Thomas Alexander Wood was born in Montgomery County, Illinois, on March 1, 1837. Wood often identified as T. A. Wood during his lifetime. He emigrated to Oregon in 1852, crossing the plains on the Oregon Trail. Between 1855 and 1856, Wood fought in the Yakima War. In 1858, Wood returned East to attend Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio. He served as a Methodist chaplain and gave pro-Union speeches in southern Illinois during the early years of the American Civil War. Wood married Rhoda Caroline Snell and returned to Oregon in 1862. In addition to serving as a Methodist minister in the state, Wood also undertook several entrepreneurial and real estate ventures. During the 1860s, Wood helped advocate for education for Black children in Portland, eventually prompting the Portland public school board to establish a segregated school. The school board closed the school and integrated the school system in 1872. Wood was also an active member of the Indian War Veterans, serving as grand commander for the organization and advocating for veterans of conflicts with Native peoples to receive pensions. Wood died in Portland in 1904.

Source: Hines, Harvey Kimball. An Illustrated History of the State of Oregon. Lewis Publishing Company, 1893.