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Thomas T. Woods, furniture dealer, Fremont, was born in Mercer Co., Pa., Oct. 26, 1842. His parents were natives of Pennsylvania, and of English and Irish ancestry; his father died in Pennsylvania in 1857, and the mother resided in Youngstown, Ohio. Thomas left home when 13 years of age, and for two years he was employed on the Ohio River as deckhand. He then went to Niles, Ohio where he worked a year and a half, thence to the Oil Regions of Pennsylvania, remaining three years.
He was in the second battle of Bull Run, Antietam, and Winchester, under Milroy, in 1862. At the place last named he was taken prisoner, June 15, and was confined seven months at Belle Island and Libby prison. At the former place he was very sick and came near losing his life. After being paroled, he was honorably discharged at Washington, D.C., May 24, 1864. After a time he re-enlisted in the 8th Mich. Inf., and served till the close of the war-nine months. He was in the engagement before Petersburg, Va., under Gen. Burnside, April 3, 1865.
Upon his return from the army he settled in Detroit, Mich., where he was employed in the car works of that city for nearly two years, and soon after went to Chicago, and worked in a sash and blind factory nearly two years. He then returned to Detroit, remaining two years, and was then employed by the Detroit, Milwaukee & Grand Haven Railroad Company about nine years in bridge building, having in his employ from 10 to 40 men.
In the spring of 1874 Mr. Woods settled in Fremont, Newaygo County, and purchased the furniture stock of Benjamin Alton. He carried on the business, and, with a stock of $2,000, had the leading trade of this kind in the place. During the next nine years he was largely engaged in building, having erected a large number of the buildings in Fremont. He was married at Grand Rapids, Mich., Dec. 15, 1873, to Viola G., daughter of Ephraim and Susan (Redfield) Richmond, natives of New York, where their daughter was born Feb. 8, 1856. Mr. Woods held the office of Village Marshall one year, was a member of the Council six years, Deputy Sheriff six years, Under-Sheriff two years, and Treasurer of Sheridan Township eight years. He was a member of the Masonic Order, and practically belonged to the Greenback party.
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