Tag Archives: Governor Goodwin

Arizona Territory Santa Fe Trail

Governor Goodwin’s Expedition

June 7, 2011 – 3:25 pm


While the Arizona Territory formed in February, 1863, it was not until December 29, 1863, that the governor was inaugurated into office on the territory’s soil.  The journey from the east took many months of planning and several more months of travel.

In my book, A Dream Unfolding, my fictional characters, Drew and Hannah Anderson, arrive at Fort Larned in Kansas.  Their wagon train stops and waits for the governor’s arrival.  From that point in the journey forward, the Andersons travel with the governor’s party all the way to their final destination.  The route the wagon train took was accurate, inspired by letters written by Jonathan Richmond, one of the men in the governor’s expedition.

From Fort Larned, Kansas, the group traveled west to Fort Lyon in Colorado, following the Santa Fe Trail.  Once in Colorado, the group turned south making brief stops in Picketware, Trinidad, and Raton.  Once inside the New Mexico Territory, they stopped at Fort Union before heading on to Santa Fe.  From Santa Fe, the expedition traveled through Albuquerque and Laguna before camping at Fort Wingate, the last western fort before the vastly desolate Arizona Territory.  Traveling on Pishon’s road, the group headed almost due west along the 35th parallel.  Stopping in the San Francisco Mountains (near present day Flagstaff), the party was delayed two weeks due to a blizzard.  Once leaving the San Francisco Mountains, they headed south towards Fort Whipple, arriving on January 22, 1864.

The journey was long.  The governor’s party left Cincinnati, Ohio, in late August, 1863.  For five months the group traveled the great distance to their new home, often stopping for a week or two at the major forts.  Accompanied by the military and part of a large group of nearly 55 wagons, the group stayed safe through the journey.  The encountered many strange sights, such as a fandango dance in Santa Fe, and the native dances of the peaceful Laguna Indians.

For an account of some of the more colorful things they experienced along the way, pick up a copy of my book, A Dream Unfolding, now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, and more.

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Arizona Territory Prescott

The First Governor of the Arizona Territory

February 26, 2011 – 8:58 pm

After the act of Congress created the Arizona Territory, John N. Goodwin, from Maine, was appointed as the Chief Justice for the territory.  While John A. Gurley was appointed as the first governor, following his untimely passing in August 1863, President Lincoln appointed John Goodwin to the post in which he officially served until 1866.

Goodwin was elected as a delegate to the United States Congress in 1864, despite still holding the position of Governor.  When he left for Washington on March 4, 1865, he continued to receive compensation as Governor of the territory until the end of his term.  He also received a salary for his position in Congress during this same time frame.

Despite the unethical nature of receiving two salaries, Goodwin did leave a positive impact on the territory.  He was known as a peacemaker, appointing both northern and southern sympathizers to political positions even though the country was embroiled in Civil War.  He is described as a pleasant man, able to get along with diverse people.

Born in South Berwick, Maine, John Goodwin was a well educated man.  He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1844.  He went on to study law under John Hubbard before beginning to practice law in South Berwick in 1849.  In 1854 he was elected as a Democratic state senator for Maine.  Then in 1860 he was elected to Congress before being appointed Chief Justice for the Arizona Territory in 1863.

During the first legislative session for the new territory in September of 1864, Goodwin spoke.  He believed the Apache’s attacks and presence in the territory would be one of the major obstacles to bringing new settlers and civilized law to the territory.  He advocated sending all the Indians to reservations.  His other banner cause was education.  He wanted to see public grade schools, high schools, and universities established in the new territory rather quickly, setting aside part of the taxes specifically for education.

Though the actual time he resided in the territory was just over a year, Governor Goodwin managed to set the political tone and lay a foundation for the new territory, impacting the territory for years to come.

 

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Arizona Territory Prescott

Fort Whipple in 1863-64

February 26, 2011 – 8:56 pm

On October 5, 1863, a group of soldiers left Fort Union in New Mexico headed to Fort Wingate.  Once at Fort Wingate, they met up with two companies of the First California Volunteers, as well as Major Willis, Captain Pishon, and Doctor Charles Lieb and his wife, Mary (the first white woman to settle in Northern Arizona).  The group set out from Fort Wingate on November 4, 1863 to establish a new fort in Northern Arizona—Fort Whipple.

