Woods, John

John Woods (1818-1887), after serving a year in the Mexican-American war, was already in the California gold country in 1848 when gold was discovered. Later that year, he came to Santa Cruz, eventually settling on a farm on the west side of the Arana Gulch estuary known as Woods Lagoon. In the 1960s, Woods Lagoon was converted into today's Santa Cruz Harbor.

• His Mexican-American War service in the New York Volunteers regiment is documented in an 1874 book titled "Roll of the Survivors"; viewable online at Internet Archive. The book states that as of 1874, Woods was living in Dover, Merced County. No evidence of the existence of "Dover" has been found.

Woods was a charter member of the Soc. of Pioneers. Daughters Emma and Laura Woods were honorary members.