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Biography
Published in 1894
Charles H. Goodrich  CHARLES H. GOODRICH is now the oldest settler living in DuPage County, and resides on section 29, Lisle Township. He was born July 31, 1823, in Benson, Vt., and was the fifth in order of birth in a family of seven children whose parents were Harry and Thankful S. (Watson) Goodrich. All of the children are now deceased with the exception of our subject and his brother, Timothy W., who resides in Milwaukee, where he is in the linseed-oil business. The father of this family was a native of the Green Mountain State, and there followed farming until 1832, when he came to the West and located on Government land in DuPage county, where he remained until his death, which occurred about ten years later, in May, 1841, at the age of forty years. He was of Scotch descent. After his death his widow entered the land from the Government, and there made her home until called to the home beyond, when about seventy-two years of age. The paternal grandfather, Simeon Goodrich, was a Revolutionary soldier and on both sides our subject is descended from prominent New England families. Charles Goodrich spent the first nine years of his life in the State of his nativity, and then accompanied his parents on their westward emigration. At length they reached Chicago, which was then a hamlet, composed of Ft. Dearborn and a few log cabins. It contained not a single frame residence and gave no evidence of becoming the wonderful World’s Fair City of to-day. The journey from Chicago to Dupage County was made with an ox-team. They came to an almost unbroken wilderness, in which there were no roads, no bridges across the streams, and no settlements for many miles around. In Fact, as before stated, Mr. Goodrich has longer been a resident of DuPage County than any other citizen now within its borders. Her remained upon the home farm until sixteen years of age, with the exception of two years spent in the public schools of Chicago. In order to further advance in knowledge, he then entered Castleton Seminary, in Vermont, where he spent one year when occurred his father’s death. This event recalled him home, where he helped to settle up the estate, and the following year entered Burr Seminary, in Manchester, Vt., where he was for three years a student. The succeeding two years were passed in Middlebury (Vt.) College. Returning home, he for a time devoted his energies to teaching school. He spent one year in that way in Naperville, and was for one term a teacher at barber’s Corners, in will County. He then returned to the home farm and has since been engaged in its cultivation and further improvement. On the 4th of October, 1851, Mr. Goodrich was united in marriage with Miss P. Jane Turner, a native of New York, who at that time was employed as a teacher in this county. They became the parents of six children, two of whom died in infancy. Howard, the eldest, is a lawyer of Naperville, Ill.; his twin sister, Ida T., lives on the home farm,; Jennie is a prominent teacher of this county; and Irving carries on the farm, which has been in the possession of the family since 1834. It now comprises two hundred and twelve acres of rich land and is pleasantly locate three miles southeast of Naperville. Here the father and son carry on general farming and a dairy business, keeping from twenty-five to fifty cows. Mr. Goodrich, who has taken an active interest in local politics, aided in the organization of the Republican party in this locality, and was one of its leaders in earlier years. He has been honored with a number of offices of public trust, and served as Supervisor of his township for one term, was Commissioner of Highways for a number of years, Assessor three years, and for twenty-four years served as School Director. In the discharge of his official duties, he has ever been prompt and faithful, true to the trust reposed in him. He and his family are members of the Congregational Church in which for many years he has served as Deacon. He may well feel proud of his residence in the county and of the prominent part which he has taken in the work of public improvement. When he located here there was only one house between his home and Chicago. Years have passed since then, and in the onward march of civilization DuPage county has taken its place in the front rank in this great commonwealth. A debt of gratitude is due to the pioneers, for they were its founders and builders. "Portrait and Biographical
Record of Cook and DuPage Counties, Illinois"
1894 By Lake City Publishing Company, Chicago Containing sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county, together with biographies and portraits of all the Presidents of the United States *********************************************************************************
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