The Goodwin Families of Lafayette County, Missouri

JAMES GOODWIN, dealer in farm implements, Waverly. The subject of this sketch is an old settler of Lafayette county, arriving here in the spring of 1840 from Rappahannock county, Va. James was born in Fauquier county, Va., January 9, 1804. His parents were John and Elizabeth Goodwin, who were natives of the county where James was born. The early life of James was devoted to tilling of the soil. After his first marriage, which occurred June 29, 1828, to Miss Elizabeth Corder, daughter of Judge V. Corder, he merchandise for 35 years, and on coming to Missouri he purchased a farm, which he farmer until the close of the war. By the above marriage they had five children: John T., George E., Eliza J., (Judge Hays) now dead, Elizabeth, and James W. After the death of his first wife he was married to Evelyn Corder, daughter of Rev. Martin, of Dover. By this marriage they have five children, Martin, Henry, Mary (Goggins) Martha, (Perry Cartrow). This wife having died he again was married to Miss Martha Marshall in 1849. By this wife he has five children: Franklin, Alice (Burnett), Walter, Albert, and Birdie.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JAMES W. GOODWIN.

In the person of the man whose name heads this sketch is found one of the largest landholders in this county. He is a man whose efforts have been persistently crowned with success and who has been long known as one of the best managers of farming property in this section of the state. In land and farming he finds the best investment of his accumulating profits and can bear strong testimony to the pecuniary advantages of farming,

James W. Goodwin was born in Rappahannock county, Virginia, February 1, 1834, a son of James and Elizabeth (Corder) Goodwin, his mother dying when he was only two years old. James Goodwin was born January 10, 1804, and ran a saddle and harness business in Virginia. In 1839 he came to Missouri, and spent the first winter in Cooper county, then came to Lafayette county, and bought land in Davis township, part of it from the government. In 1866 he moved near to Waverly, and later to that town, where he died on November 20, 1895. He was chiefly a hemp farmer and cultivated about five or six hundred acres of land.

When he first bought his land the only house was a cabin and the land was in a wild state. He improved it to a high state of cultivation and added good buildings. Before the war he was a Whig, afterwards a Democrat, always strong for Southern rights, although a Unionist in belief. He was a member of the Presbyterian church. He was first married to Elizabeth Corder, who bore him five children, later to Evaline Corder, by whom he was the father of five children and for his third wife he those Martha Marshall, who was the mother of eight children. Nine of the entire family are living. Two of his sons, George and Calvin, served in the Confederate army. Calvin was killed at Atlanta, Georgia; George is still living.

James W. Goodwin attended the common schools in this and Marion counties and grew up on the farm. In 1854, when twenty years of age, he began to farm for himself, but remained with his father until 1858, when he moved to a two hundred-acre farm which he had bought, and has continued to add to this until he now has seventeen hundred and eighty acres and at one time owned twenty-three hundred acres. For forty-five years, since 1865, he has been a cattle feeder, in which he has found much profit and a satisfactory way of keeping up the fertility of his fields. He has interests in the Bank at Blackburn, of which he is a director.

On December 6, 1857, Mr. Goodwin was married to Lucy Corder, daughter of John and Sallie (Reamy) Corder, who came in 1840 to this county from Virginia. Three children were the result of this union: John G., of Marshall, Missouri, in the grain and feed business; Minnie, and Sallie, also of Marshall. Mrs. Goodwin died May 16, 1909. The family are members of the Presbyterian church and Mr. Goodwin is a Democrat.

Mr. Goodwin has given most of his attention to his farm and its operation and has taken little part in politics. His excellent managing has brought to him his prosperity. He is a very entertaining talker, and has very many friends.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JAMES W. GOODWIN,

Middleton township. The subject of this sketch was born in Rappahannock county, Va., February 1, 1834, and came with his father, James Goodwin, to Marion county, this state, in 1839, where he lived until the fall of 1847, when he came to Lafayette, where he has since remained, and is one of the largest land owners in the county, having some 1,600 acres of the finest land. He was married December 6, 1857, to Lucy A. Corder, a native of Virginia, and a daughter of John and Sarah Corder, who came to this county in 1840. By this marriage they have four children: John G., Minnie, Sallie E., and Fannie; the two oldest are married. Mr. Goodwin is a member of the Presbyterian church.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected.

