Bios: A. W. WOODS, 20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens
  
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      A. W. WOODS,
  
  [p. 962] president of the New Castle Contracting Company, which makes a
  specialty of street paving, sewer and cement work and is an important
  business enterprise of this city, is one of New Castle's thoroughly self
  made men. He was born in 1868, within three miles of New Castle. William
  Woods, the father of A. W. Woods, was born in 1846, in England, and came
  to America and to Lawrence County in 1859. He was engaged in a grocery
  business at New Castle at the time of his death in 1885.
  
  A. W. Woods had few advantages of any kind in his youth, but he
  possessed ambition, and through persistent effort in the face of many
  drawbacks advanced himself and bettered his fortunes. In boyhood he went
  to work in a stove factory and later in the rolling-mills, taking
  advantage of every opportunity to husband his capital and to improve his
  efficiency along lines which enabled him, by 1893, to enter into a
  general contracting business. This he has developed into one of the
  largest concerns of its kind in the city. He did business under the
  style of A. W. Woods, contractor, until 1907, when a change was made and
  the name of the New Castle Contracting Company was assumed. A large
  proportion of the paving, sewer and cement work which so adds to the
  beauty and stability of New Castle, stands to the credit of this
  company. Mr. Woods has in the meanwhile acquired property which includes
  a farm in Lawrence County and valuable realty in the city.
  
  On December 12, 1888, Mr. Woods was married to Miss Ida Hammond, who was
  born and reared at New Castle. They are members of Trinity Episcopal
  Church. Mr. Woods is a Mason, a member of the Shrine and the Lodge of
  Perfection and he belongs also to the I.O.O.F., Woodmen, the Elks and
  other orders. He is identified with the New Castle Club. Mr. Woods
  career has been remarkable in one respect at least. He had no
  educational advantages in his youth; yet despite this drawback he has
  succeeded beyond most men of his age in New Castle. His clear cut common
  sense and keen intelligence has been his safeguard and guide. He manages
  and directs entirely the affairs of the company, of which he is the
  head, and the success they have achieved speaks volumes for the sound
  judgment he has displayed.
  
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  20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County Pennsylvania and
  Representative Citizens Hon. Aaron L. Hazen Richmond-Arnold Publishing
  Company, Chicago, Ill., 1908
  
  Co. Histories <http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/lawrence/>
  Updated: 9 Feb 2002