Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Gooding, Alanson 
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com December 3, 2007, 4:59 am

Author: Past & Present, 1907

Alanson Gooding, carrying on farming operations in Wesley township, where he 
owns and controls an excellent farm of two hundred and forty-six acres of rich 
land, was born in Canandaigua, Ontario county, New York, April 13, 1835. His 
paternal grandparents were George and Nancy (Wilder) Gooding. The grandfather 
was a farmer by occupation and served as a soldier of the war of 1812. His 
son, George Gooding, was born in Canandaigua, Ontario county, New York, 
October 18, 1802, and was reared to general agricultural pursuits. Throughout 
his entire life he carried on farming and stock-raising and in this business 
accumulated a fortune of seventy-five thousand dollars, but through his 
kindness to others, for whom he went security, he lost all. He was a prominent 
man in New York and was honored with various public offices. In 1856 he came 
west and with borrowed capital invested in land. He first purchased two 
hundred and eighty acres of land at twenty dollars per acre on section 6, 
Wesley township. He began farming and stock-raising upon this tract and was 
again very prosperous, making judicious investments in property until he had 
extensive holdings, embracing nine hundred acres. All of this land was wild 
prairie and timber which he improved, converting it into richly tilled fields. 
He was seldom, if ever, at error in matters of business judgment, quickly 
noted and utilized an opportunity for judicious investment, and as the years 
passed by met with a measure of prosperity that placed him among the 
substantial residents of the county. He belonged to the Universalist church 
and in politics was known as a war democrat, believing in the prosecution of 
the war while upholding the principles of democracy. On the 25th of January, 
1826, in Canandaigua, New York, George Gooding was united in marriage to Miss 
Achsah Peed, who was born in Hartland, Connecticut, July 31, 1801. They 
traveled life's journey for more than a half century as man and wife, being 
separated by the death of Mr. Gooding November 23, 1883, while his wife died 
on Christmas day of 1884. They were the parents of seven children, of whom 
five are now living: Lucretia, the widow of Scott Case and a resident of 
Nebraska; Ovanda, the wife of M. Adams, who is living in Alta, Iowa; Alanson, 
of this review; Jeanette, the widow of Charles Jukes and a resident of 
Kankakee, Illinois; and George, who is living in Wesley township. Alanson 
Gooding remained a resident of the cast through the period of his minority and 
when twenty-one years of age came with his parents to Illinois, the family 
home being established in Wesley township. For many years he was extensively 
and successfully engaged in buying and shipping stock to the Chicago market, 
so continuing until 1891, when he withdrew from that department of business 
and concentrated his energies upon general farming. He had purchased two 
hundred and forty-six acres of land, which he is cultivating today with hired 
help, and his farm is a well improved and valuable property, giving every 
evidence of careful supervision and an intimate and correct knowledge of the 
best methods of conducting farm work. Mr. Gooding has been married twice. On 
the 20th of February, 1865, he wedded Miss Jenet Thompson, who was born in 
Wilmington in 1844 and died August 25, 1892. She was a daughter of Samuel and 
Christina Thompson, natives of Scotland, who came to Wilmington at an early 
date, her father being a pioneer blacksmith here. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Gooding 
was born one son, George S., who married Lillian Wise and is now living in 
Idaho. On the 14th of March, 1895, Mr. Gooding wedded Miss Nettie Smith, who 
was born in Lanarkshire, Scotland, November 13, 1865, a daughter of James and 
Jeanette (Cossar) Smith, who were natives of Greenock-on-the-Clyde. Her father 
was a farmer in Scotland and on coming to the new world followed the same 
occupation in Ontario, Canada. He held membership in the Presbyterian church 
and died April 25, 1906, at the age of sixty-five years, having for more than 
a decade survived his wife, who passed away in October, 1895. They had become 
residents of Ontario, Canada, in 1889. They were the parents of nine children: 
Robert, who married Helen Chambers and is living in Ontario, Canada; Mrs. 
Gooding; James, who wedded Mary Black and lives in Ontario, Canada; Mary, the 
wife of John Cooper, also of Ontario; Jessie, the wife of Oscar Case, who is 
living in Nebraska; Isabelle, a resident of St. Catharines, Canada; John, 
whose home is at Calgary, Alberta province, Canada; Thomas; and William. Unto 
the second marriage of Mr. Gooding was born one son, Edward W., March 29, 
1899. The public service of Alanson Gooding has been of a helpful character 
and community interests have been advanced thereby. He was supervisor of 
Wilmington township from 1881 until 1890 and while holding that office served 
on the building committee at the time of the erection of the new courthouse at 
Joliet and was also instrumental in getting the appropriation for the soldiers 
monument. He was mayor of the city of Wilmington for four years during the 
same period. He exercises his official prerogatives in support of every 
movement or measure that tended to promote reform, progress and improvement 
and has always been the champion of local advancement. Fraternally he is 
connected with Wilmington lodge, A. F. & A. M., and Wilmington chapter, No. 
142, R. A. M., while his church association connects him with the Presbyterian 
denomination. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and in 
ail life's relations he stands for those things which work for upright 
manhood, for loyalty in citizenship and fidelity in friendship. 

Additional Comments:
Past and Present of Will County, Illinois, by W. W. Stevens, President of the 
Will County Pioneers Association. Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing 
Company, 1907.

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