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.

William GOODWIN, deceased; this gentleman was one among the first settlers of Will Co., IL; 
was born in Watertown, N. Y., June 8, 1815, on his father's farm; was a millwright by trade. 
In 1832, he emigrated West to Illinois, and settled in Joliet; here he helped build the first 
house; also helped build a distillery; here he worked, and having saved sufficient money, he 
came to Wesley Twp, and purchased a farm, and commenced farming; this was about 1844; here he 
remained until 1850; that year he went to California, and remained there until 1852, engaged 
in gold mining with very good success; he then returned to his farm in Wesley Twp. He first 
married Rebecca ALTHOUSE, deceased; he then married Mrs. Sarah BUDLONG in 1870, wife of the 
late Hamilton BUDLONG, who died in 1868, daughter of Benjamin and Betsey (LAWTON) BUTTERFIELD, 
who emigrated West to Will Co. in 1844; father died in I864, at 66 years of age; mother died in 
1877, at 79 years of age. Mr. GOODWIN came West financially a poor boy, but, with hard labor 
and good management, before his death he ranked as one of the successful farmers of Will Co.; 
he was entirely blind five years before his death; he died June 18, 1877. Thus passed away one 
of the old settlers of Will Co., honored and respected by all, leaving a wife and seven children 
to mourn his loss - Elizabeth, wife of Hazard JONES; Hiram, in Colorado; Dolly, wife of William 
CRAMER, of Missouri; Irwin, in Idaho; John, William and Phillip; farm contains about 670 acres of 
land with fine improvements.