Historical Note

Charles Erskine Scott Wood was a soldier, poet, painter, and lawyer, whose enthusiasm for the arts had a profound influence on the cultural scenes of Portland, Oregon (1880s-1915) and San Francisco/Los Gatos (1915-1944). After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy in 1874, Wood became an aide to General O.O. Howard in 1877, serving with him in the Pacific Northwest during the Bannock and Paiute and Nez Perce Indian wars. Wood was present at Chief Joseph's surrender, and translated his famous surrender speech. He later attended Columbia University, obtained his law degree, and established a practice of maritime and corporation law in Portland, Oregon. While living in the Portland, Wood maintained a close association with Chief Joseph, and his son Erskine lived with Joseph for two separate autumn seasons. In addition to his successful law practice, C. E. S. Wood painted, wrote, and was a champion of social justice. Along with Sara Bard Field (1882-1974), whom he later married, Wood was an active supporter of liberal causes and became the center of an artistic and literary circle in the San Francisco area. He was the author of a number of books including The Poet in the Desert (1915) Heavenly Discourseand (1927), as well as various articles for the Pacific Monthly and Century Magazines Erskine Wood also became an attorney and practiced in the Portland area for his whole life.