Feb. 20,1781 - Feb. 25,1870

 

* Author's Note:   Asa Eastwood led an extraordinary life, plus he kept a personal, handwritten, diary which accurately dates and details so many interesting stories and recreations of historical moments from the early days of US History. His birth coincides with the birth of our nation; he was 8 years old, living in New York City, the heart of the new US Federal Government, when George Washington took office as the First President of the United States. He not only documents and discusses his personal views of newsworthy naval, political, and historical occurrences, but also minute details of his family life and experiences. These intimate observations and opinions lend a sense of experiencing them yourself, firsthand. His wording, phrasing, and mostly interpretations, of a situation recreates the era in a way I've never experienced in a decade of historical study and research.

Newspaper Article
Sept. 20, 1908

 The fact that, not only is he my great, great grandfather, he bought the "Eastwood Farm" in Cicero, NY (North Syracuse), birthplace of my father and all my Eastwood aunts and uncles, Little did I realize, growing up in Syracuse NY in the early fifties, that it was also the birthplace of my grandfather (Ralph Nelson) and his father, Enos (Asa's youngest son, named for his closest younger brother who died prematurely at sea). To add to my rejuvenation of interest in the project, I also discover that when Asa moved with his wife and three young sons, all squeezed into two small wagons, across the state of New York to his new, sight unseen, 107 acre farm, the youngest, 7 year old son  Lewis Washington Eastwood was the great, great grandfather of Hollywood Legend, Clint Eastwood Jr. Though I'm the third cousin of Clinton Eastwood, the more research I do on Asa and his descendents (the ancestors of myself and Clint), the closer I feel to my old cousin.
The similarities of our respective family lives, upbringing, parents and grandparents, and such, brings me to a renewed point of lifetime reevaluation and reflection -  "Where did I go wrong" 

Back to Genealogy and Eastwood Family History: I've been quite fortunate that my Aunt Gladys, wife of my Dad's eldest brother, Kenneth, was a genealogist, before it became en vogue and trendy. She researched and developed a bare-roots Eastwood family tree (pre-internet), and more importantly, amassed quite a collection of Eastwood information, articles, and historical memorabilia. Though she wisely donated Asa's diary to Syracuse University, much was retained and bequeathed to descendent offspring. I remember well our family visits to the well-appointed townhouse of Uncle Ken and Aunt Gladys in New York City and her exciting tales of Asa and Enos Eastwood and their sea-faring adventures (the biblical names alone conjured images of the era). She would describe life on a massive sailing ship, hunting whales and fighting Caribbean and Barbary pirates, topics sure to capture the imagination of my brothers (no doubt my sister as well) and I, ages ranging from 5 to 13. Perhaps she noticed a hint of skepticism in my eyes (I was doing my best to retain the Santa Claus myth, my grandparents battling pirates was definitely suspicious) because the famed "Eastwood Whales Tooth from Asa and Enos" is now in possession of my younger brother, Ralph (named after Grandpa, Ralph Nelson Eastwood). Oh, how I coveted that giant hunk of ivory, laced with visible gum lines, inspiring thoughts of the huge tooth being just a tiny nibbler, lost in the mouth of a mammoth sea creature. Only later did Walt Disney recreate the visuals swirling in my brain. All that aside, I now possess, on loan, numerous articles and papers on Asa Eastwood, as well as dozens of his handwritten letters and papers (Last Will and Testament - original draft, not the official one, written by his attorney). I've actually refrained from reviewing them in fear of immersing myself in visions of the era, and writing a screenplay, ignoring the necessary prior research.
"So much inspiration, so little time"

BOTTOM LINE: In conclusion, I've begun a separate little website devoted exclusively to Asa Eastwood who, dare I say, lived a life that might even surpass that of our other famed Eastwood, Clint. To avoid debate, I've done the same for Clint and his has also filled me with inspiration, subsequently, Asa's site is sadly lacking. Many pages are bare-boned, to say the least, but development is forthcoming. Please bare with me. If interested, numerous related Asa pages are relatively complete. SEE:
History of Cicero
USS Constellation
Erie Canal
Aaron Burr