THOMAS B. GOODWIN.

"Westward the star of empire takes its way,” and Thomas B. Goodwin, now
deceased, was among those who followed that star on its westward way. He became
identified with the pioneer development of various states and eventually reached
the Pacific coast country, and Washington numbered him among her substantial and
worthy citizens. He was born in Putnam, Indiana, July 24, 1846, a son of Rolla
and Hannah (Gardner) Goodwin, who in 1852 removed with their family to Iowa,
casting in their lot with the early settlers of that state. In 1864 Mr. Goodwin
traveled by ox team and wagon to Omaha, Nebraska, in company with a brother and
neighbor and also went on to Montana but returned the same year. Thomas B.
Goodwin then spent two years upon his father's farm in Iowa, after which he
purchased a home in Wayne county, that state, and concentrated his efforts and
attention upon its development. He later sold that property and invested in
cattle, but the investment proved an unfortunate one and he lost everything. In
1873 he made his way westward to California and after living for a time in the
Golden state proceeded northward to Portland, Oregon, where he remained until
1877 and then came to Kittitas county, Washington. He and his cousin, Thomas
Goodwin, brought the first "header" into the valley. Thomas B. Goodwin purchased
land a mile and a half west of Thorp and in time acquired one thousand acres of
land, of which he placed nearly five hundred acres under cultivation, becoming
one of the prominent and representative farmers of his section of the state.

It was in 1865 that Thomas B. Goodwin was united in marriage to Miss Sarah
Cumberland, who was born in Indiana in 1841, a daughter of Moses and Amanda
(McClung) Cumberland, the former a native of Ohio, while the latter was born in
Indiana. The death of Mrs. Goodwin occurred in 1893 and on the 3d of June, 1896,
Mr. Goodwin married her sister, Jennie Cumberland. The children born of the
first marriage are: Elmer, a rancher on the Wenas, who is married and has six
children: Launa, the wife of Isaac Burns, a rancher, by whom she has four sons
and three daughters; Jennie, the wife of Reuben M. Osborn of Kittitas county and
the mother of one son; Norman, of Tacoma, who is married and has one son;
Lillian, Oce and Olive, all at home; Stanley E., a rancher of the Kittitas
valley, who has a wife and one son; and Aubrey, who is married and follows
ranching in the Kittitas valley. Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin also reared Patrick C.
Cox, who became a member of their household at the age of ten years and remained
with them a part of the time until he attained his majority. He is now mess
sergeant in the Marine Corps of the United States navy. He has served in China,
having been connected with the navy since 1911. He is married and has a
daughter.

Mr. Goodwin attended the Christian church and guided his life by high and
honorable principles. His political allegiance was given to the democratic party
and he exerted considerable influence over public thought and action, especially
along political lines. In 1891 he served as a member of the state legislature
and gave earnest and thoughtful consideration to all the vital questions which
came up for settlement. He passed away on the 15th of April, 1917, when he was
in the seventy-first year of his age. He was widely known and greatly beloved
by all with whom he had come in contact, for he possessed many sterling traits
of character and his worth was recognized by all who knew him.

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Submitted to the Washington Bios Project in January 2008 by Jeffrey L. Elmer.
Submitter has no additional information about the subject of this article.