Papers

            Sub-Series 1: Diaries (4 items)

This series consists of four manuscript diaries created by Gracia Pope Wood. The first three items entries appear to be written in chronological order. Item four does not appear to be written in chronological order, and different dates are scattered throughout the pages, spanning from the late 1920s – 1946.

                     Folder 1.1: Items 1-2

Item 1: 1908 – 1909 Diary

Item 2: 1914 – 1918 A Line A Day Diary

Folder 1.2: Items 3-4

Item 3: 1922 – 1923 Diary

Item 4: 1927 - 1946 Writing Notebook/Diary 

            Sub-Series 2: Photos (3 items)

This sub-series contains two photographs and one illustration.

Folder 2.1: Items 1-3

Item 1: The illustration is dated 1938 and shows a profile likeness of a woman. It is addressed to Gracia from an unclear signer. The illustration also includes the names “Emily Post” and “Jamee Montgomery Flagg.” The meaning of the names or subject of the drawing is unclear.

Item 2: This photograph appears to be from Pope Wood’s time at Washburn and shows a group of girls sitting on a bed in a dorm room.

Item 3: This photograph shows a great grandmother with “Little Bill” and “Allen.” This photo is addressed to Gracia and signed by the same sender as the illustration.

The two photographs in this sub-series are undated.

            Sub-Series 3: Radio Broadcasting Transcripts (51 items)

This sub-series includes 51 issues (NO. 1 – 51) of radio transcripts “Briefs for Broadcasters: News Items of Interest to Women” from the Women’s Division of the National Association of Manufactures in New York, New York. It is likely that these are the radio transcripts that Pope Wood wrote during her time in New York. All of these transcripts are from 1943 and span the entirety of that year.

Folder 3.1: No. 1-25

Item 1: No. 1 n.d., – “Definition of ‘Know How’”

Item 2: No. 2 n.d., – “Hope of the Future”

Item 3: No. 3 n.d., – “To Live, Love, Laugh and Worship”

Item 4: No. 4 n.d., – “Man the Newcomer”

Item 5: No 5 n.d., – “No ‘Vested Interests’ for the U.S.A.”

Item 6: No. 6 n.d., – “Wanted – Postwar Planning Now”

Item 7: No. 7 n.d., – “That Milk for the Hottentots”

Item 8: No 8 n.d., – “Advertising that Musn’t Sell!”

Item 9: No. 9 n.d., – “Choose Your Postwar World”

Item 10: No. 10 n.d., – “Our War Production Miracle”

Item 11: No. 11 n.d., – “From Radishes to Religion”

Item 12: No. 12 n.d., – “More About Postwar America”

Item 13: No. 13 n.d., – “International Trade After The War”

Item 14: No. 14 n.d., – “Horizons Beyond Horizons”

Item 15: No. 15 n.d., – “A Willow of Adaptability and an Oak of Strength”

Item 16: No. 16 n.d., – “We Work for Victory – Plan for Peace”

Item 17: No. 17 n.d., – “Faith in America”

Item 18: No. 18 – May 7, 1943, “The Job of Every American”

Item 19: No 19. – May 14, 1943, “Armor for Battle”

Item 20: No. 20 – May 21, 1943, “Quiz: What is Our Biggest Industry?”

Item 21: No. 21 – May 28, 1943, “$4,000 For a Boy of 17”

Item 22: No. 22 – June 4, 1943, “Vision…Synonym For Management”

Item 23: No. 23 – June 11, 1943, “World Wings and World Vision”

Item 24: No. 24 – June 18, 1943, “Trailing Clouds of Glory”

Item 25: No. 25 – June 25, 1943, “Competition and Free Speech”

Folder 3.2: No. 26-51

Item 26: No. 26 – July 2, 1943, “It Pays to Advertise”

Item 27: No. 27 – July 9, 1943, “Speaking in a Big Voice” 

Item 28: No. 28 – July 16, 1943, “Kitchen History”

Item 29: No. 29 – July 23, 1943, “Exterminating the Saboteur”

Item 30: No. 30 – July 30, 1943, “Home-made Seasickness”

Item 31: No. 31 – August 6, 1943, “No Profiteering Here”

Item 32: No. 32 – August 12, 1943, “Putting Overalls on Dollars”

Item 33: No. 33 – August 20, 1943, “Radio’s War Work”

Item 34: No. 34 – August 26, 1943, “Dramatizing the Four Freedoms”

Item 35: No. 35 – September 7, 1943, “The Freedom We Need”

Item 36: No. 36 – September 10, 1943, “How to Dress in Wartime”

Item 37: No. 37 – September 17, 1943, “Shoes Without Coupons”

Item 38: No. 38 – September 24, 1943, “Seed Money Needed for Postwar Jobs”

Item 39: No. 39 – September 30, 1943, “Hunting – As Usual”

Item 40: No. 40 – October 7, 1943, “Mapping the New World”

Item 41: No. 41 – October 14, 1943, “Let’s Welcome the Future”

Item 42: No. 42 – October 21, 1943, “Three Smart Cities”

Item 43: No. 43 – October 28, 1943, “Triumph in the Air”

Item 44: No. 44 – November 5, 1943, “The Importance of a ‘Free Society’”

Item 45: No. 45 – November 13, 1943, “Report of a Traveler”

Item 46: No. 46 – November 18, 1943, “War Foods on Parade”

Item 47: No. 47 – November 23, 1943, “Cooperation – It’s Wonderful”

Item 48: No. 48 – December 3, 1943, “Glamor-Packin’ Mamas”

Item 49: No. 49 – December 11, 1943, “Stalin’s Salute to American Industry!”

