Born on October 21, 1820, in the pioneer settlement of Cambridge in Dearborn County, Indiana, he was a lawyer, a farmer and a newspaper editor before he entered politics.

Hood, leased George W. Wood's interest in the Fort Wayne Times and People's Press for one year, starting on September 7, 1853.

[1] They changed the name to the Fort Wayne Times and continued to publish until Hood sold his interest to Dawson and Wood.

Dawson allegedly made "grossly improper proposals" to the Mormon widow Albina Merrill Williams, who responded by thrashing him with a fire shovel.

Taking a mail coach eastward, he arrived at Ephraim Hanks' Pony Express station at Mountain Dell, Utah.