Here Lies Dr. Valin Ridge Woodward Sr.1890-1969
According to Valin Ridge Woodward’s June 5, 1917, World War I Draft Registration Card: 123, he was six feet one inches tall and of medium build. Unfortunately, he had a defective left eye, was not married, and at the time, he was a twenty-eight-year-old medical student. Furthermore, he was employed by the Aged Masons in Arlington, Texas.[1]“The Home for Aged Masons, the second of its kind in the United States, opened in 1911 on West Division Street in Arlington, Texas.”[2]It later became known as the Masonic Retirement Center. Additionally, his draft card conveyed that he gained experience as a Quartermaster Sergeant in the Hospital Corps of the Texas National Guard for six years. Woodward lived at 500 Taylor Street, Fort Worth, Texas. He was born on February 12, 1890 in Queen City, Cass County, Texas.
Despite being born in an era where education was not valued, Woodward was among the few in his time to receive a proper education. He received his higher education at Texas Christian University (TCU) similar to his brothers Lee, C. Smith, and Lewis. Woodward’s medical education took place at Fort Worth School of Medicine affiliated with TCU, later absorbed by Baylor University in 1918.
Valin Ridge Woodward was the seventh of ten children born to Monoah Mortimer Woodward and Rosa Elizabeth Oliver Woodward.[3]Little is known about his early life other he and his family relocated from Queen City, Texas where he was born, to San Angelo, Texas.
From 1900 to 1914, Woodward resided in San Angelo, Tom Green County with his parents and six of his siblings: Andrew, Calisto, Lee, C. Smith, Mary and Robena. A ten-year old black female servant named Viney Johnson also lived with the family. According to the 1910 Census, Woodward’s father’s occupation changed from a physician to a salesman in the stock industry. Twenty-year old Woodward lived with his parents and his brothers, Lee, Lewis, and C. Smith in a rented home. No occupation was given for the three brothers; however, older brothers Lee and Andrew worked in the drug and hospital industry in Fort Worth, Texas.
Figure 1: The above image is an early photograph circa 1895 of the Woodward family, Dr. M.M. Woodward, his wife, Rosa, and seven of their children. At the time of the photo, Valin Ridge Woodward, often called “Vallie” when younger, was about 5 years old. Image courtesy of the Portal to Texas History.[4]
Figure 2: The above image is the back of the previously mentioned photograph of the Woodward family from 1895. On the back are names of individuals in the family as well as birth and death dates of each. This image is included as it shows the children who died young as well as mentions the one born after this photo was taken. Image courtesy of the Portal to Texas History.[5]
(The image was unable to be included in this posting. Apologies.)
Figure 3: Dr. Valin Ridge Woodward dedicated part of his life to Freemasonry, having been an active charter member and the manager of the Home for Aged Masons and Retirement Center. Dr. Valin Ridge Woodward Sr. is located in the photo above. Image is a newspaper clipping courtesy of The Dallas Morning News.
Beginning in 1913, Mr. Woodward held various offices in the Phi Chi International Medical Fraternity and was the first Texas physician to receive the Honor Key of the fraternity. In addition, he became involved with the Sons of the Republic of Texas, the York and Scottish-Rite groups, and the Texas State Historical Association.That same year, his father M.M. Woodward died leaving behind his wife Rosa and six children, the care of whom fell to Lewis.Woodward and his wife, Frances Louise McKinley Woodward married February 12, 1919 at the First Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas where they resided after moving from Austin, Texas.
After their move, Mr. Woodward worked as a geriatric physician. He lived in Precinct 2 Tarrant County and rented a home for him and his wife on Pike Street. Also residing in the home were a matron, eleven employees, and eighty-eight inmates [patients].[6]By 1920, four of the Woodward brothers lived in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. Lewis, twenty-four years old, single, and working in the hospital industry lived on Cooper Street with his mother Rosa.Andrew, still resided in Fort Worth, Texas, with his wife, three sons, two servants, and his mother-in-law. Lee, a single medical student at age thirty-four relocated to Dallas, Texas, to a home on Munger Avenue, and lastly, Cicero (C. Smith) resided in Fort Worth and worked on his own account in a hospital.
