Born in New York, John Howland Wood came to Texas in 1836 and fought in the Texas Revolution. After serving as quartermaster with the Texas Army in Victoria, he settled on a ranch at Black Point (now Bayside) in the 1840s. Wood supplied beef to the U.S. Army stationed at Corpus Christi under Gen. Zachary Taylor. He served as patrol captain in coastal defense during the Civil War and was active in developing the City of Rockport. (1985)