The Goodwin Family
--by Vera Harrill

Peter and Christina E. (Fulbright) Goodwin were among the earliest settlers in what is now Laclede County. They settled near the confluence of two creeks that are now called the Dry Glaize or Auglaize and Goodwin Hollow; the Goodwin Hollow Creek is named after Peter Goodwin.

Christina E. Fulbright was born about 1792, probably in Lincoln County (some say Buncombe County), North Carolina, to John and Elizabeth (Coulter) Fulbright.

Peter Goodwin was born about 1791 in Lincoln County, NC to Isaac and Isabel (Mrs. Goodwin) Goodwin. Isaac Goodwin was born about 1745 and died before 1795 in Lincoln, NC. Isaac married Mrs. Isabel Goodwin before 1789 and may have had one or two other marriages before this. Two of Peter's brothers were William and Isaac; his father's other children by a previous marriage: Abraham, Robert, Ephraim, Mary, Abigail.

In the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Lincoln Co., NC, April,1805, it was ordered that "Peter Goodwin, an orphant son of Isaac Goodwin, de'd, of about 14 years be bound unto Isaac Lowrance until he arrive at the age of 21 years to learn the art & mistery of a Tanner and to give him two suits of good clothes at the time of his freedom. The said Peter Goodwin, being of proper age, came into Open Court & chose Abram Goodwin for his Guardian who gave bond and Isaac Lowrance Security in the sum of L100." Peter's brother William was to learn the "art and mistery" of a miller. The sheriff was looking for orphan Isaac Goodwin, who was probably a brother to Peter and William.

Peter's grandfather is thought to be William Goodwin, who died about 1795 in Lincoln County, NC. It is believed that the Goodwin family came to the United States from Germany about the same time as the Vollbrecht (Fulbright) family. Their movements in the US are similar. They lived on Lyles Creek in Lincoln County -- what is now Catawba County, NC, and moved together to MO and TN. Many of the Fulbright family and their relatives came to Missouri in 1810; in 1820 and 1830 Peter and Christina seem to have been in Washington County. At some point they went back to Tennessee and then came to what is now Laclede County about 1832.

Several of Christina's relatives also settled on the Dry Glaize Creek in Laclede County; the Fulbright clan owned most of the land along the creek for several miles. Christina's brothers: William, Martin, Daniel, and John along with their families settled in the area for a time; some of them stayed permanently and others moved.

     Christina Fulbright and Peter Goodwin had several children:

Rodah Goodwin, b 25 Oct 1815, m Abel Benton
Eli Franklin "Frank" Goodwin, b 25 January 1818. 1st m Eliza Angelina (Givens) Wilson; 2nd m Amanda Clementine Holder.
Nancy Goodwin m James Burger.
Elizabeth Goodwin m J. F. Ballard.
John F. Goodwin was b 11 September 1824; m Sarah C. Case.
David Boone Goodwin b 13 February 1827, m Lavina Grizzle
William J. Goodwin b1830; m. Caroline
Susannah C. (Susan) Goodwin b abt 1833, m Henry W. Cottrell
Ruth J. Goodwin b about1835, m A. Mung

Eli Franklin "Frank" Goodwin was born 25 January 1818 in Tennessee or Missouri to Peter and Christina E. (Fulbright) Goodwin, and died 4 September 1894 in Laclede County, Missouri.

Family stories say that when Frank was 18, he homesteaded on 80 acres, then bought another 80 about a mile from his parents� farm. This property bordered the Dry Glaize Creek and also the land contained two good springs of fresh water. There were some friendly Indians in the area who passed by the springs in their travels and on a few occasions stopped and talked with Frank.

Before Frank married, his mother, Christinah E. (Fulbright) Goodwin, came from her nearby farm and stayed with him part of the time to help him get started on his new farm.

Before 1849 Frank married Eliza Angelina (Givens) Wilson, born about 1822 to Mr. & Mrs. Alexander Givens. She was the widow of S. W. Wilson and had 5 sons by him. In the 1850 census the five Wilson boys are listed as James A., age 11; Gilbert L., 9; Benjamin J., 7; John S. P., 6; Josephus S. 3.

