Stephen M. Wood, farmer and stockraiser of Elmdale, Kan., was born at Mount Gilead, Morrow county, Ohio, June 10, 1832. He was brought up on a farm and received a common school education. On May 22, 1853, he married Miss Caroline Breese, who was born at Mount Gilead in 1833. In 1855, he moved his family to Cedar county, Iowa, and engaged in farming until the war broke out, when he enlisted in November 1861, as second lieutenant of Company B, Sixth Regiment, Missouri cavalry. On the first of August, 1863, he was promoted to first lieutenant and quartermaster of the regiment; April 12, 1864, was detailed as brigade commissary of subsistence, of First Brigade Cavalry Division, Department of the Gulf; Nov. 25, 1864, was detailed as quartermaster of the Pontoon Brigade and was mustered out of service at New Orleans, Sept. 12, 1865. Most of his service was in Missouri, Mississippi and Louisiana. The spring after coming home from the army he came to Kansas, located in Diamond Creek township in Chase county, two miles southwest of Elmdale. He still has his original homestead, upon which are valuable improvements, also 1,000 acres of improved land in Chase county, and is actively engaged in farming and stockraising. Mr. Wood is a brother of the famous Samuel N. Wood, and has taken quite an active interest in county and state politics and has been elected to many county and minor offices. Twice he represented Chase county in the legislature, and once represented Chase, Marion and Morris counties in the state senate. Mr. Wood was a member of the board of trustees of the State Blind Asylum during Governor Osborne's administration, 1873 to 1875. In the year 1877 he was appointed one of the regents of the State Agricultural College and was reappointed in 1880. During the last four years he held this office, he was presiding officer of the board and no small part of the present prosperity of the institution is due to his clear insight in all matters of a financial or practical nature and his earnest and energetic performance of the duties of his trust. He served two years, 1872-74, on the Board of State Railroad Tax Assessors. He and Mrs. Wood celebrated the fifty-eighth anniversary of their wedding in 1911 and each were presented with a solid gold napkin ring, set with diamonds, by the members of U. S. Grant Post, Grand Army of the Republic, Elmdale, of which Mr. Wood is post commander. Of their children, Sidney B. died Aug. 11, 1906; Clarence D. is living on his father's homestead; Wallace A. is a fancy stockbreeder in Chase county; and Carrie lives at home with her parents. Mr. Wood is a member of the Christian church. In 1910, he was appointed postmaster at Elmdale, resigning in 1911, when he became mayor. Harry C. Holmes, the present postmaster, is his grandson.