Green Alexander Wood

b. 31 December 1877, d. 3 August 1909
  • Green Alexander Wood was born on 31 December 1877 in Walker County, Texas.
  • Solomon William Wood appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1880 in Walker County, Texas. Other members of the household included Green Alexander Wood, Martha Clarana Reed, Mary Jane Wood, Solomon William Wood Jr. and Fannie Goree Wood.
  • Solomon and Mattie Wood and their children posed for a photograph in 1893.
    Solomon and Mattie Reed Wood and their family, 1893
  • The following appeared on 13 January 1899 in the Daily Examiner: Hose company No. 2 held a called meeting at the Camp Hotel, with a goodly number of the members answering to the roll call. The meeting was for the purpose of choosing officers for this year, and they were named as follows: Kemp Thompson, foreman, Ben Ahrenbeck, first assistant foreman, Green Wood, secretary, R. A. Sangster, treasurer, H. H. Knox and R. A. Sangster, delegates to the department.
  • He married Lela Beatrice McAlpine, daughter of John Anderson McAlpine and Willie Cabeen Cameron, on 28 March 1900 in Grimes County, Texas.
  • Green Alexander Wood and Lela Beatrice McAlpine appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1900 in Navasota, Grimes County, Texas.
  • He was a clerk in a store, according to the 1900 census.
  • The following appeared on 4 January 1907 in The Houston Post: Navasota, January 3) The dry goods firm of Wood & Pierce, composed of Green A. Wood and Louie S. Pierce, was this morning dissolved by mutual consent. mr. Pierce retires and Mr. Wood assumes proprietorship. The firm has been in business less than a year, but has forged well to the fore in the town's commercial circles.
  • The following appeared on 28 October 1908 in The Houston Post: Notice is hereby given that in pursuance of an order of the referee in bankruptcy, I, Chester H. Bryan, trustee, will proceed to sell at public outcry for cash to the highest bidder, the bankrupt stock and fixtures of Green A. Wood, bankrupt, consisting of a general stock of shoes, dry goods, clothing and gents' furnishing goods, inventoried at about $13,500, at Navasota, Texas, at 10 a. m. on November 7, 1908. Sale subject to apporval of the court. For particulars and inventory, address Chester H. Bryan, Trustee, Room No. 2, Fox Bldg., Houston, Texas.
  • The following appeared on 10 December 1908 in The Houston Post: In the bankrupt matter of Green A. Wood of Navasota, a dividend of 33 1-3 per cent has been declared by Referee in Bankruptcy H. L. Borden and will be paid to the creditors immediately.
  • The following appeared on 23 April 1909 in The Liberty Vindicator: At twelve o'clock Wednesday night Liberty was visited by a fire which, within the twinkling of an eye, destroyed what it had taken years to build.
         The loss is between $30,000 and $35,000. The fire started in the Theriot building, occupied by H. C. Wood, and was discovered by the crew on the switch engine, who gave the alarm. The flames, from where they originated, spread into the Goldstein building, occupied by I. Lipstet; then into the Masonic building, occupied by John L. Ellis; onto the Ager building and into the home of Sim DeBlanc on the north. Going south they enveloped the Steusoff building and the Guertin building.
         The losers, and the approximate amounts, together with the insurance carried, are as follows:
         H. C. Wood stock valued at $750; insured for $500.
         Theriot building valued at $1000; partially insured.
         Goldstein building and fixtures valued at $5000; partially insured.
         I. Lipstet, stock valued at $12,000; partially insured.
         Masonic building valued at $1500; insured for $900.
         J. L. Ellis, stock valued at $2500; insured for $1500.
         H. O. Ager, building and stock valued at $5000; partially insured.
         Stevens & Pickett damage to library $750; insured.
         Residence of Mrs. Julia Welder, occupied by Sim DeBlanc, valued at $1250.
         C. F. Steusoff, building and stock, $2000. No insurance.
         Guertin building, vacant, valued at $700.
         On complaint of J. L. Ellis and H. E. Marshall, G. A. Wood and Robert McAlbia, the gentlemen who conducted the H. C. Wood store, at which place the fire originated, have been arrested in connection with the fire, on a charge of arson. Their esamining trials will be heard before Justice McConnell Saturday.
  • The following appeared on 25 April 1909 in The Houston Post: (Navasota, April 24) A bond for $1000 was circulated on the streets of Navasota this morning and in a few minutes had the signature of twenty-one citizens, worth in the aggregate considerably more than a million dollars. It was for Green A. Wood and Robert McAlpine, arrested at Liberty in connection with the recent fire there, in which the store of H. C. Wood and several others were totally destroyed. Messers. Wood and McAlpine, the former as manager and the latter as clerk, had but recently engaged in business at Liberty. The fire was thought to have originated in the Wood store, and both gentlemen being comparative strangers, adverse sentiment was quickly formed connecting them with the disaster. Arrest followed and the bond from Navasota is to take the place of one made by a citizen of Liberty until this one could arrive.
