Electa Wood

Electa Wood

416 Daughters of Utah Pioneers

Bullock, who later moved to Wyoming, and Dorothy
Melissa (Doll) Bullock.


ELECTA WOOD BULLOCK

BIRTHDATE: 15 Jut 1834
Florence, Huron Co., Ohio
DEATH: 15 Aug 1911
Provo, Utah Co., Utah PARENTS: Gideon D. Wood Hannah Electa Daley PIONEER : 24 Sep 1848
Wagon Train Company SPOUSE: Isaac Bullock MARRIED: 14 Dec 1856
Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
DEATH SP: 16 Mar 1891
Provo, Utah Co, Utah

CHILDREN:
Isaac, Jr., 19 Sep 1 857
Electa, 6 Mar 1 859
Hannah Christina, 25 Dec 1861
Frances Eva, 7 Jun 1867
Ada Elizabeth 1 2 May 1 863
Nettie May, 13 Jun 1 872
Gideon Owen, 3 Dec 1875
Abraham Owen, 24 Jul 1878
John Kimball, 15 Oct 1882


Electa was born in Ohio three years after her parents had joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As she grew up, she lived in Far West, Missouri, then near Quincy, Illinois, then in Nauvoo, after the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
The family was driven out of Nauvoo with the Saints, in 1 846, and lived in Council Bluffs for two years. Finally in the spring of 1848, they packed for the final part of the journey to the Great Salt Lake Valley , arriving there in September.
As early as 1 850, Electa was called by Brigham Young to act in the Bowery, the old Social Hall, and the Salt Lake Theater. She was known for her splendid impersonation of characters and was in the cast of the first performance given in the Social Hall. For many years, Electa was one of the most•active people in promoting the interests of drama in Utah.
When she was twenty years old, her family moved to Springville, Utah territory, to help settle that area. But the audiences missed Electa Wood and Brigham Young sent an invitation to her, by his carriage, to come back to Salt Lake and continue to delight audiences. She was invited to live in one of Bri gham Young's houses and she was honored to be able to act with many greats, including Maud Adams.
When Electa was twenty-two years old, she married Isaac Bullock. He was returning from Fillmore where he had been serving on the legislature, re presenting Green



Ri ver Country, (i n Wyoming), which was part of the Utah
Territory.

A few months after her marriage, Isaac took a second wife, Emma Stott, a nd the three of them moved to Fort Supply, Wyoming, where he served as an Indian interpreter.
They li ved through many frightening experiences and faith-promoting times. Life in Indian territory was not easy. It was said of Electa that she was a gracious hostess; and that even when entertaining guests in a ca bin with a dirt floor, she never apologized for those circumstances, and that her guests had a wonderful time and were a l ways at ease.
A week later, word came that Johnston 's Army was coming and they would need to leave the nex t morning. The baby was bundled up the whole time and kept next to Electa's body. The baby was a ble to survive the three week trip to Springv ille and lived to maturity in spite of parts of his skin comin g off when the blankets were removed carefully with oli ve oil and cotton.
That same year, Electa and her husband were called by Brigham Young to run the Bullock Hotel in Provo, Utah, as there was no place for strangers to stay. Electa was sa id to have an understanding heart and she and her family were g racious hostesses at this hotel , entertaining a nd serving excellent mea ls to congressmen, governors, judges, English noblemen, statesmen, and diplomats of several nations.
A few yea rs later Isaac was called on a mi ssion to England and the two wives enjoyed and loved each other. Of Electa's nine children, only three lived to maturity. But one of the hardest trials that Electa had to face was when her oldest daughter died shortl y after childbirth leavi ng six small children. Electa and Isaac left the hotel and moved into the bereaved home and took care of the children.
Isaac died suddenly of pneumonia. After Isaac's death, Emma and Electa were closer than ever, comforting and helping one another. At his death, Electa was given title to all of Isaac's property, but she promptly sa id, "No, Emma is entitled to her half of everything," and arranged t he division equally.
Electa was active in women's suffrage, helping to secure the vote for the women. Prior to and during the campaign for the election of delegates to the Constitutional Convention, she made a thorough personal canvass of Utah County, visiting every precinct in the interest of securing in the proposed s t a te con s titution a provision for eq u a l suffrage. This resulted in a un animous vote from Utah County in favor of an equal suffrage plan in the constitu­ tion. In this work she stood above party politics and advo­ cated her cause solely upon the principle of human liberty and advanced civilization.
Electa was elected President of the Woman 's Suffrage Association of U tah County in 1 89 1 , and she held thi s office until her death.
Also, in 1891, Electa was elected a delegate from Utah to the International Woman 's Suffrage Congress held in