After visiting with my father a day or
two, I returned to Avon, where most of
my relatives lived, and held meetings
with them, and on the , I baptized my uncle, Ozem Wood-
ruff, his wife Hannah, and his son John,
and we rejoiced together, for this was in
fulfillment of a dream I had in ,
when I was eleven years of age.
On the I had an appoint-
ment to preach at the house of my uncle, Adna Hart. While there I had the
happy privilege of meeting with my wife, Phoebe W. Woodruff, who had come
from Kirtland to meet me and accom-
pany me to her father's home in Scar-
boro, Maine.
Those who had assembled to hear me
preach were relatives, neighbors and for-
mer friends. After meeting, we returned
to Farmington to my father's home,
where I spent the night with my father, step-mother, sister and wife. Elder Hale
was also with us.
On the , Elder Hale left
us to go to his friends in New Rowley,
Massachusetts, and on the same evening
I held a meeting in the Methodist meet-
ing house in the town of Farmington.
I had a large congregation of citizens,
with whom I had been acquainted from
my youth. My parents, wife and sister
attended the meeting. The congrega-
tion seemed satisfied with the doctrines
I taught, and they requested me to hold
another meeting; but I felt anxious to
continue my journey, and on the I parted from my father, step-
mother and sister, and took stage for Hartford with my wife.
On my arrival at Hartford, not having
money to pay the fare of both of us, I
paid my wife's fare to Rowley, Massa-
chusetts, where there was a branch of
the Church, presided over by Brother Nathaniel Holmes, father of Jonathan
and Milton Holmes, and I journeyed on
foot.
The first day I walked fifty-two miles,
the second day forty-eight, and the third
day thirty-six miles, and arrived at Row-
ley at two o'clock, making one hundred
and thirty-six miles in a little over two
and a half days.
I spent eight days at New Rowley,
holding meetings and visiting the Saints,
including the Holmes family, and left
there on the .
On the , in company
with my wife and Elder Hale, I visited
my wife's father, Ezra Carter, and his
family in Scarboro, Maine, it being the
first time I had ever seen any of her
relatives. We were very kindly received.
My wife had been absent from her
father's home about one year.
I spent eight days with Father Carter
and household, and one day I went out
to sea with Fabian and Ezra Carter, my
brothers-in-law, in a boat, to fish with
hooks. We caught two hundred and
fifty cod, haddock and hake, and we saw
four whales, two at a time, it being the
first time in my life I had ever seen the
kind of a fish which is said to have
swallowed Jonah.
On the , I parted
with my wife and her father's household,
leaving her with them, and, in company
with Jonathan H. Hale, started upon the
mission that I had in view when I left
Kirtland.
We walked ten miles to Portland, and
took passage on the steamboat Bangor,
which carried us to Owl's Head, where
we went on board of a sloop which
landed us on North Fox Island at 2
o'clock, A.M., on the .
The town of Vinal Haven includes
both North and South Fox Islands, in
latitude 44° north, and longitude 69° 10'
west. The population numbered, at the
time of my visit, about 1,800. The in-
habitants were intelligent and indus-
trious, and hospitable to strangers. They
got most of their wealth and living by
fishing. The town fitted out over one
hundred licensed sailing vessels, besides
smaller craft.
North Fox Island is nine miles long
by two miles in width and had a popula-
tion of 800. They had a post office,
one store, a Baptist church and meeting
house, four school houses and a tide
grist mill.
The land was rather poor, yet there
were some good farms. The products
were wheat, barley, oats, potatoes and
grass. The principal timber was fir,
spruce, hemlock and birch. Raspberries
and gooseberries grew in great abun-
dance, and some up-land cranberries
were raised. The principal stock of the
island were sheep.
South Fox Island comes as near being
without any definite form as any spot on
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF WILFORD WOODRUFF.
Column 1
After visiting with my father a day or
two, I returned to Avon, where most of
my relatives lived, and held meetings
with them, and on the , I baptized my uncle, Ozem Woodruff, his wife Hannah, and his son John,
and we rejoiced together, for this was in
fulfillment of a dream I had in 1818,
when I was eleven years of age.
On the I had an appointment to preach at the house of my uncle,
Adna Hart. While there I had the
happy privilege of meeting with my wife,
Phoebe W. Woodruff, who had come
from Kirtland to meet me and accompany me to her father's home in Scarboro, Maine.
Those who had assembled to hear me
preach were relatives, neighbors and former friends. After meeting, we returned
to Farmington to my father's home,
where I spent the night with my father,
step-mother, sister and wife. Elder Hale
was also with us.
On the , Elder Hale left
us to go to his friends in New Rowley,
Massachusetts, and on the same evening
ing house in the town of Farmington.
I had a large congregation of citizens,
with whom I had been acquainted from
my youth. My parents, wife and sister
attended the meeting. The congregation seemed satisfied with the doctrines
I taught, and they requested me to hold
another meeting; but I felt anxious to
continue my journey, and on the I parted from my father, stepmother and sister, and took stage for
Hartford with my wife.
On my arrival at Hartford, not having
money to pay the fare of both of us, I
paid my wife's fare to Rowley, Massachusetts, where there was a branch of
the Church, presided over by Brother
Nathaniel Holmes, father of Jonathan
and Milton Holmes, and I journeyed on
foot.
The first day I walked fifty-two miles,
the second day forty-eight, and the third
day thirty-six miles, and arrived at Rowley at two o'clock, making one hundred
and thirty-six miles in a little over two
and a half days.
I spent eight days at New Rowley,
holding meetings and visiting the Saints,
including the Holmes family, and left
there on the .
Column 2
On the , in company
with my wife and Elder Hale, I visited
my wife's father, Ezra Carter, and his
family in Scarboro, Maine, it being the
first time I had ever seen any of her
relatives. We were very kindly received.
My wife had been absent from her
father's home about one year.
I spent eight days with Father Carter
and household, and one day I went out
to sea with Fabian and Ezra Carter, my
brothers-in-law, in a boat, to fish with
hooks. We caught two hundred and
fifty cod, haddock and hake, and we saw
four whales, two at a time, it being the
first time in my life I had ever seen the
kind of a fish which is said to have
swallowed Jonah.
On the , 1 parted
with my wife and her father's household,
leaving her with them, and, in company
with Jonathan H. Hale, started upon the
mission that I had in view when I left
Kirtland.
We walked ten miles to Portland, and
took passage on the steamboat Bangor,
which carried us to Owl's Head, where
we went on board of a sloop which
landed us on North Fox Island at 2
o'clock, A.M., on the .
The town of Vinal Haven includes
both North and South Fox Islands, in
latitude 44° north, and longitude 69° 10'
west. The population numbered, at the
time of my visit, about 1,800. The inhabitants were intelligent and industrious, and hospitable to strangers. They
got most of their wealth and living by
fishing. The town fitted out over one
hundred licensed sailing vessels, besides
smaller craft.
North Fox Island is nine miles long
by two miles in width and had a population of 800. They had a post office,
one store, a Baptist church and meeting
house, four school houses and a tide
grist mill.
The land was rather poor, yet there
were some good farms. The products
were wheat, barley, oats, potatoes and
grass. The principal timber was fir,
spruce, hemlock and birch. Raspberries
and gooseberries grew in great abundance, and some up-land cranberries
were raised. The principal stock of the
island were sheep.
South Fox Island comes as near being
without any definite form as any spot on
