Plumas-Placer-Nevada County CA Archives Biographies.....Goodwin, John Daniel 1829 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 3, 2006, 6:39 pm

Author: Fariss & Smith (1882)

JUDGE JOHN DANIEL GOODWIN was born in Camden, South Carolina, November 6, 1829.
His father, John Goodwin, was born in same district in 1800, and his
grandfather, Daniel Goodwin, was born in same state in 1770. His mother was also
a native of same district, born in 1802, daughter of Captain William Nettles,
also a native of South Carolina, born in 1738, who served in the continental
army in that state through the Revolutionary War, with some local distinction.
The father of the subject of our sketch married Miss Nettles in 1823, and to
them were born four sons, William N., Benjamin T., John D., and Samuel McL. He
died November 12, 1833, leaving the widow and three sons, William, John, and
Samuel, with little or no means for support. His father, being a farmer in good
circumstances in Alabama, removed the widow and children to his home in Pickens
county, and provided for their wants. The widow married in 1837, and the boys
were left in the care of their grandfather. They were made to work on the
plantation, getting such schooling as the country school would afford during the
time their labor could be spared from the farm. John D. early exhibiting a taste
for books, he was indulged in a little extra time at school, and for which
indulgence he has ever been grateful. John, at the age of fourteen, became his
own man. He clerked in a dry-goods store the first year, and made sufficient
money to support himself at school a year. From then he alternated between
teaching a small school and being taught at one, until he was prepared to enter
the state university in January, 1850. Not having the means to support him
through the university course, he left for California, with the expectation of
making a fortune in the mines, and in a short time return and complete his
education. He went by way of the Isthmus of Panama, and reached San Francisco
June 6, 1850. He went direct to the mines on the American river. He had been
prompted to turn Californianward by the fact that his elder bother William had
left Alabama for this state in the spring of 1849. No tidings of him had been
received after leaving St. Louis to cross the plains, but it was supposed he
would be found in the mines. After searching for some time, he found that
William died with the cholera on the Platte the summer before. He remained near
Auburn for a year, and by dint of hard work and rough fare managed to make a
living. In 1851 he went to Nevada county, and engaged in ditching and mining for
another year, with the same success. In 1852 he removed to Brown's valley, Yuba
county, and engaged in quartz-mining, with like results. In 1853 he acquired an
interest in a water ditch from Dry creek to the banks of main Yuba river, and
supplied water to miners. He also engaged in merchandising at same place, and
there remained until July, 1855. His hopes of a university education had then
been abandoned. The cherished associations of his boyhood home had all, except
one, faded into a pleasant dream; that one was the girl whom he had left behind.
Miss Martha J. Cravens, the daughter of Dr. J. P. Cravens, was born in Moringo
county, Alabama, November 30, 1831. Her family removed to Pickens county, in
1847, where these young people first met. When he left for California Miss
Cravens was still a school-girl. She graduated with honors in a seminary at
Aberdeen, Mississippi, in 1852, and returned to Alabama, They had kept up a
correspondence with each other, which, in 1854, resulted in their engagement to
marry. On the first of July, 1855, the subject of our sketch left for Alabama.
He reached home on the first day of August. They were married on the
twenty-second of that month; and on the fourteenth of November following, bade a
final adieu to their old, and started for their new, home. They reached Brown's
valley in December, and lived there until the following summer. On the first of
August, 1856, they removed to Plumas county, and settled at Spanish Ranch. He
then became a member of the firm of Harvey, Story, & Co., in the merchantile
business. That fall he was elected justice of the peace for Mineral township,
and served as associate justice of the court of sessions until the first,of
January, 1858. The business in which he was engaged made a bad failure in fall
of 1857. In 1858 he became a candidate for county clerk on the democratic
ticket, and was beaten in the election by John Harbison. He was again a
candidate in 1859, and was then elected over Harbison. He moved to Quincy in
September, and took charge of the office on the first Monday of October
following. He had before this given some study to the law, and now turned his
attention to the subject in earnest. He was a candidate for re-election, but was
beaten by Captain W. N. De Haven, who appointed Mr. Goodwin his deputy, and he
was thus enabled to pursue the study of the law uninterruptedly for another two
years. He was admitted to practice in the district court April 24, 1863, and
that fall he entered upon the practice of his profession in partnership with
Hon. Creed Haymond. In 1865 the democratic party nominated him for the assembly
from the counties of Plumas and Lassen. The two counties were largely
republican, and the pronounced secession views of Judge Goodwin seemed to render
his election hopeless. He was, however, elected, and served in the legislature
1865-66. He was defeated for the same position in 1867. From that time until
June, 1876, he was engaged in the practice of his profession at Quincy. The
legislature of 1875-76, having organized the 21st judicial district out of the
counties of Plumas, Lassen, and Modoc, Governor Irwin appointed Judge Goodwin to
the bench in such district. He was defeated for the position at the election in
the fall of 1877 by Judge Clough, and after the expiration of his term, January
1, 1878, returned to the practice, and has since devoted himself to his
profession. To Judge and Mrs. Goodwin have been born six children, five
daughters and one son; Mattie L., Ella, Cora, William Nettles, Kittie, and
Grace, all in Plumas county. Ella died at the age of nine months, and Cora at
the age of nineteen years, three months, and five days. Few men in Plumas county
enjoy as full a measure of the confidence and esteem of her citizens as does Mr.
Goodwin.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

San Francisco: Fariss & Smith
(1882)


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