Will County ILGenWeb Biographies..... 
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File contributed for use by:
Dori Leekly & Margie Glenn

Author: History of Will County, Illinois; Chicago: Wm LeBaron Jr & Co, 186 Dearborn Street, 1878.

George W. GOODENOW, grocer; P. O. Goodenow; the subject of this sketch is one of the best known 
men of Crete Twp.; was born in Oneida Co., N. Y., April 1, 1824, and is the son of Franklin and 
Betsy (SMITH) GOODENOW, of New York; his father was a farmer; in 1835, with his parents, emigrated 
West to Indiana, and settled in La Grange Co.; here they remained until 1838; they then moved to 
Illinois and settled in Thorn Grove on 160 acres of Government land, $1.25 per acre; here they 
commenced farming in a small way, being very poor; Mr. GOODENOW has been very successful since 
he came to Illinois; had accumulated at one time 1,840 acres of land; laid out the present village 
of Goodenow; in 1870, here, with his son Frank, started a store; also in the hay-press business, 
which business they have been engaged in ever since; Mr. GOODENOW's father died in 1870 at 70 
years of age. Married twice; first wife, Annie BATCHELOR, of Bennington Co., Vt., died in 1859; 
married second wife, Mary WIGGINS, of Cortland Co., N. Y.; eight children, six living.