History of Columbiana, (Columbiana County) Ohio United States of America

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Local History Notes:

COLUMBIANA, a county in the E. N. E. part of Ohio, bordering on the Ohio river, which separates it from Pennsylvania, has an area of 490 square miles. It is drained by the Little Beaver river and its branches, and by Sandy and Yellow creeks. The southern part is hilly, and the northern level or undulating. The soil is of limestone formation, and is uniformly and remarkably fertile. Wool, wheat, Indian corn, oats, hay, butter, and live stock are the staples. The county is especially noted for the production of wool. In 1850 there were raised 311,507 bushels of wheat; 393,804 of corn; 383,386 of oats; 30,249 tons of hay; 322,965 pounds of wool, and 655,389 of butter. It contained 85 churches and 6 newspaper offices; 12,296 pupils attending public schools, and 326 attending academies or ether schools. Limestone underlies a part of the county, stone coal and iron ore are found in it. It is intersected by the Sandy and Beaver canal, by the Pennsylvania and Ohio railroad, and the Cleveland and Pittsburg railroad. Capital, New Lisbon. Population, 33,621.

Biographies:

Joseph Thatcher Woods, M. D., Physician, was born, March 16th, 1831, in the town of Columbiana, Ohio. His father is of German descent, the grandfather of the latter having emigrated to this country with his two brothers to better their fortunes. Their surname was Woltz. Having found employment in a pious Friend's family, he not only imbibed their tenets, but requested them to Anglicize his name, and this effort resulted in the present nomenclature of "Woods." One of the brothers, however, retained his original appellation, and thus the families are by name divided. Dr. Woods' mother was Rebecca Thatcher, said to be a lineal descendant of a man bearing that name who came from England in the "Mayflower," 1620. He received his education primarily in a district school in Portage county, Ohio, and completed it by occupying in study minutes and hours that were not devoted to aiding his father in the cultivation of a farm. He was constantly engaged in acquiring all useful knowledge by close reading. Having resolved to study medicine, he placed himself under the preceptorship of the family physician, although he was entirely without means; but by dint of performing extra work, especially in harvest time, teaching school in the winter, and the practice of the severest economy, he was at length able to command the means by which he attended the lectures delivered in the medical department of the University of Michigan, from which institution he afterwards graduated. He commenced the practice of his profession at a "crossroads" in Hancock county, Ohio, where he established a professional reputation, perfectly satisfactory to himself at least, and where he continued until August, 1862, when he entered the United States service as the Surgeon of the 99th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. This regiment was subsequently consolidated with the 50th Ohio, and he was retained as the Surgeon. With these commands he was continually at the front, and participated in various campaigns, especially that of Atlanta. He was permanently detailed as one of the operating Surgeons of the division, and was often in charge of hospitals at the front, as well as Surgeon of various posts. The last year of his service was occupied with staff duty, and in this he continued until the close of the war. After his return home, he accepted an appointment as Professor of Physiology and Histology in the Cleveland, Ohio, Medical College, and filled that chair for six years. He subsequently withdrew his connection with that school and removed to Toledo, where he resumed the practice of his profession. In political matters he takes a deep interest, and has ever been an ardent Republican, but has never had any aspirations for filling any office in the gift of the people. He is still unmarried.

From: The Biographical Encyclopedia of Ohio of the Nineteenth Century. Columbus, OH, USA: Galaxy Publishing Co., 1876.