Memorials › Archie Dow Wood

Archie Dow Wood

8 Jan 1882 – 21 Jan 1961

Birth8 Jan 1882
Death21 Jan 1961
CemeteryLovington Cemetery
Lovington , Lea County , New Mexico , USA
Added byPaul R. Wilcox on 17 Nov 2007
FaGhttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16513426

Bio

Obituary - "Archie D. Wood Dies; Colorful Old-Timer - One of Lea County's colorful old-timers died Saturday night after an illness of 31 days days. He was Archie Dow Wood, 79, a resident of the area which now is Lea County since 1896. Mr. Wood died in his ranch home, two and a half miles south of Lovington on the Arkansas Junction Road. Funeral services were scheduled for today at 2 p.m. in the First Methodist Church of Lovington. The Rev. Harold Cates, pastor, assisted by the Rev. W. M. Beauchamp, will officiate. Pallbearers will be Curry Pruitt, Kyle (Son) Taylor, John Easley, W. A. Anderson, George Williams, Hobdy Gann, J. P. Morgan, Otto Dean, W. H. Fort, J. C. Abbott, Carl Johnson, Logan Beal and Ivan Patman. The Lovington Masonic Lodge No. "46 A.F. and A.M. will conduct graveside rites at burial in the family plot at Lovington Cemetery. One of 16 children, Mr. Wood came to Lea County as a boy of 12, when this region was the Territory of New Mexico. Not long after his arrival he started to work for Cub Roberts, owner of one of the large ranches that flourished here in the days of the open range. When he was 18, Mr. Wood started his own ranch and engaged in this field, along with many other jobs until the time of his death. When Lea County opened up for homesteading soon after the turn of the century, Mr. Wood filed on a tract of land about two miles south of his present home. A fine storyteller of the early days of this country, friends recall one of his favorites concerned a time when he operated a ranch in partnership with another man. The partner came to him one day and said: "Dow, the homesteaders are going to start coming in here by the droves soon. They'll build homes, plow up the range, plant crops, put up schools and there will be towns. This will make taxes so high that we can't pay them. I'm going to pull out." Thereupon, the man made Wood a present of his share of the ranch and left. Mr. Wood also was fond of telling that he not only saw what today is Lea County as three different counties in his time--with the northern half of Lea part of Chaves, and the southern half as Eddy. Later the two sections were (Continued on Page 5 ARCHIE)... split from these counties and Lea was formed in 1918. Another story that friends recalled was the first car Wood ever owned. He bought it from man driving through this country when the roads still were only twisting sandy ruts winding from one ranch to another. The man was driving one car and towing a second. Wood, who had never driven a car in his life, bought the towed automobile and taught himself to drive it. Wood became a deputy sheriff of Lea County in 1913 and served until 1933. This period was marked by the famed Hobbs oil boom which drew many tough men to Lea County. Wood was noted as fearless peace officer. He later became a state cattle inspector and held that job for 37 1/2 years. Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Mary Beth Wood; one son Woodrow Wood of Lovington; two daughters, Mrs. James Cook, and Mrs. Johnny Eaves, both of Lovington; three sisters, Mrs. Martha White of Amarillo, Tex., Mrs. Birdie Lloyd (sic) of Tularosa, and Mrs. Ralph Windsor of Aspermont Tex.; eight grandchildren; and 11 great grandchildren. Smith-Yarbro Funeral Home is in charge or arrangements." CLIPPED FROM Hobbs Daily News-Sun - Hobbs, New Mexico - 23 Jan 1961, Mon - Pages 1 and 5." Contributor: usndds (47279891) • [email protected]

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