By 1930, Woodward and Frances had four children Valin Ridge Jr., age nine, Stanley, age six, Thomas, age four, and Francis, age one.[7]They still resided in Arlington, Texas in a home which had originally been owned by J.S. McKinley, located at 400 East 1st Street.[8]Woodward’s father-in-law Jesse Stanley McKinley, Arlington’s first hardware merchant and a city council member built the home at 400 East 1st Street in 1893. It became their home and location of the Woodward Hospital.[9]At the time, the home was valued at $1,500.00.[10]The home still stands today. It is referenced as being “the oldest home in Arlington, Texas”.[11]Located next door at 404 East 1st Street, the Ghormley-Arnold Home, built for Dr. W.I. Ghormley in 1906 and purchased by Mr. and Mrs. John E. Arnold in 1919.[12]The Ghormley family was an extension of the family by marriage. Woodward still worked as a self-employed physician. In 1930, Brother Andrew, a general practice physician, still resided in the Fort Worth area with his wife and three sons. Lee, a general practice physician lived on University Avenue in Fort Worth as a boarder in the Peach household.[13]Both Woodward and Samuel can be found in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in 1931 as practicing doctors, Woodward in the field of eye, ear, nose and throat at the Flatiron building and Samuel, a gynecologist at 1028 5th Avenue.[14]
Figure 4: The Woodward-McKinley home and Woodward Hospital at 400 E. 1st Street, Arlington, Texas. The home presently has a City of Arlington Landmark Designation but lacks a historical marker. Additionally, the home no longer operates as a hospital. Today, it serves as a residence. Photo taken by Nadeya Patel (2020).
In the meantime, Woodward’s brother Lewis, now thirty-four and single relocated with his mother back to San Angelo and worked as an office physician. In 1930, he and his mother lived in the household of Loyd and Cordelia Kerr; Loyd an attorney at law.[15]Lewis and his mother remained in the same location at 2326 Dallas Street until her accidental death due to a hard fall in 1937. The same year of his mother's death, Woodward’s oldest brother Samuel died from a lung complication resulting from a leg fracture.
According to the 1940 Census, at age fifty, Woodward still resided with his wife and children at the same home where his fifth and final son was born. He still worked as a self-employed physician. Valin Ridge Jr. was nineteen, Stanley, sixteen, Thomas, fourteen, Lewis, eleven, and Lee, eight. His younger brother, Cicero, a medical doctor, resided in a rented home in Tarrant County with his wife and two sons.[16]
In 1942, at the age of fifty-two, Woodward registered for the World War II Military Draft while still a self-employed physician practicing and living at the Woodward Hospital This same year, he also became an Army Air Force Glider School flight instructor.[17]“Lieutenant Valin R. Woodward, senior flying instructor and tow pilot at South Plains Army Flying School returned from a trip to Sweetwater, Tarrant Field, and Ellington Field where he attended the first graduation of women ferry pilots in April of 1943.”[18]
Woodward obtained a reputation of being a great orator and leader. Woodward, as a past society president, state historian, genealogist, and national committee member of the Sons of the American Revolution, he spoke at an anniversary event for the Benjamin Lyon Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in 1944. In 1945, as a committee member of the Texas Statehood Commission, he organized a group gathering in Dallas, Texas for the Centennial Celebration. Woodward was actively involved with the Patrick Henry Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, held the offices of chaplain of the Texas Society, and vice-chairman of the National Department of Organization in 1946.In 1949, he spoke at a celebration for the Royal Arch Masons of Waxahachie’s 80th Birthday.[19]His brother, Cicero, also spoke at this same event for the Royal Arch Masons after having completed twenty-five years of service to the Masons.
Noted as a prominent Texan, Woodward was inductedinto the Knights of San Jacinto at the battleground ceremony in 1953. That same year, he became a Grandmaster 2nd Veil of the Royal Arch Masons.[20]While he resided there, Arlington changed greatly. The 1950s in Arlington Texas, considered by many to be the “booming era” began the introduction of automobiles and entertainment.[21]Lake Arlington, had also been constructed and deemed “Miracle Lake” as it only took twenty-six days to fill and impact the water supply issue that surfaced due to Arlington’s rapid growth.[22]Additionally, the construction of Six Flags Over Texas began. Presently, the railroad attraction is the only one still operational from the very beginning.[23]In 1959, at the Alamo, Woodward of Austin, Texas gave a memorial address for deceased physicians of the Texas Medical Association, this having been the first time this type of event had been held at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas.[24]
Woodward retired from his profession as a physician at the age of seventy-one. Although retired, 1961 appeared to be a rather busy year for Woodward. He received the Texas Heritage Foundation’s Distinguished Service Medal.[25]He was awarded the honor for having worked for the selective service system for ten years without pay.[26]For that, he received recognition and a certificate from President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.[27]Additionally, Woodward continued to serve as the editor of the Texas Compatriot an office held since 1933 and the secretary-treasurer of the Order of the Knights of San Jacinto. Woodward served as superintendent of the State Hospital in Las Vegas in 1961.[28]Woodward Sr., also spoke at a Salvation Army Advisory Board meeting at the Nicholson Home. In 1965, at the 75th convention of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution, Woodward Sr., became surgeon general of the National Society.[29]
On February 12, 1969, Woodward and his wife “Fannie Lou” celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. A reception was held in their honor on February 14, 1969, at the Inn of Six Flags.[30]At the time, each of their children resided in all different locations. Valin Ridge Woodward Jr. resided in Germany, Stanley in New Braunfels, Texas, Thomas in Hollywood, California, Francis Lewis in Georgetown, Texas, and Coulter Lee in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Two months after celebrating fifty years of marriage, Woodwarddied of a coronary occlusion April 11, 1969 at the age of seventy-nine in Arlington, Texas, Tarrant County, the informant of his death having been his brother C. Smith Woodward.[31] According to his probate record in Tarrant County, his wife, Frances, acted as Independent Executrix of his will with his brothers Lewis and Lee appearing as witnesses. His will indicated he died debt free. “He owned “real and personal property generally described as cash, personal effects, and real property in Tarrant County, Texas of a probable value in excess of 5,000.00”.[32]He is buried at the Old Arlington Cemetery Complex next to his wife, Frances Louise McKinley, his sons, Coulter Lee and, the most recent burial in the plot is that of Thomas “Morgan” Woodward, an actor who starred in various shows and movies such as “Dallas”, “Cool Hand Luke”, and “Gunsmoke”, who died February 2019.[33]Within the same plot, are his in-laws J.S. and S.A. McKinley, Marie W. and Jesse R. McKinley, Stella M. and Thomas L. Cravens, and Ammon and Miriam Ghormley. His parents and many of his siblings are buried at Fairmount Cemetery in San Angelo.
