Wood Colony, California facts for kids
Wood Colony is an unincorporated area in Stanislaus County, California, United States, located to the west of Modesto. It has been designated as a "Community of Interest" by Stanislaus County's Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCO).
History
Wood Colony derives its name from one of the first settlers, Ebenezer "Eben" Wood, who purchased 1,760 acres from Timothy Paige in 1869. Eben Wood and his wife, Sarah A. (Wiley) Wood, moved to the property and lived in a small frame house there until 1894. Eben Wood died May 18, 1902, and was buried in Citizen's Cemetery (Modesto Cemetery) on Scenic Drive. Wood Creek near Sonora is also named for Eben Wood.
Old German Baptist Brethren church members began settling in Wood Colony in the 1870s. Today, the Old German Baptist Brethren, Old German Baptist Brethren New Conference and Old Brethren church members make up about one-third of the population of Wood Colony.
California's largest and oldest walnut tree is in Wood Colony on the corner of Dakota and North avenues was planted by early settler, Jacob Cover. Cover planted the first walnut orchard in Stanislaus County.Stanislaus Stepping Stones Newsletter.
The first Wood Colony Country Fair and Colony Tour was held on Saturday, August 16, 2014.
Wood Colony's Durrer Barn is mentioned in an article in the October 2014 issue of National Geographic (magazine).
Schools
- Brethren Heritage School - Private school, K-12 grades, student enrollment - 95
- Hart-Ransom Union School District
- Sierra Vista Kirk Baucher School - Non-public school
Wood Colony Cemetery
On January 8, 1910, a committee of Old German Baptist Brethren church members, John J. Wagoner, Weston H. Mohler, Jacob A. Cover, Samuel E. Garber, and Clarence L. Woodbridge, were appointed to plot out an area for the use of parking, a church building, and a cemetery. Jacob Cover drafted the layout plan. The first cemetery burial was in 1912. The current location of the cemetery is 3511 Dakota Avenue, on the west side of Dakota between Murphy and Beckwith roads.
Almond Tree Varietal "Wood Colony"
David Elmer Blickenstaff (1911–1977) a Wood Colony resident and descendant of early settlers, patented an almond varietal and named it in honor of his community.
