Goodwin, Edwin J.

GOODWIN, SMITH, ATKINSON, COOL, STONE, WORKMAN, ALLEN, CURYEA, CURYEAR, GALLAGHER, DODD

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/29/2009 at 07:38:10

Goodwin, Edwin J.

Independence Township, Jasper County, can claim many young enterprising farmers who are adopting the best of the twentieth-century methods of tilling the soil, while on the other hand some seem to prefer clinging to the style of work followed by their forefathers when this country was in its infancy or in the older localities of the Eastern states. Of course, the farmers of fifty and one hundred years ago succeeded, but this was due not so much to their skill as to the fact that the land was fertile, being new, and to their hard labor, persistently applied. None will gainsay that they worked harder than do their descendants of today. It is doubtful if the young husbandmen of this epoch would make more than a bare living should they go back to the simple methods of the early days; the land must be managed differently to get the best results.

One of the scientific farmers of this locality who has succeeded through his ingenuity and close application to advanced methods of agriculture is Edwin J. Goodwin, who was born in Pennsylvania, February 11, 1873. He is the son of Dr. Eugene A. and Sarah Louise (Smith) Goodwin, the father born at Hallowell, Maine, April 10, 1831, and the mother was born at Hackettstown, New Jersey, July 8, 1841. They grew up in the East, received their education and were married there, immigrating to Newton, Jasper County, Iowa, in the fall of 1878. The father was a successful physician and for years was one of the best known in this locality. His death occurred in Marshall County, Iowa, on October 18, 1910, and his wife died in Jasper County on April 18, 1904. Doctor Goodwin was graduated from the Long Island Hospital and the New York College of Medicine, also from the University of Michigan College of Medicine, class of 1871, being a colleague of the well-known Dr. Perry Engle, mentioned elsewhere in the work. The subject has the two diplomas awarded by these institutions to his father. Doctor Goodwin served in the Civil War, having enlisted in the Ninety-ninth New York Volunteer Infantry, on June 14, 1861, and after a very praiseworthy record, he was discharged on July 2, 1864. His family consisted of two children: Edwin J., of this sketch, being the sole survivor; the eldest child, a daughter, Mrs. Edith May Atkinson, who was born in Bethlehem, New Jersey, June 23, 1868, died in Des Moines, Iowa, February 17, 1896.

Edwin J. Goodwin was five years old when he came with his parents to Jasper County in 1878 and here he grew to manhood and received his education, and here he has continued to reside. He lived in Newton one year and there attended the public schools, then moved with the family to near Old Baxter and attended the rural schools there. He supplemented his graded schoolwork with two years' study in Highland Park College, Des Moines, in 1896 and 1897, after which he returned to the farm where he has since devoted his energies.

Mr. Goodwin was married on January 23, 1901, to Genevieve A. Cool, who was born in Jasper County, Iowa, January 27, 1882. She was reared here, attended the local schools and has always resided in this County. She is the daughter of Peter J. and Lucina B. (Stone) Cool, the father born in Freeport, Illinois, July 1, 1852, and the mother was born in Wisconsin, June 16, 1860. He came with his parents to Jasper County, Iowa, in 1853 and was one of the pioneers of the County. The parents of Mrs. Goodwin both live in Baxter, a well-known and influential family here for over a half-century.

Mrs. Goodwin was the third in order of birth in a family of six children, namely: Mrs. Agnes Workman, born December 15, 1878, of Baxter; Mrs. Leota Allen, born August 12, 1880, lives near Baxter; Mrs. Winifred Curyea (Curyear), born December 16, 1883, is living at Parker, South Dakota; Mrs. Alphone Gallagher, born August 2, 1887, is living at home; Mrs. Ethel Dodd, born November 30, 1891, lives in Marshall County. All these children were born and reared in Jasper County.

After the death of Mr. Goodwin's sister, he took into his home his niece, Edith May Akinson, who was born on February 12, 1896, who has been educated in the rural schools of this community and will enter the Baxter high school in the fall of 1912.

Mr. Goodwin owns forty acres of good land in Independence, which he is rapidly placing under modern improvements, and he has a pleasant home. Politically, he is a Republican. He has been secretary of the board of education of Independence Township for a number of years. He belongs to Baxter Lodge No. 168, Knights of Pythias, of Baxter. He and his wife are members of Baxter Temple No. 202, Pythian Sisters, and they are members of the Congregational Church at Baxter.

Mrs. Goodwin is a lady of talent along musical lines and for some time has been a popular instructor in that branch of the fine arts, the piano being her specialty, for which she has well qualified herself. In addition to the work with competent teachers in this community, she supplemented this with one year's work in the Grinnell College Conservatory of Music. These are popular young people in all circles of their community, representing as they do a splendid type of our best citizenship. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 1146.

