The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-11-14
Wells Goodwin, 1794.1S94.

a remarkable period in the life of Wells
Goodwin he having attained full century
OF mortal existence Four generations were
gathered around that h birthstone e. con-
gratulate and cheer the patriarch on his
homeward journey. Friends and neighb)rs
came and went, and joy and lod cheer
held high carnival the entire day. Though
the patriarch of Newbury is weakened in
intellect by the weight of years, he was
bright and CHEEKY, and realized the event
which gathered around him his numerous
posterity. Many citizens called on the CEN
tenarian duri1g the day. Among them were
To Vn Represent Iti 70 Coolidge, Mr. and
Mrs. s. l.. Swasey, Senator H. w. Bailey,
Rev. j. l.. Merrill and James b. daie.
Tokens OF kindly remembrance were left
by friends and relatives.
Wells Goodwin was born in Ryegate, on
the so-called Gray farm, Move uber 8, 1874.
He is the son of Moses and Tryphena Good
win, well TODD people of century ago,
there being several families of Goodwins in
Newbury and Haverhill, n. H., among
whom was Jonathan Good win, cousin OF
Moses, whose daughter Phoebe died in New
bury in 1881 aged 102 years. The mother
of Wells Goodwin was daughter Of James
Ladd of Haverhill N. H., and was born in
1772. Soon after the birth of Wells Good
win his father returned to New bury, and on
a farm tv o miles from the Connecticut
river the early days of this aged patriarch
were passed. Like most farmers sons of
those days, he began work on the farm at
ha several brothers and sisters, ong since
dead but an aunt, some years younger than
Mr. Goodwin, is still living in COrinth.
Mr. Goodwin is now living with his son-in-
la Y, j. G. Leavitt, surrounded by all the
comforts of a well-kept farmhouse. In per-
son he Is small in stature, considerably bent,
his frame round, and he still shows that in
his early days he had great power of endur-
ance His blue eyes are bright, his voice
strong f)r one of his years, his hands firm
| and IL for tho aiclrpasg bat hos an
recently come upon him, would live many
! ears longer.
The military life of Mr.. Goodwin began
in 1878, in the Eleventh United States In
| fantry, the specified time of enlistment
being eighteen months. During this term
of service he carried the musket through
many hard marches, and, besides several
skirmishes, took part with credit in the bat
ties of Chippewa, Prescott and Lundy's
! Lane. The last battle in which he partici-
pated was fought July 25 1874 on the bank
of Niagara Falls, which history tells us was
one of the most holly contested fights in
the new world, previous to the civil war.
In this battle he received a wound in the
| leg, from which he has suffered ever since,
and on account Of which he in 1918, was
| granted a pension of 81 month, dating
| back to the tim9 of his discharge. In 1852
| this pension was increased to So a month,
and within few years he has been granted
a further increase to Sl2 month, which he
now receives.
After his discharge he settled in Ryegate
and carried on the combined vocations of
farmer and shoemaker On October 3, 1919,
! he married Lydia Heath. The bride was
born in New Salem n. H., October s, 1894.
Their married life covered a period of
sixty eight years, Mrs. Goodwins death oc-
curing at Newbury, December q, 1887, in
her ninety-fourth year.
OF his large family of six sons and six
daughters, two sons and three daughters
are known to be living the t,son, John
M, being a resident of Newbury village,
and survivor of the Mexican war. His
other descendants number twenty-four
grandchildren, twenty of whom are sup
posed to be living, and fifteen great-grand-
children.
He removed to Newbury in 1917, and has
resided there ever since, except few years
when he made his home in Haverhill, N.
! H., and Corinth. In his early days up to
extreme old age he was a constant atten-
dant at church when he lived near one. In
politics he is a democrat of democrats. His
first presidential vote was cast for James
| Monroe in 1876 and he voted at the last
Vermont state election. He was then very
feeble and had to be carried TO the polls
like an infant
All through his life he has been a great
reader and had a retentive memory He
could relate rocollectons of the death of
Washington and of the memorial services
at Newbury when the news rea ;hed there.
He was som 9what eccentric in his habits
aud methods, one of which is to have light
burning in his sleeping room all night, his
reason being his dread of dying in the dark.
He has made all his funeral arrangeme ats,
selected bearers, conductor and minister,
and i I his Green Mountain HON is waiting
the summons that shall call him hence.
To the words of the po9t, THE oldest
IN an he seemed that ever wore gray hairs"
it may be added that he is the only known
sur yivor in Vermont of the war of 1872.
For these particulars of the life of this
venerable patriarch we are indebted to Hon.
Henry w. Bailey, of the Vermont senate,
and a correspondent of th9 Manchester, n.
H., Union.
In the senate Monday afternoon Senator
Bailey of Newbury offered the following
resolution: "Whereas Wells Goodwin of
Newbury, Orange county, Vermont, did on
Friday the ninth day of November, 1894,
attain and pass his one hundredth birthday;
and whereas the said Wells Goodwin did
on the eleventh day of February, 1913, en-
list for eighteen months in the Eleventh
United States Infantry, of which Colonel
Moody Bedell was commander, and did
serve as private in said regiment until
wounded, July %, 1914, at the battle of
Niagara and so far as known is the only
person now living within the state who
served in the war of 1912; therefore, be it
resolved by the senate and house of repre-
sentatives that as tribute of respect to
this vener able mans memosy, and for the
further purpose of making these facts
IndJloI VI ISCOIu III VIC duhdio
of the state, the secretary of state is hereby
directed to make these resolutions part of
the record of the proceedings of the general
assembly of 1894, and to transmit, by mail,
to the said Wells Goodwin a copy of the
same"
In supporting the resolution, Senator
Bailey said: "Mr. President, Mr.. Wells
Goodwin of Newbury, a native Nermonter,
has passed the century milestone OF human
life As a lad OF five years he remembers
the death and trial of George Washington
In 1916, Wells Goodwin voted for James
Monroe, fifth president of the United States,
and has voted at every presidential election
since. This mans life reaches almost back
to the date of Vermont's admission to the
Union. He was a child during the last
years of Vermont's first governor, Ihomas
Chittenden's administration. He was nlne'
teen years old when Moses Robinson, our
second governor, died. Governors raihe,
Eaton, Fletcher, Hall, Smith, Paul Dlllng-
ham, Page, Converse, Washburn, feck,
and Horace Fairbanks, were BORN came
upon the stage, made honorable ana pat,
riotic history for our commonwealth, ana
| oil naaaaI N the silent md1OTa