Barbour County AlArchives Biographies.....John D. Godwin January 31 1848 - after 1893 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 12, 2004, 10:12 am Author: Brant & Fuller (1893) JOHN D. GODWIN is one of the leading grocers of Eufaula. His father, Ransom Godwin, was born in Sampson county, N. C., in 1810, and when a young man came to Alabama, settling at Eufaula, where he engaged in merchandising, which he continued until his death in 1868. He is one of the pioneers of Barbour county, and assisted in driving the Indians from the country in the memorable struggle of 1836. As a business man, he was, perhaps, one of the most prosperous in the early history of Eufaula, and during his residence in the town he accumulated several very large fortunes, which, unfortunately, were lost through unwise speculation, and at the time of his death he was in very straitened circumstances. His wife was Eliza Daniel, daughter of John W. Daniel, of North Carolina, and his marriage was solemnized at Eufaula in 1842, while Mrs. Godwin was visiting relatives in the town. Mrs. Godwin died in Jackson county, Miss., in 1871. Ransom and Eliza Godwin were the parents of nine children, of whom four are now living: Ransom, a farmer of Barbour county; Missouri F., wife of Judge G. H. Pryor, of Gainesville, Ga.; William H. a merchant of Eufaula, and John D., who is the eldest of the surviving members of this family. John D. Godwin was born January 31, 1848, in the city of Eufaula, and received a common school education. On attaining his majority he began life for himself as a clerk in the mercantile establishment of his father, in which he had passed the greater part of his youth from his tenth year. He remained in his father's employ from 1861 to 1869, at which time he embarked in the mercantile business for himself, and continued the same with varying success until 1874, when he sold out and engaged in the dry goods trade in the city of Selma, where he did a very prosperous business for a period of about five years. Returning to Eufaula in 1879, Mr. Godwin, in partnership with two brothers, established the well-known grocery house of Godwin Bros., which firm lasted until 1887, when Mr. Godwin purchased the entire interest and became associated in the business with a Mr. Duskin, under the firm name of Godwin & Duskin. The partnership lasted until 1890, at which time Mr. Godwin sold out and invested capital in the Eufaula Furniture and Variety works, but in 1891 he again embarked in merchandising in partnership with S. J. Flournoy, with whom he is still associated. The house of Flournoy & Godwin is one of the leading business firms of Eufaula, carrying a stock of general groceries representing a value of $10,000, and doing a very extensive and lucrative trade in Eufaula and county adjacent. Mr. Godwin is well known in commercial circles as a business man of great sagacity, and his reputation as an honorable dealer is much more than local. He is one of the progressive men of Eufaula, a liberal patron of all movements having for their end the good of the city, and has always manifested more than ordinary interest in the material prosperity of Barbour county. He is a deacon in the Baptist church, a member of the Pythian order and a democrat in politics. Mr. Godwin was happily married in 1871 to Mary A., daughter of John C. McNabb, and is the father of six children, two living: J. Samnel and Mary E.; the names of those deceased are as follows: William L., Ransom H., Lourie Lee and John D. Godwin. Additional Comments: from "Memorial Record of Alabama" p. 427-428 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 3.9 Kb