Background
Henry Ellsworth Wood (1855-1932) was born in Joliet, Illinois, the son of William Cowper Wood and Hannah Tucker Lawrence.
The Woods hailed from a prominent Connecticut family which included Oliver Ellsworth, the third Chief Justice of the United
States Supreme Court. In 1868, William accompanied Major John Wesley Powell's expedition to explore the headwaters of the
Colorado River, hoping a trip to the West might improve his health. Thirteen-year old Henry joined his father for much of
the journey. Having entered Yale University with the class of 1876, Henry left after two years of study in mineralogy for
a job with the Edgar Thompson Steel Works in Braddocks, Pennsylvania. In 1876, Henry Ellsworth Wood returned to Colorado where
he began work in the Boulder County mines as a miner, ore assorter and assayer. He arrived in Leadville, Colorado, in 1878,
partnering with Maurice Hayes before establishing his own assay office and laboratory. Life in Leadville proved difficult
for his family and in 1889 Henry moved the business to Denver. In 1898, he expanded his professional activities with the formation
of the Henry E. Wood Ore Testing Works. He patented the Wood Ore Flotation process in 1909 and in 1912 turned his attention
toward the concentration of Molybdenite. During the First World War, Henry shipped the product to England, France and the
United States from the largest Molybdenite mine in Canada. His finances suffered following the war and eventually Henry joined
his sons in their general oil business. Henry Ellsworth Wood married Belle Matteson McGinnis on November 1, 1880, in New York
City. The Woods established a residence in Colorado, though each traveled extensively. Belle, granddaughter of former Illinois
governor Joel Aldrich Matteson, possessed her own Colorado ties. Her aunt, Mary Jane Matteson, married mining and real estate
broker Roswell Eaton Goodell and the pair became prominent Leadville residents. The Goodells had five daughters with whom
both Henry and Belle were close. In 1881, Mary Matteson Goodell married mining engineer James Benton Grant, operator of the
Grant Smelter at Leadville and later first Democratic governor of Colorado. The Woods had three children: Katharine Earle
Wood, Oliver Ellsworth Wood, and Lawrence Matteson Wood. The death of their daughter Katharine shortly after the birth of
her daughter Katharine Wood Manice in 1902, involved the Woods in a protracted dispute with her widower, Arthur R. Manice,
regarding both the upbringing of their granddaughter and various financial entanglements. The Woods celebrated their fiftieth
wedding anniversary in 1930. Having fallen on hard times financially, Henry Ellsworth Wood died in Sacramento, California,
in 1932.
Restrictions
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.