WOOD, THOMAS PATRICK AND ELVIRA (TUCKER)

by Marvin Tucker

Entry F461 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Tom and Vira Wood at their home in England, 1951.

Elvira Tucker the eldest child of Chauncey
Tucker and Nancy Bell Tucker was born May
18, 1883 in Frontier County Nebraska. The
Chauncey Tucker Family moved to the
Dismal River in Hooker County in 1884.
Hooker County had not been organized at
that time and was part of Blaine County.
Elvira lost both of her parents - Chauncey
and Nancy on the Fall of 1903. She along with
her younger brother, Placer assumed the
responsibility of raising the younger children
and operating the ranch.

Elvira was married to Thomas P. Wood in
March 1907. Tom Wood had come from
England and worked for United British
Industries commonly known as the U.B.I.
The U.B.I. outfit was a cattle syndicate of
English investors. Tom Wood's father wason
the of the English investors. The U.B.I.
occupied a portion of Hooker County from
about 1900-1915 and they ran several thous-
and cattle on this free range.

The passage of the Kincaid Act of 1904 put
an end to the free range as settlers could take
a grant of 640 Acres from the Federal
Government. This was the beginning of the
end for the U.B.I.

Tom and Elvira established a small ranch
southwest of the Roseberry Bridge on the
North Dismal. They later sold out and moved
to Mullen about 1915. Tom traveled and sold
auto parts for the Storz Auto Supply Com-
pany of Omaha through the 20's and 30's. In
1939 Tom Wood inherited the family estate
in Shropshire England and moved from
Mullen in that year to take charge of the
property and Elvira arrived in England two
years later. Elvira lived in England until she
passed away in 1959. Tom Wood died a few
years later about 1965. Tom and Elvira had
no children and the property in England was
inherited by Tom's nephew according to
English Law.