Biographical Sketch of Arnold Godt, Franklin County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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Arnold Godt, painter and contractor on Missouri Pacific Railroad, and
whose residence is in Washington, Mo., was born in 1838, in the prov-
ince of Westphalia, Germany, and is the son of August and Charlotte
(Wetbracht) Godt, natives of Germany, born in 1809 and 1827, respec-
tively.  The father is a stone mason by trade.  He came to the United
States in 1865, and located in Washington, Mo., where he has since
resided.  His wife died in 1883, and was the mother of nine children,
Arnold being the eldest living.  He was educated in his native country
and in his youth took up the study of music and became skillful on the
violin and cornet.  He has also composed many pieces of music.  In
November, 1858, he came to the United States and located in Washington
where he began working at the painter's trade and also gave music
lessons.  He was a strong Union man during the war, and in May, 1861,
enlisted as musician in the Home Guards; after serving three months
in the same he enlisted in the Seventeenth Regiment of Missouri Volun-
teers for three years, or during the war, as musician.  He remained in
service until 1863, when he was mustered out at St. Louis, Mo.  He 
then returned home and resumed work at his trade, painting and music.
He organized three of four bands in Washington, being leader of all of
them, and he followed teaching and composing six or eight years.  For
the past fifteen years, however, he has been in music only for his own
amusement.  He has done the largest part of the painting, graining,
sign painting and paper hanging in Washington, he being a very skill-
ful workman.  In October, 1868, he married Miss Louise Stumpe, a 
native of Franklin County, Mo., born in 1846, and to them were born
five children: Alma, Egmont, Hellena, Freddie and Arthur.  In 1868 Mr.
Godt commenced painting and contracting on the Missouri Pacific Rail-
road, and continued until 1875 when he abandoned the railroad work,
and devoted his time to work in Washington.  In 1886 he resumed work
on the railroad, and since then has given that most of his time and
attention.  He is a stanch Republican, casting his first presidential
vote for Lincoln in 1864.  He is a member of the I. O. O. F., also a
Royal Arch Mason, and a member of the G. A. R.

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