JOHN T. GOODWIN, postofRce, Alma, Mo. Was born, raised and educated in Virginia, of which state both his father and mother, James and Elizabeth Goodwin were natives. In 1839 he moved with his parents to Missouri, and settled in this county. When grown, he took a trip to California, where he remained two years, and then returned home to this county, where he has a fine farm of 320 acres, especially adapted to the grain and stock raising. Two years ago, he rented his farm out, moved to Alma and engaged in general merchandising. In Sept. 1859, was married to Miss Amanda Goggins, daughter of Christopher and Eliza Goggins, of Ky. Of this union there are five living children: Lilly, Eliza M., Bettie, James and Daisy.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

WILLIAM C. GOODWIN, M. D.

In measuring the value of services rendered in the various professions and occupations, it is difficult to say which performs the most good for mankind, for no legitimate occupation exists which does not yield much service to the people of the earth; but all can agree that the physician, who cures physical ills and relieves pain and distress, promoting the health and longevity of the race, ranks among the most useful members of society, and one can hardly place too high a valuation on the achievements of his profession.

William C. Goodwin was born in Orange county, Virginia, May 31, 1832, son of John M. Goodwin, a physician and farmer, born in Louisa county, Virginia, and Eliza T. (Stevens) Goodwin, a native of Orange county. They both died in Orange county, he when nearly seventy-two, and she at about ninety. They were the parents of ten children, of whom William C. was the fourth. He was reared in Orange county and read medicine with his father, then attended lectures at the University of Virginia and graduated at the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia in March, 1853. For three years he practiced with his father in Orange county, then, in 1856, came to Johnson county, Missouri, and practiced there until the breaking out of the war. His first war service was with the Missouri State Guards called out by Gov. C. F. Jackson. He enlisted as a private and after the battle of Wilson's Creek was appointed surgeon of a ward in the Confederate hospital at Springfield, Missouri, serving in such capacity for a time, when he enlisted as a private in the Fifth Regiment Missouri Infantry and after serving in this regiment for some time was appointed assistant surgeon and served until the end of the war. His regiment was in service in Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi in the earlier part of the war, but was afterwards transferred to the Army of Northern Virginia, and he served as assistant surgeon of the Forty-fifth Regiment Georgia Infantry during the latter part of the war. After spending one year with his father in Orange county, Virginia, he returned to Missouri and resumed the practice of his profession in Johnson and Lafayette counties, coming to Odessa in 1885, and continuing in active and successful practice until 1900. He also started a drug store in 1885, in which he has still an interest, the firm being known at present as Goodwin & Sons.

Doctor Goodwin was married in Lafayette county, in October, 1868, to Sarah Isabelle Renick, born November 30, 1840, a daughter of Andrew E. and Sabina Renick, who were old settlers of Lafayette county. She died August 5, 1882. She bore to Doctor Goodwin four children: David P., of Goodwin & Sons; Littleton E.. who died in infancy; Mary L., wife of H. W. McNeel, recorder of Lafayette county; and Eugene M., of Goodwin & Sons. Doctor Goodwin was again married in Lafayette county on February 25, 1884. to Josephine A. Renick, a younger sister of his first wife, who was born December 12, 1849, and died December 19, 1909.

Doctor Goodwin has been a member of the different Lafayette county medical societies. He is a member of Mount Hope Lodge, No. 476, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and Martha Chapter No. 146, Eastern Star. He is a very estimable man and one who stands high in the regard of those who know him, being a thorough gentleman in every sense of the word. He has been prominent in any work which had for its object the betterment of the community. He possesses a handsome gold-headed cane presented to him by the order of the Eastern Star on his retirement as secretary, which office he held for eleven years.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.