WI BIO - Dane Co - WOODARD, Washington
Biographical Review of Dane County, WI. Chicago: Biographical Review Pub. Co. 
1893, Vol II, pp 489-490

Washington WOODARD, a successful and well-known farmer of Burke Township 
[Dane County, Wisconsin], was born in Shelby County, Indiana, 30 March 1830. 
His father, James WOODARD, is thought to have been a native of Virginia, from 
which State he removed to Kentucky, where he remained until 1828, when he 
[James WOODARD] removed to Indiana, and settled in Shelby County, where he 
entered a tract of timber land and on which he built the log [p 490] cabin in 
which our subject [Washington WOODARD] was born. He [James WOODARD] improved 
the farm and lived there until 1859, when he sold his land and came to 
Wisconsin, settled in Dane County, and there resided until his death. The 
maiden name of his [James WOODARD's] wife was Elizabeth NAVE, of German 
ancestry, a native of Kentucky. She survived her husband a few years, and 
died at the home of her son [Washington WOODARD], our subject.

Washington WOODARD was reared and educated in his native county [Shelby 
County, Indiana]. For some years after the settlement of our subject's 
parents in Shelby County, there were no railroads, and the farmers were 
obliged to market their produce at Lawrenceburg [Dearborn County, Indiana], 
on the Ohio River, and drove their cattle and hogs to Cincinnati, 125 miles 
distant. Our subject attended the pioneer schools taught in the log 
schoolhouse. The furniture was of the most primitive description, seats made 
of logs split in two, with wooden pins for legs. There were no backs on the 
seats, and no desks in front. What little heat there was in the building was 
received from a large fireplace at one end. Washington was reared to habits 
of industry, commencing when very young to assist his father on the farm. At 
this date farm work was much more difficult than at the present [text 
published 1893], when the farmer has all kinds of modern machinery to aid him 
in cultivating the soil. In those days all grass was cut with a scythe, and 
all grain with a sickle. When the cradle firs came into use it was 
considered a great invention. Instead of the present threshing machines, 
grain was pounded out with a flail.

Our subject [Washington WOODARD] resided with his parents until coming to 
Wisconsin in 1853. He had been a resident of Dane County continuously since 
that time. His means were very limited at the time of his arrival in this 
State, but he soon bought 160 acres of land, the price of which was $700. 
This farm was located in Windsor [Dane County, Wisconsin], and he improved 
the land and resided on it a few years and then removed to the town of Burke 
[Dane County, Wisconsin], where he bought a farm of 200 acres, on section 11, 
which he occupied until 1880, when he bought the farm he now resides upon, 
located on section 22 of the same township [Burke]. This is one of the 
finest and best improved farms in the entire county. He has been very 
successful as an agriculturalist, and is now proprietor of 400 acres.

When twenty-eight years of age he [Washington WOODARD] was married to Mary E. 
DAMON, born in Ohio, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George DAMON. Washington and 
Mary E. (DAMON) WOODARD have three children, namely: George W., William, and 
Edward. Mr. WOODARD and wife are members of the Methodist Church, which they 
joined after marriage, and to which faith they have held ever since.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly