John Elliot Goodenow (sometimes spelled Elliott; March 23, 1812 – September 3, 1902) was an American politician and businessman. A

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

, he served in the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

from 1851 to 1852, representing the 19th district. He is considered the founder of

Maquoketa, Iowa Maquoketa () is a city in Jackson County, Iowa, United States. Located on the Maquoketa River, it is the county seat of Jackson County. U.S. Route 61 adjoins the city, which therefore hosts traffic between Dubuque and the Quad Cities. Iowa Hi ...

Early life

Goodenow was born on March 23, 1812, in

Springfield, Vermont Springfield is a New England town, town in Windsor County, Vermont, Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 9,062. History The land currently recognized as Springfield is the ...

. When he was eight years old he moved with his family to

Warren County, New York Warren County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,737. The county seat is Queensbury. The county was established in 1813 and is named in honor of General Joseph Warren, an American Revolu ...

, and worked on his father's farm. He was educated in common country schools.

Career

At the age of 22, Goodenow bought a canal boat and used it to freight various farm products across the

Champlain Canal The Champlain Canal is a canal in New York that connects the Hudson River to the south end of Lake Champlain. It was simultaneously constructed with the Erie Canal for use by commercial vessels, fully opening in 1823. Today, it is mostly used ...

. After two years he began to employ men to operate the boat and became a clerk at a general store in

Moriah, New York Moriah is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Essex County, New York, Essex County, New York (state), New York, United States. Lying within the Adirondack Park, it is situated in the eastern part of the county, by road south-sou ...

. In 1837 he formed a partnership with his employer and traveled to

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized and incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belm ...

as a representative of the firm to buy land and engage in business, settling in what is now Maquoketa, Iowa. He began raising crops shortly thereafter. His dealings helped the Maquoketa area to become an established trading center. He built a cabin in what is now the central part of the town and established a mill six miles north of

Dubuque Dubuque (, ) is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat. The population was 59,667 at the 2020 United States census. The city lies along the Mississippi River at the junction of Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin, a region ...

. In 1839 he sold his mill and moved back to New York, where he married Eliza Wright. He soon returned to Maquoketa with his wife and established its first post office in 1842. In 1851 he was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives from the 19th district, which constituted

Jackson Jackson may refer to: Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson South, Queensland, a locality in the Maranoa Region * Jackson oil field in Durham, ...

and

Jones Jones or Joneses may refer to: People and fictional characters *Jones (surname), a common Welsh and English surname * List of people with surname Jones, including fictional characters ** Justice Jones (disambiguation) ** Judge Jones (disambiguati ...

counties, to replace Col. Richard B. Wyckoff. He was a member of the Road and Highways Committee. He also served as Maquoketa's first mayor for three terms, served as Jackson County assessor and gave

Osceola Osceola (1804 – January 30, 1838, Vsse Yvholv in Muscogee language, Creek, also spelled Asi-yahola), named Billy Powell at birth, was an influential leader of the Seminole people in Florida. His mother was Muscogee, and his great-grandfa ...

and Kossuth counties their names.

Personal life

Goodenow married Eliza Wright of

Bolton, New York Bolton is a town in Warren County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,117 at the 2000 census. Bolton is on the eastern border of the county. History The first settlement ...

on October 3, 1839, and had eight children. He died on September 3, 1902, at his residence in Maquoketa after having a stroke, aged 90.

References

External links

John Elliot Goodenow papers
are housed at University of Iowa Libraries Special Collections & Archives. {{DEFAULTSORT:Goodenow, John Elliot 1812 births 1902 deaths Democratic Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives People from Springfield, Vermont Politicians from Windsor County, Vermont People from Maquoketa, Iowa Farmers from Iowa Businesspeople from Iowa 19th-century American businesspeople 19th-century American farmers American city founders Iowa pioneers Mayors of places in Iowa 19th-century members of the Iowa General Assembly