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Edwin J. Goodwin
This is another in a current series of biographical articles dealing with early settlers of the Baxter area. Newcomers and the younger generation will recognize many of these family names, while all older residents will undoubtedly remember some of the subjects personally. The reader should keep in mind that this material was written in 1912. We feel much of the interest would be lost if we attempted to add or detract from these interesting records, which so graphically portray Baxter’s wealth of pioneer tradition.

Independence Township, Jasper County, can claim many young enterprising farmers who are adopting the best of the 20th century methods of tilling the soil, while on the other hand some seem to prefer clinging to the style of work followed by their forefathers when this country was in its infancy or in the older localities of the eastern state. Of course, the farmers of 50 and 100 years ago succeeded, but this was due not so much to their scale as to the fact that the land was fertile, being new, and to their hard labor, persistently applied. None will gainsay that they worked harder than do their descendents of today. It is doubtful if the young husbandman of this epoch would make much more than a bare living should they go back to the simple methods of the early days; the land must be managed differently to get the best results.

One of the scientific farmers of this locality who has succeeded through this ingenuity and close application to advanced methods of agricultural is Edwin J. Goodwin, who was born in Pennsylvania on February 11, 1873. He is the son of Dr. Eugene A. and Sarah Louise (Smith) Goodwin, the father born at Hallowell, Maine, April 10, 1831 and the mother was born at Hacketstown, N. J. July 8, 1841.

They grew up in the East, received their education and were married there, emigrating to Newton, Jasper County, Iowa, in the fall of 1878. The father was a successful physician and for years he was one of the best known in this locality. His death occurred in Marshall County, Iowa on October 18, 1910, and his wife died in Jasper County on April 18, 1904. Dr. Goodwin was graduated from the Long Island Hospital and the New York College of Medicine, also from the University of Michigan College of Medicine, class of 1871, being a colleague of the well known Dr. Perry Engel. The subject has the two diplomas awarded by these institutions to his father. Dr. Goodwin served in the Civil War having enlisted in the 59th New York volunteer infantry on June 14, 1861, and after a very praiseworthy record he was discharged on July 2, 1864. His family consisted of two children: Edwin J., of this sketch, being the sole survivor; that eldest child, a daughter, Mrs. Edith May Atkinson, who was born in Bethlehem N. J. June 23, 1868, died in Des Moines, Iowa February 17, 1896.

Edwin J Goodwin was five years old when he came with his parents to Jasper County in 1878 and here he grew to manhood and received his education, and here he has continued to reside. He lived in Newton one year and there attended the public schools, and then moved with the family to near Old Baxter and attended the rural schools there. He supplemented his grade school work with two-year study in the Highland Park College Des Moines in 1896 and 1897, after which he returned to the farm where he has since devoted his energies.

Mr. Goodwin was married on January 23, 1901 two Genevieve A. Cool, who was born in Jasper County, Iowa January 27, 1882. She was reared here, attended the local schools and has always resided in this county. She is the daughter of Peter J. and Lucina B. (Stone) Ccool, the father born in Freeport Illinois, July 1, 1852, and the mother was born in Wisconsin June 16, 1860. He came with his parents to Jasper County in 1853 and what's one of the pioneers of the County. The parents of Mrs. Goodwin both live in Baxter, a well-known and influential family here for over a half-century.

Mrs. Goodwin was the third in order of birth in a family of six children, namely: Mrs. Agnes workman, born December 15, 1878, of Baxter; Mrs. Leota Allen, born August 12, 1880, lives near Baxter; Mrs. Winnifred Curyear, born December 16, 1883, is living at Parker, South Dakota; Mrs. Alphone Gallagher, born August 2, 1887 is living at home; Mrs. Ethel Dodd, born November 30, 1891 lives in Marshall County. All these children were born and reared in Jasper County.

After the death of Mr. Goodwin’s sister, he took into his home his niece Edith May Atkinson, who was born on February 12, 1896, who has been educated in the rural schools of this community and will enter the Baxter high school in the fall of 1912.

Mr. Goodwin owns 40 acres of good land in Independence Township, where he is rapidly placing under modern improvements, and he has a pleasant home. Politically he is a Republican. He has been secretary of the Board of Education of Independence Township for a number of years. He belongs to Baxter Lodge No. 168, Knights of Pythias. He and his wife are members of Baxter Temple No. 202, Pythian sisters, and are members of the Congregational Church at Baxter.

Mrs. Goodwin is the lady of talent along musical lines and for some time has been a popular instructor in that branch of the fine arts, the piano being her specialty, for which she has been well-qualified herself. In addition to the work with competent teachers in this community's she supplemented this with one year’s work in the Grinnell College Conservatory of music. These are popularly young people in all circles of their community, representing as they do a splendid type of our best citizenship. ~The Baxter New Era, Wednesday, February 14, 1962