Parsons, Col. William and Shiach, W. S.  "An Illustrated History of Umatilla
County and of Morrow County." Spokane, WA: W. H. Lever, 1902. p. 430.
 
MOSES E. GOODWIN

     A man of marked ability, with courage and energy commensurate therewith,
while his uprightness and straightforward life were exemplary in every respect,
the subject of this sketch was one of the earliest of the pioneers and a lending
figure in that worthy company, where he wrought so nobly and faithfully.
     Crawford county, Illinois, was his native place, where also he received his
early schooling and passed the years of his minority. In 1846 he met the lady,
Miss Aura M. Morse, who, in July of the same year, became his wife. She was a
native of Kennebec county, Maine, whence her parents had come as pioneers to
Wisconsin in 1844.
     For seven years after their marriage they remained in Wisconsin, and then
gathered all together and crossed the plains by ox teams to the Pacific coast,
settling near Lady's Island, above Vancouver. Here they remained for three
years, until the Indian outbreak, when Mr. Goodwin purchased lumber and built a
raft, upon which he placed his family and earthly possessions and floated down
to Vancouver, where they took refuge in the Hudson Bay Company's fort. Mr.
Goodwin's genius and energy transformed the lumber of the raft into a hotel,
which was soon over filled with people from every quarter, sometimes so crowded
that it was almost impossible to get through the rooms. Here they continued in a
lucrative business until 1864, April of that year being the date of their advent
into Umatilla county.  They came where Pendleton now stands and homesteaded a
quarter section of government land, and built the original "Hotel Pendleton,"
also a bridge across the river. While engaged in these worthy enterprises, the
first news from the east was of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The Hotel
Pendleton was opened on the identical spot where the present building stands.
The brick structure they had reared for a smokehouse was used for a courthouse
when the county seat was removed to Pendleton. In January, 1871, after a life
well filled with good deeds, and leaving a record few ever equal, Mr. Goodwin
passed from earthly scenes to those of another world. His widow, with two
children. Olive, now Mrs. S. A. John, of Fairview, Oregon, and William W.,
struggled on in the exacting and arduous duties of operating a large hotel.
Later the son engaged in stock-raising, and while returning from the Snake
river, whither he had gone to sell a band of horses, was waylaid and murdered
for his money. Two of the murderers were caught, one, who broke jail in
November, being frozen to death as is supposed, while the other one was hanged
by the vigilance committee of Helena, Montana.
     On May 1, 1872, Mrs. Goodwin contracted a second marriage, Mr. Henry J.
Raley at that time becoming her husband. He was a carpenter by trade, born and
reared near Omaha, Nebraska, and followed contracting and building until the
date of his marriage, when he became host of the Hotel Pendleton, which position
he held until his death, on October 17, 1876. One child was the fruit of this
union, Cozbi A., who, after graduating with honors from the Portland high
school, matriculated at the New England Conservatory of Music, at Boston,
Massachusetts, where her bright talent for music was given opportunity for
development and where she became a graduate after having attracted especial
attention through her distinguished ability. Since that time she has been
residing with her mother, now retired from active business life.
     By way of reminiscence, it is worthy of note that during the Indian
outbreak of 1878-9, Mrs. Raley and her daughter were cooped up in Pendleton with
the other settlers, repulsing an attack from overwhelming numbers of savages,
when, in the middle of the night, General Howard and staff arrived with
sufficient soldiers to route the red skins. The General was the guest of Mrs.
Raley for some days succeeding this incident, and she remembers General Miles
quite well, who was also present.
     Mrs. Raley gave two and one-half acres for the courthouse, the same amount
for a cemetery, and the main street bridge, to the county.  She owns a fine farm
and also considerable town property. She is a member of the Order of the Eastern
Star, Chapter No. 19, of Pendleton. She is also a member of the Episcopal
church, where she is an active worker. Now in the golden years of her life she
can look back over a career of stirring activity and enterprise, wherein she
manifested capabilities of marked prominence and moral qualities of sterling
worth, and enjoy the retirement that she has so nobly earned.
 
 
Page 157-158
     "Perhaps the best known of those who made permanent settlements at this
time were Moses E. Goodwin and wife, the latter of whom survives, her name at
present being Mrs. Aura M. Raley. They were on their way from the Willamette
valley to the Powder river mining country, and arrived at what is now the city
of Pendleton in the fall of 1862. They brought a few cows with them, intending
to locate at some mining camp and establish a dairy business.  Arriving at
Pendleton, they learned that the Blue mountains were impassible because of heavy
snows, and they decided to remain at this point until the following spring. They
were so pleased with the location that they determined to remain permanently and
Mr. Goodwin took a claim, since generally known as Goodwin's farm, upon which
subsequently was located the city of Pendleton.  Many other persons on the way
to the mines pursued a similar course, so that by 1864 there were a number of
settlers along the Umatilla river and its tributaries."


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in August 2007 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.