     Frank and "Widow Wilson" had two daughters.
1. Mary E. Goodwin was born 1849/1850 in Laclede County, MO. Mary married William Albert Partlow. Children: Joanne (married Anthony Wayne Vanlor Darrow), Jim, Benjamin F., Clementine, Hugh, and Etta (married Ed Cotton).
2. Clarissa "Clarcey" C. Goodwin was born about 1852 in Laclede County, MO. Clarcey first married John R. Tenison/Tennison on 8 July 1869; they seem to have had at least three children: Eliza, Theodore and John. On 31 January 1878 in Laclede County, Clarassia married Bill Morgan and had at least one child, a son named Lee.
     Eliza Angelina (Givens) Wilson Goodwin died before 1857. There is no available information on what happened to her five sons after her death. The daughters were reared by Frank and his second wife.

On 18 May 1857, in Lebanon, Laclede County, Missouri, Frank married Amanda Clementine Holder, who was born 21 January 1839 in Tennessee to Mr. & Mrs. Davis Holder. Amanda died 14 December 1897 in Laclede County, Missouri; she and Frank are buried in Goodwin Cemetery.

Frank Goodwin was a small man and evidently was in frail and uncertain health for years. It is said that he was often too weak to walk up the tongue of a wagon. He was physically unable to serve in the army during the Civil War. He was fearful of the soldiers and especially the bushwhackers. Often Frank would sleep out in the woods for fear that the bushwhackers would come and take him away, beat him up or kill him. During this time, young Amanda was alone with the children. During the war, soldiers would go to farms and take half of the available food and grain and other supplies to feed the army. Once Amanda got word that they were coming. She had 13 hams or sides of meat hanging in the smokehouse; she put six of them under the floor of the house. The soldiers came and saw 7 sides of meat hanging; they took 4 and left 3.

Every summer after the corn had been gathered, Frank and his daughter, Eliza, would take a wagon load of corn to a still that was located by a spring near Turner School. Frank would trade the corn for a few jugs of whiskey. It is said that Frank didn't drink a lot, but he took a swig every morning to get him going. He said he needed a swallow before he put his boots on.

Frank saw the need for education and donated land for a school. Three generations of Goodwin descendants attended Goodwin School before it closed in 1948. The old school building now houses Goodwin Calvary Baptist Church.

     Frank and Amanda had eight children, all born in Laclede County.
1. Sarah Eliza A. Goodwin, b 20 April 1858; d 24January 1941, m William Hartel Mitchell on 1 December 1875.
2. David P. Goodwin b abt 1860, d bef 1870.
3. Rhoda E. Goodwin b 8 March 1862, d 16 April 1880 and is buried in Goodwin Cemetery. On 16 September 1878 in Laclede County, MO, she m Andrew Jackson "Jack" Miller and they had one daughter, Susan, b and d April 3, 1880, and is buried beside her mother in Goodwin Cemetery.
4. John Eli "Bud" Goodwin b 31 May 1864, d 23 February 1898 in Laclede County, MO, buried in Goodwin Cemetery. On 27 Nov 1887, Bud married Mary Lou Brown. They had four children: Clementine, William Franklin, Clara Elsie, and Lela M.
5. Virgil A. Goodwin was b 26 August 1867; d in 1948 and is buried in High Point Cemetery, Camden Co., MO. He married Emma E. Price and had two children: Lee and Sadie May.
6. Pinkney L. "Pink" Goodwin was b in 1870. On 3 August 1898 in Laclede County, MO, he married Effie Archer. Pinkney and his family lived in southern Missouri and in Oklahoma. His children included two sons: Roy and Charlie.
7. Nancy Clementine "Tiny" Goodwin was born in 1872. On 15 May 1887, in Laclede County, Missouri, she married Andrew Carr; the officiating minister for both Pinkney�s and Tiny�s weddings was their brother-in-law, Rev. W. Hartel Mitchell.
8. Lou Ollie May Goodwin was born about 1875. She married John Howerton. They had 3 sons and 3 daughters: Herbert, Willie (f), Opal, Lee & Lester (twins) and Irene. Ollie is buried near Monett, Missouri.