Oral tradition attributed Woodward as a man of many talents with a caring heart for his community.[34]His life had a profound effect on the community of Arlington and the state of Texas, which claims him as a “native son”.
Figure 5:Image of the Woodward-McKinley family plot at the Old Arlington Cemetery Complex. Photo taken by Nadeya Patel (2020).
Bibliography
Primary Sources
Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
Ancestry.com.U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. [database on-line]. Provo,UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2005.
Ancestry.com.U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942. [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
[Family of Doctor Manoah Mortimer and Rosa Elizabeth Woodward], photograph, 1895~; https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth624351/m1/1/?q=Valin%20R.%20Wood ward: accessed February 17, 2020), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History,https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Coleman Public Library.
Tarrant County, Texas Death Certificate Number 29210.
Tarrant County, Texas Probate A-8741
Census Records
Year: 1900; Census Place: San Angelo, Tom Green, Texas; Page: 5; Enumeration District: 0155; FHL microfilm: 1241672
Year: 1910; Census Place: San Angelo, Tom Green, Texas; Roll: T624_1592; Page: 22A; Enumeration District: 0283; FHL microfilm: 1375605
Year: 1920; Census Place: Justice Precinct 2, Tarrant, Texas; Roll: T625_1850; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 156
Year: 1930;Census Place: Arlington, Tarrant, Texas;Page: 8A;Enumeration District: 0108; FHL microfilm: 2342132
Year: 1940; Census Place: Arlington, Tarrant, Texas; Roll: m-t0627-04141; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 220-13
Newspapers
Corsicana Semi-Weekly Light (Corsicana, Texas) May 7, 1937
Denton Record ChronicleNovember 22, 1944
El Paso TimesAugust 16, 1961
Express and News San Antonio, Texas April 19, 1959
Grand Prairie Daily NewsSeptember 7, 1965
Lubbock Avalanche JournalJuly 12, 1942
Lubbock Morning Avalanche April 27, 1943
The Austin American NewspaperSeptember 16, 1946
The Austin American NewspaperApril 21, 1953
The Austin American NewspaperFebruary 14, 1969
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times April 29, 1965
The Dallas Morning News March 27, 1955
The Frisco Employes Magazine July 1926
The Galveston Daily NewsMay 3, 1928
The Odessa American July 9, 1961
The Paris NewsMay 14, 1961
The Tyler Courier NewsMarch 25, 1945
The Waco News-Tribune December 2, 1953
The Waxahachie Daily LightJune 24, 1949
Secondary Sources
“1950-1977 – Automobiles & Entertainment Arrive.” City of Arlington. Accessed February 19, 2020.1950-1977 – Automobiles & Entertainment Arrive.
“Be Part of What's Next.” History | Downtown Arlington, TX. Accessed February 19, 2020. History.
Harris René, and Arista Joyner. Arlington, a Pictorial History. Donning, 1982.
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com:accessed31 January 2020), memorial page for Dr. Mortimer M. Woodward (1849-1914), Find a Grave Memorial no, 63772772, citing Fairmount Cemetery, San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas, USA.
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed 02 February 2020), memorial page for Dr. Valin Ridge Woodward (12 Feb 1890-11 Apr 1969), Find a Grave Memorial no. 71626876, citing Arlington Cemetery, Arlington, Tarrant County, Texas,USA.
“History.” Baylor College of Medicine. Accessed February 19, 2020. History.
