Highway 62 turns East off Interstate I-5 in Medford, Oregon. This is the Scenic Byway to the Rouge River and one way to get up to one of the Wonders of the World, Crater Lake. A few miles out this road is a little town of Eagle Point, and a little over a mile past that on the east side of the road stands an Old House. This is the Old Wood Homestead, the most photographed and art painted house in Jackson County. How many people have driven by an taken a picture of the Old Wood House or seen a painting an wonder about the people that have lived there?
Marvin Sylvester Wood was born 1836, in New York and was named after his father Sylvester, Marvin dad a brother named Dennis and a sister, Lucelia. As a young man Marvin fought in the Civil War as a Corporal in Company F, Michigan Infantry. At the close of the war Marvin and his brother Dennis, migrated west around Cope Horn and ended up in Oregon Territory. Hearing good reports about Oregon, there sister Lucelia came west to join them.
Marvin filed a homestead claim for land just outside of Eagle Point in 1869, where he and Dennis built a cabin on it. Two tragedies occurred that year, Dennis died and the little cabin burned down. Determined Marvin built another cabin, one that was bigger and stronger. Lumber cut from trees above the Prospect area and sawed at the Deskins Mill was hauled down the wagon road along the Rouge River to his land. Marvin used the lumber and built a two-story and in 1870 finished it and moved in.
Some time after his house was built Marvin met, courted and married Susan Carolina Griffith in May of 1876.Her and Marvin had three children, Ora in1872, Mayme in 1879 and Walter in 1882. In 1900 the girls were grown up an left home, Walter was 18 years old, Marvin divorced Susan, left the Wood Homestead and moved to Eagle Point.
This is only part one of the History About The Wood Homestead.
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