Background
John Noble Goodwin was born on October 18, 1824, in South Berwick, Maine. He was the son of John and Mary (Noble) Goodwin.
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John Noble Goodwin
Edit ProfileEducation
Goodwin attended Berwick Academy, graduated from Dartmouth College in 1844, returned home to read law in the office of John Hubbard, and was admitted to the bar in 1848.
Career
In 1854, Goodwin was a member for York County of the state Senate. When Congress in the course of its last sittings passed a bill to organize Arizona as a territory, although at this time it contained something less than six hundred American-born residents, John A. Gurley of Ohio was appointed a governor, and Goodwin chief justice, of the territory.
Gurley died before the party of officials could set out for the West, and President Lincoln thereupon named Goodwin to the vacant governorship.
On December 27, 1863, Goodwin and his cavalcade entered Arizona; and two days later, at Navajo Springs, the territory was formally organized.
In 1865, Goodwin was sent to Washington as representative of Arizona in the Thirty-ninth Congress and after the expiration of his term of office took up the practice of law in New York City. He never returned to Arizona.
He died at Paraiso Springs, California, whither he had gone to seek relief from gout. His son brought the body back to Augusta, Maine, for burial.
Achievements
Politics
In 1860, by a majority of almost fifteen hundred, Goodwin was elected to Congress as a Republican. He made friends but did little to distinguish himself in Washington, and in the election of 1862, he came out a paltry but decisive 127 votes behind his Democratic rival.
Personality
Although Goodwin owed his appointment to governorship solely to political considerations, Goodwin proved to be a conscientious, capable, and popular governor.
Doubts about his personal character were quickly dispelled, for though a New Englander he was no Puritan. His tact and judgment were displayed to best advantage in his handling of the political situation, which was rendered delicate by the fact that many, probably most, of the residents were Southern sympathizers.
Goodwin appointed a number of them to the office, and by centering public attention on the welfare of the territory rather than on the war in the East he managed to conciliate factions and to maintain a stable government.
He also showed real ability and diplomacy in guiding the work of the first legislature. He made a tour of the territory to study its needs at first hand and was interested in a railway enterprise.
Connections
In November 1857, Goodwin married Susan Howard Robinson of Augusta.
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Born
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Died
April 29, 1887 (aged 63) -
Resting place
Forest Grove Cemetery, Augusta, Maine, United States -
Nationality
American -
Political Party
Republican