Loco Theme -. “Welcome to Architecture in Fort Worth.” Architecture in Fort Worth. Accessed February 19, 2020. Architecture in Fort Worth.
Medical Colleges of the United States and of Foreign Countries. Chicago: American Medical Association, 1914.
Oral Interview D. Rencurrel February 2020.
“The First Six Flags Opens in Texas.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, November 24, 2009. The first Six Flags opens in Texas.
“The Official Morgan Woodward Website.” The Official Morgan Woodward Website. Accessed February 19, 2020. The Official Morgan Woodward Website.
“Tour of Historic Buildings.” City of Arlington. Accessed February 19, 2020. Tour of Historic Buildings.
[1]Ancestry.com.U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2005. All of the information in the opening paragraph comes from Woodward’s World War I Draft Registration Card [2]Harris René, and Arista Joyner. Arlington, a Pictorial History. Donning, 1982.78. This is a direct quotation taken from the Arlington book [3] Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com:accessed31 January 2020), memorial page for Dr. Mortimer M. Woodward (1849-1914), Find A Grave Memorial no, 63772772, citing Fairmount Cemetery, San Angelo, Tom Green County, Texas, USA. [4][Family of Doctor Manoah Mortimer and Rosa Elizabeth Woodward], photograph, 1895~; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth624351/m1/1/?q=Valin%20R.%20Woodward: accessed February 17, 2020), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History,https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Coleman Public Library. [5][Family of Doctor Manoah Mortimer and Rosa Elizabeth Woodward], photograph, 1895~; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth624351/m1/2/?q=Valin%20R.%20Woodward: accessed February 17, 2020), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History,https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Coleman Public Library. [6]Year: 1920; Census Place: Justice Precinct 2, Tarrant, Texas; Roll: T625_1850; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 156 The term inmates as used above refers to patients in the Masonic Retirement Center, the enumerator used the term inmates when collecting the data. [7]Year: 1930; Census Place: Arlington, Tarrant, Texas; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0108; FHL microfilm: 2342132 [8]Year: 1930; Census Place: Arlington, Tarrant, Texas; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0108; FHL microfilm: 2342132 [9]Harris René, and Arista Joyner. Arlington, a Pictorial History. Donning, 1982. [10]Year: 1930; Census Place: Arlington, Tarrant, Texas; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0108; FHL microfilm: 2342132 [11]Loco Theme - locotheme.com, “Welcome to Architecture in Fort Worth,” Architecture in Fort Worth, accessed February 19, 2020, http://fortwortharchitecture.com/) [12]“Tour of Historic Buildings,” City of Arlington, accessed February 19, 2020, [13]Year: 1930; Census Place: Arlington, Tarrant, Texas; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0108; FHL microfilm: 2342132 [14]Ancestry.com.U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. [15]Year: 1930; Census Place: Arlington, Tarrant, Texas; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 0108; FHL microfilm: 2342132 [16]Year: 1940; Census Place: Arlington, Tarrant, Texas; Roll: m-t0627-04141; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 220-13 [17]Lubbock Avalanche JournalJuly 12, 1942 [18]Lubbock Morning Avalanche April 27, 1943 The information from the above newspaper appears in quotes as direct information from the article was used in this paper. [19]The Waxahachie Daily LightJune 24, 1949 This citation as well as the sentences prior to it all come from various newspapers that are listed in the bibliography page of this paper but are not individually cited above. [20]The Waco News-Tribune December 2, 1953 [21]“1950-1977 – Automobiles & Entertainment Arrive,” City of Arlington, accessed February 19, 2020, https://www.arlingtontx.gov/residents/about_arlington/history_of_arlington/arlington_history/1950-1977_automobiles_entertainment_arrive) [22]“1950-1977 – Automobiles & Entertainment Arrive,” City of Arlington, accessed February 19, 2020, https://www.arlingtontx.gov/residents/about_arlington/history_of_arlington/arlington_history/1950-1977_automobiles_entertainment_arrive) [23]The First Six Flags Opens in Texas,” History.com (A&E Television Networks, November 24, 2009), https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/texans-head-for-the-thrills-at-six-flags) [24]Express and News San Antonio, Texas April 19, 1959 [25]The Odessa American July 9, 1961 [26]The Odessa American July 9, 1961 [27]The Odessa American July 9, 1961 [28]El Paso TimesAugust 16, 1961 [29]The Corpus Christi Caller-Times April 29, 1965 [30]The Austin American NewspaperFebruary 14, 1969 [31]Tarrant County, Texas Death Certificate Number 29210 [32]Tarrant County, Texas Probate A-8741 [33]“The Official Morgan Woodward Website,” The Official Morgan Woodward Website, accessed February 19, 2020, http://www.morganwoodward.com/) [34]Oral Interview D. Rencurrel. February 2020.