On December 23, 1863*, the group arrived near present day Chino Valley.  Major Willis, the commander of the fort, decided to stop there, despite the 25 mile distance to the placer mines on Granite Creek (present day Prescott).  The fort would provide protection for the territorial government and civilian settlers.

Nearly a month passed before Governor Goodwin and his party arrived at the fort on January 22, 1864.  Once they arrived, Major Willis ordered a 18 gun salute and small celebration.  For the next few months, the government of the territory officially resided at the fort.

Conditions were less than perfect for these brave souls.  Supplies had to be freighted from Albuquerque, New Mexico across the desert plains of Northern Arizona.  Often food was in short supply.  No permanent structures were erected until after the fort moved on May 18, 1864, to one mile northeast of Prescott on the bank of Granite Creek.  A small group of men stayed behind at the original site which became known as Camp Clark.

During Prescott’s early days, the fort kept settlers safe from Indian attacks and served as a base of operations for military campaigns throughout the area.

 

*There are conflicting accounts as to the exact date.  It was sometime within a few days of the date listed.

 

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Arizona Territory Prescott

The Birth of a Territory

February 26, 2011 – 8:55 pm

On February 24, 1863, the Arizona Territory was born.  President Lincoln then appointed John A. Gurley as governor.  When Gurley died in near his home in Cincinnati in August of 1863, before ever setting foot in the territory, President Lincoln appointed John N. Goodwin as the governor.

Goodwin and his party began the long trek to the territory from Ohio, crossing miles of land.  My book, A Dream Unfolding, follows a couple who is on the same wagon train as the Governor from Kansas to their final destination of Fort Whipple in the Arizona Territory.

The official inauguration of the territorial government did not take place until the governor’s party reached a small watering hole a few days ride inside the territory.  On December 29, 1863, at Navajo Springs, the governor’s party held an inauguration ceremony.  In the midst of a snowy afternoon, the ceremony began with a prayer by Reverend Read.  Then Goodwin and the other government officials took the oath of office.

Following the oath of office, Secretary Richard McCormick read the Governor’s Proclamation which announced a census for the territory, the organization of judicial districts, the governor’s stance on the Indian situation, among other key political points.  The temporary capitol was announced as Fort Whipple, which was later moved to Prescott.  After the speech, Secretary McCormick hoisted a flag.

The governor’s party did not reach their final destination of Fort Whipple until January 22, 1864, almost eleven months after the territory was formed.

 

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Arizona Territory Prescott

Arizona’s Governor’s Mansion

February 26, 2011 – 8:54 pm

Within days of the town of Prescott organizing, the governor called for bids on the first public building, the Governor’s Mansion.  Different sources site Samuel Blair, Dan Hatz, and John Raible as the gentlemen who won the bid in June 1864.  One source also listed Van C. Smith.

Shortly after winning the bid, the slow construction process began.  With no saw mill available, all the logs had to be processed with whipsaws.  The men constructed the building under armed guard who protected the workers from Indian attacks.

Supplies were limited and costly, due to the remote location of the town.  A pound of ten-penny nails was $1.75.  For this reason, the project was over budget in a very short period of time.   By the time the mansion was completed four months later, the total cost came in at $6,000—a staggering sum for the time period.

The final dimensions of the mansion were sited at 50 ft. by 40 ft. totaling 2,000 square feet—almost four times the size of the typical log cabin of the day.  Eleven rooms were sectioned off in the interior.  Since Governor Goodwin did not bring his wife with him, part of the building was used for offices.

Governor Goodwin, Secretary McCormick, Chief Justice Turner, Assistant Secretary Fleury, and the commander of Fort Whipple all lived in the building.  After the capitol moved to Tucson in 1867, Fleury lived there until his death in 1896.

The Sharlot Hall Museum, in Prescott, Arizona, has done a remarkable job of preserving the building.  The current configuration of the building came from letters written by Secretary McCormick’s wife when she resided in the building during his term as governor.

 

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