My Genealogy Hound

JOHN GOODWIN. The oldest members of a community are doubtless entitled to the respect and esteem of their neighbors, when their long lives have been replete with acts of kindness, and their whole career marked by integrity and uprightness. The time-honored and respected gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch is one of the prominent farmers of his community, and makes a specialty of the dairy business, having on his estate in the town of Tyre, Seneca County, full-blooded Jersey and Galloway cattle.

Mr. Goodwin was born in a log house on the above farm, on the 25th of September, 1818, to Charles and Martha (Anderson) Goodwin. He is of German descent on his father’s side, the latter having been born in Litzenberg, Germany, and on his mother’s side is of Irish extraction. When a boy, Charles Goodwin ran away from home, and, going to England, made his home in that country for a time, after which he visited Ireland. While there he met and married Miss Anderson, and with her emigrated to America. They first located at Hamilton, Canada, where two of their children, William and Robert, were born. The father was a weaver by trade, and after living in the Dominion for a time moved to New York. He first resided at Rome, where Jane and Mary were born, and about 1807 came to Seneca County. After reaching here he decided to follow farming also, and accordingly purchased a tract of one hundred and fifty acres of land of Colonel Mynderse, agent for a land company. This proved to be an Irish settlement, and here they lived for many years. In addition to cultivating his land, the father followed weaving, in which occupation his wife was also engaged for some time after his death. When fifty years of age he had very white hair, although none of his children resembled him in this respect. In politics he was a Whig, and was greatly opposed to secret societies, especially the Masonic.

The parental family included eleven children, eight of whom grew to mature years. Five were married and three are now living. The father of this family made his will in 1825, and provided that a son who was farming in Covington might come home and operate the homestead until he could pay for his estate. This he did, and, had he not been so conscientious, might have become the permanent owner of the place. The will also provided that another son was to have fifty acres on the south; twenty-five acres were to be given to two others of the family, while a tract of fifty acres on which the dwelling stood was to belong to his widow until her death, when it was to become the property of our subject. The daughters of the household were each to be given $100 in cash, and a horse and cow when ready to marry.

While a boy, John was compelled to work on the farm, and thus received only a very limited education. He was a lad of seven or eight years when his father died, and he was cared for by a brother, for whom he worked until he became of age, when he was paid $100 for his first year’s work. After reaching his majority, he and his brother Robert purchased the interest of the other heirs in the home farm, and operated it until the death of the latter, when our subject purchased the entire amount. To this he has since added sixteen acres, and has now one of the best estates in the town, comprising two hundred and sixteen acres. He devotes his land to general farming purposes, and makes a specialty of dairying, keeping on his place a fine herd of Jersey and Galloway cattle.

Mr. Goodwin cast his first Presidential vote in 1840, for William Henry Harrison, and thereafter voted the Whig ticket until 1856, when he supported John C. Fremont, the Republican candidate. With the exception of filling the office of Pathmaster, our subject has always refused to accept public office, although often prevailed upon to do so. In early life he was a Mason, but, not approving of their methods of initiating new members, he is not connected with the order at the present time.