80/80 - The first American born Eastwood

The first American born with the surname Eastwood was Lewis Eastwood who made his appearance in 1746. His parents had come to the New World from England where the Eastwood's were property owners with roots stretching back to Ireland.

Lewis had five children - one of these children was Asa who was Clint Eastwood's great, great, great grandfather. In 1817 Asa became the first Eastwood to answer the call of the wilderness after his various business interests had failed. He scooped up his family and set out for Onondaga County where he had purchased a 100 acre farm.

He set off with his family - three daughters, five sons and his wife. One of his sons was a five month old baby. Asa kept a journal and these exist so we have some idea of what life was like for this ancestor of the man with no name.


"We were within three miles of our destination, when night overtook us. We drove by guess, and the wagon became upset in a dirt hole. We used the wagon top for a tent and made beds on the carpet. The wolves howled at a fearsome rate, the wood being full of them."


These early hardships of the settlers was often reflected in Eastwood's films - think Pale Rider for one. And Clint is now a true American legend but his ancestry is as interesting as any of his films.

Suggested reading: Clint by Patrick McGilligan features several interesting chapters that cover Clint's entire family tree since the first Eastwood arrived in America.