         Both gentlemen are natives of Grimes county and come from as good families as there are in Texas or out of it. The fire was very unfortunate, especially so to Mr. Wood, and the people of Navasota and Grimes county deeply sympathize with all parties concerned.
         The signers to the bond of both Mr. Wood and Mr. McAlpine are: George S. Wood, J. W. Leake, W. L. Steele, H. H. Knox, P. H. Levy, Ed F. Blacksbear, J. W. Brosig, W. H. Brown, E. H. Terrell, Gus Manos, Ward Templeman, M. B. Goodman, Tom M. Owen, J. T. Barry, Oscar Coe, S. J. Walker, J. E. Semple, A. P. Terrell, R. B. Templeman, S. W. Glass and Ewing Norwood.
  • The following appeared on 14 May 1909 in The Liberty Vindicator: After a stubborn fight, beginning Friday morning, the preliminary trials of Green A. Wood and Robert McAlpin, charged with arson, were brought to a close Monday afternoon by Justice McConnell, fixing their bonds at $5000 and $2000, respectively.
         The trial was one of the most sensational that has ever occurred in Liberty county and every inch of ground being closely contested, made same unusually interesting. H. E. Marshall assisted county attorney Dan Harrison in the prosecution and F. F. Stevens of this city and Judge Lewis of Navasota, represented the defendants.
         As has been previously stated in the columns of this paper, the complaints were made against Wood, and his brother-in-law, McAlpin, on the morning after the recent fire in this township. The fire having started in the house occupied by Wood as a gentleman's furnishing establishment. Wood carried insurance amounting to $500.
         The bonds were immediately made by several prominent citizens of Grimes county who had come here to attend the trial.
  • The following appeared on 23 May 1909 in the Galveston Daily News: G. A. Wood arrived Friday and spent the day with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. S. W. Wood.
  • The following appeared on 13 June 1909 in The Galveston Daily News: (Richards) Mr. and Mrs. G. A. Wood and their little daughter, Edith, are guests of mr. and mrs. S. W. Wood.
  • The following appeared on 27 June 1909 in The Galveston Daily News: (Richards) . . . Miss Eunice Haynie of Apolonia was a visitor to our town last week, guest of Miss Lynn Wood.
         Mr. and Mrs. Green A. Wood and little daughter, Edith, returned to Navasota Tuesday after spending a couple of weeks with Mr. and Mrs. S. W. Wood.
  • Green Alexander Wood died on 3 August 1909 at age 31 in Grimes County, Texas.
  • His wife Lela Beatrice McAlpine became a widow at his death.
  • He was interred at Fairview Cemetery, White Hall, Grimes County, Texas.
  • The following appeared on 13 August 1909 in The Liberty Vindicator: News reached this city last Wednesday that Green A. Wood, the man who was charged in this county with arson, and who under a $5,000 bond was awaiting the action of the grand jury, had died at his home in Grimes county. He died, the Vindicator learns, from an attack of appendicitis.
  • The following appeared on 21 November 1974 in the Navasota Examiner: Funeral services for Mrs. Lela McAlpine Wood Fahey, 94, of 2209 Portsmouth, Houston, were held at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 18, from St. Anne's Catholic Church, Houston. Mrs. Fahey died Friday, Nov. 15, at a Houston nursing home. She was born Nov. 21, 1879, in White Hall, the daughter of the late Dr. and Mrs. John A. McAlpine, pioneer Texans. Her early education was in private schools and she later graduated from the Old Chappel Hill Female College. Her first marriage was to the late Green A. Wood, who died in 1909. She remarried on June 8, 1914, to Pat N. Fahey, attorney, who preceded her in death Dec. 20, 1973. She was past regent of Samuel Sorrell chapter, D.A.R., past president of the Colonial Dames of America, Chapter VIII, member of the Magna Charter Cames, the Newman Circle, and a member of St. Anne's Catholic Church. Surviving are one daughter, Mrs. Neill F. (Edith Wood) Amsler, Sr. of Houston; three grandchildren, Neill F. Amsler, Jr. and Mrs. George W. Hansen, both of Houston, and Mrs. Melvin X. Hobbs, Jr. of Laguna Niguel, Calif; ten great grandchildren; two great great grandchildren; three sisters, Mrs. Maude McAlpine Siddall of Navasota, Mrs. Sterrett McAlpine Terry of Alexandria, La., and Mrs. Bess McAlpine Braunig of Lafayette, La; plus numerous nieces and nephews. Pallbearers were Neill F. Amsler, Jr., George W. Hansen, Melvin X. Hobbs, Jr., Truman S. Thomas, Jr., Stewart Perry and Phillip M. Pappas. Honorary pallbearers were Neill F. Amsler, III, George W. Hansen, Jr., Mark Amsler, Melvin X. Hobbbs, III, Patrick Wood Hobbs, Col. James F. Kerr, Lanson F. Demming, and Karl Seiling. In lieu of usual remembrances, friends may contribute to the Larry Amsler Memorial Fund, c-o Hermann Hospital, Houston.
  • Last Edited: 18 Jan 2016

Family: Lela Beatrice McAlpine b. 21 November 1879, d. 15 November 1974