Item 50: No. 50 – December 17, 1943, “Petrified Sunshine”

Item 51: No. 51 – December 24, 1943, “Industry’s Goals and Industry’s Pledge”

            Sub-Series 4: Miscellaneous Manuscripts (9 items)

            Folder 4.1: Items 1-9

          Item 1: n.d., Gift tag addressed to “Ma” from Gracia for a fifty fourth birthday.

          Item 2: n.d., Letter to Gracia with unclear signature.

          Item 3: n.d., Two sheets of paper with miscellaneous notes. It is likely that these pages fell out of one of the diaries.

          Item 4: April 10, 1928, Letter from Alexander Stephen (from Glasgow) to Gracia Wood.

          Item 5: 1934, Half of Newspaper Clipping from article about the Amos Noyes Family in the Chase County Ledger written by Carrie Breese Chandler.

          Item 6: n.d., Two page typed document titled “Trenches” that describes the building process, materials used, and set up of trenches.

Item 7: June 13, 1942, typed letter from “War Department: United States Engineer Office” to All Employees of Topeka Air Based. Signed by “Charles E. Kennedy, Major Corps of Engineers.”

Item 8: n.d., Manuscript typed notes on loose leaf paper, from 1927-1946 diary.

Item 9: n.d., Manuscript typed notes on loose leaf paper, from 1927-1946 diary.

Series 3: Staff Collected Research (1 Folder)

This series includes various papers, newspaper clippings, and copies of records related to the Wood family and the collection materials. This series was collected by staff during the research process and includes copies of related newspaper articles and obituaries.

5    RELATED MATERIALS

Stephen Mosher Wood and Samuel Newitt Wood were brothers. The Kansas State Historical Society holds a manuscript collection of Samuel N. Wood papers. These papers can be viewed in the Kansas State Historical Society Research room.

Wood, S.N. “Samuel Newitt Wood papers.” 1855-1891. Manuscript Collection #548. UID# 40548. Call# 007-06-07-08 – 007-06-08-05. /archives/40548.

6    BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ancestry. “Gracia Pope Wood.” Accessed April 16, 2024. https://www.ancestryinstitution.com/family-tree/person/tree/65795529/person/48390466466/facts.

Ancestry. “Lt. Stephen Mosher Wood.” Accessed April 11, 2024. https://www.ancestryinstitution.com/family-tree/person/tree/65795529/person/48393092165/facts.

Blackmar, Frank. Kansas: a Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, etc. Vol. 3. Transcribed by Carolyn Ward, 2002. Chicago: Standard Publishing Company, 1912. KSHS Micro Film LM 195. Available at: https://www.ksgenweb.org/archives/1912/w3/wood_stephen_m.html. Accessed April 16, 2024.

         Camp Wood “About.” 2022. Accessed April 11, 2024. https://campwood.org/about/.

Find a Grave, Lieut Stephen Mosher Wood. Accessed April 11, 2024. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/40624551/stephen-mosher-wood?_gl=1*1rmh5or*_gcl_au*MTU5MTI3Nzg2LjE3MDc0MDEzNTM.

Find a Grave. “Gracia Pope Wood.” Accessed April 16, 2024/ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44654586/gracia_pope-wood.

“Obituary of Mrs. Stephen Wood” Chase County Leader. January 16, 1920. Accessed April 11, 2024. https://kshsonsite.newspapers.com/image/342063146/.

“Stephen Wood Dead.” Chase County Leader. December 29, 1920. Accessed April 11, 2024. https://kshsonsite.newspapers.com/image/342068088/.

“Final Rites Saturday for Miss Gracia Wood.” Chase County Leader. Vol. 82. October 7, 1953.

Walters, John Daniel. History of the Kansas State Agricultural College. New York: Harvard University, 1909. Reprint. Digitized by Google, 2008. Accessed April 16, 2024. https://www.google.com/books/edition/History_of_the_Kansas_State_Agricultural/u6goAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0

7    INDEX TERMS/SUBJECT HEADINGS/ACCESS POINTS

American Civil War – History – United States

World War II – History – United States

Senators – Kansas

Government – Politics

Representatives – Kansas

Personal Names

Lieut. Stephen Mosher Wood (1832 – 1920)

Caroline Halsey Breese Wood (1833 – 1920)

Gracia Pope Wood (1895 – 1953)

Col. Samuel Newitt Wood (1825 – 1891)

Gracia H. Pope (1860 – 1895)

Wallace Alfred Wood (1856 – 1936)

Clarence David Wood (1859 – 1926)

Carrie E. Wood (1871 – 1906)

Sidney Breese Wood (1871 – 1906)

Wood Family

Geographic Locations

Elmdale, Chase County, Kansas, USA

Kansas – History

New York, New York, USA

Camp Wood – Kansas State

Journalism

WWII – History

American Civil War – Military History

8    ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

8.1 Restrictions on access

       None.

8.2 Restrictions on use

       None.

8.3 Custodial History/ Provenance

It is unknown who had possession of the collection after the creators and prior to KSHS accessioning the collection materials.

This collection was found in 2022 in the accessions backlog with no paperwork. It was brought into KSHS by Tom Ellis who worked at KSHS in the 2010s. After reaching out to a possible doner, there was no response. The collection is being accessioned now with an “unknown” donor. 

8.4 Alternate forms

      None.

8.5  Preferred citation

Note: Wood papers, 1860-1940, Kansas State Historical Society, Manuscript Collection no. 510258.

Bibliography: Wood, Stephen and Gracia. Wood papers. 1860-1940. Kansas State Historical Society. Manuscript Collection no. 510258.

               8.6 Acquisition information

Accession# 2022-146. Unknown Doner.

8.7 Processing information (Processor name)

Rebekah L. Stewart, 2024

Kansas Historical Society
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