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 John
Wood was born in New York in 1798 and at the age of 20 decided to go
west, settling in Atlas, which is about 40 miles south of Quincy, where
he started to farm. The land between the Illinois and Mississippi River
was part of the Illinois Military Tract, which was land given to
veterans who had fought in the War of 1812. In 1822 Woods met a Mr.
Flinn, a soldier who had received 160 acres, and accompanied Flinn as he
travelled north to locate his land. Upon reaching his tract Flinn
decided he did not want to live so far from St. Louis and agreed to sell
the land to Wood for $60.00 or about 38 cents an acre. Wood built his
first house, a log cabin near the river, at the foot of what is now
Delaware Street, becoming the first European settler in the area. Other
settlers came from the East to claim their land grants or to engage in
trade, and the land around Wood’s cabin became a small settlement that
became known as Bluffs because of its location. When Adams County was
formed in 1825, Bluffs was chosen as its county seat and renamed Quincy
after the new President of the United States, John Quincy Adams. John
Wood married Ann Streeter in 1826 and built a two-story log cabin at
12th & State Street. Wood was becoming wealthy by acquiring land that
veterans did not want and selling it to settlers coming from Kentucky
and Tennessee. In 1835 he started building a large 14 room Greek Revival
style house next to the log cabin. The home was completed in 1838 and
used German immigrants who were skilled at carpentry, bricklaying, and
stone masonry that he brought from St. Louis and New Orleans.
John Wood was popular and was elected mayor of Quincy
three different times. In 1856, he was elected Lt. Governor of Illinois
in one of the first victories by the newly formed Republican Party. In
1858 Wood began construction on an even larger house, an octagonal
structure, in the middle of the block of State Street between 11th &
12th. In March of 1860 Governor William H. Bissell died in office and
Wood became the 12th Governor of Illinois. Wood successfully petitioned
the Illinois Legislature to stay in Quincy to oversee the construction
of the octagonal home and the existing mansion temporarily became the
Governor’s Mansion. Wood was Governor for only ten months as he did not
seek re-election in November of 1860 because of commitments in Quincy.
When the Civil War broke out in 1861 Wood was named Quartermaster
General of the State of Illinois and in 1863 he became Colonel of the
137th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment. 1863 was also the year that
Ann, his wife of 37 years, died and Wood married Mary Ann Holmes. John
and Ann Wood had had eight children, but only four of them lived to
adulthood – a daughter and three sons.
Wood’s octagonal home was completed in 1864 and cost
over $200,000 to build, making it the most expensive home in Illinois at
the time. With the octagonal house completed Wood gave the Greek Revival
style house to his oldest son, Daniel. Wood wanted it moved to the east
side of 12th Street and the house was cut in half and the chimneys were
taken down so the house could be moved across the street. Originally the
house faced the south to take advantage of the summer breezes as was the
norm for Greek Revival style houses. When the house was moved, the
foundation was placed so the house now faces the west. The Panic of 1873
started a period of economic crisis for the American economy. This a
severe nationwide economic depression, which lasted until 1879, affected
the fortunes of Wood. In 1875 creditors wanted payment for the unpaid
bills on the octagonal home and Wood was forced to sell the house for
$40,000. He moved back into the mansion, sharing it with his son Daniel,
until his death in 1880. John Wood is interred at the Woodland Cemetery
in Quincy.
After Wood’s death, Daniel sold the mansion and moved
to Galena, Kansas. The house became a boarding house with many different
families living in its various rooms. In 1906 the Historical Society of
Quincy and Adams County purchased the house to save it from destruction
from businessmen who wanted to tear it down. At first they used it as a
museum with many people going through it. Unfortunately, they did not
have the money to maintain it very well and by the early 1970’s the
house was in disrepair. At that time, the Historical Society decided to
restore the house to its original look. To date over $500,000 has been
spent on restoring the house. Visitors can tour this magnificent home
that is furnished with period pieces, some of which belonged to John
Wood himself. The John Wood Mansion was added to the National Register
of Historic Places in 1970.
The Parsonage is a 2-story brick house that was built
in 1885 to serve as the minister’s home for the English Lutheran Church,
which later became Luther Memorial Church. The red entrance and red
doors symbolize the house’s historical connection with the church. The
Parsonage now serves as a museum of the Historical Society with exhibits
showcasing items from Adams County’s past including the Civil War, early
founders, education and fine arts, industry, agriculture, pharmacies and
medicine, steamboats, railroads, circuses, and a major doll collection.
One Adams County township is featured annually in a rotating display
with items depicting its history. The adjoining log cabin was relocated
from Perry, Missouri, after it was donated by a local attorney whose
family owned the land that the cabin sat on. The log cabin is now used
as an educational facility for third grade students during the fall and
features garden featuring plants grown by a typical 19th-century pioneer
family.
The Library and Visitors Center houses the Historical
Society headquarters, its historical library, and audio visual and group
meeting room. The extensive library features many important books and
documents on early life in Quincy and Adams County. These include city
directories, city and county histories, and other original resources for
research. The Osage Orangerie Museum Store is located in the Visitors
Center and offers Quincy souvenirs and original hand-crafted selections
from local artisans reminiscent of the 19th century.
Visiting the John Wood Mansion,
1835 Log Cabin, and Parsonage
Visiting Hours
Monday - Saturday: 10 am - 2 pm
Parsonage open year round, Mansion closed January through March
The Library and office are only open Monday - Friday
The Log Cabin is not open to tours to the general public
Admission: $3 for adults and $1.50 for students through high
school
Location:
The John Wood Mansion, 1835 Log Cabin, and
Parsonage is located at 425 S. 12th Street at the corner of State Street
about 9 blocks east of the Gardner Expressway and the Quincy riverfront.
 Learn
more about the
Quincy
area.
adamscohistory.org
- Official site of the Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County.
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