Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 6.djvu/303

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

HON. DAVID H. GOODELI,

��2 73

��HON. DAVID H. GOO DELL.

��The Goodell family are of that old New England race which made the wilderness smile. This is the second century of their residence within the borders of New Hampshire.

i. David Goodell, in that part of the town of Amherst included in Mil- ford.

2. David Goodell, a son, married Elizabeth Hutchinson, and lived in Amherst.

3. David Goodell, son of David and Elizabeth (Hutchinson) Goodell, was born September 15, 1774, in Am- herst, married Mary Raymond, of Mont Vernon ; settled in Hillsborough ; moved to Antrim in 1844, and died in 1848. His wife died May 17, 1864, aged 85.

4. Deacon Jesse R. Goodell, son of David and Mary (Raymond) Good- ell, was born February 12, 1807 ; mar- ried 1, Olive Atwood Wright, of Sulli- van (born February 28, 1807 ; died June 13, 1877) ; married 2, Mrs. Ruth (Wilkins) Bennett ; settled in Antrim where he still resides, and is a farmer.

5. Hon. David H. Goodell, only child of Jesse R. and Olive (At- wood) Goodell, was born May 6, 1834, in Hillsborough.

The family remained upon the Hills- borough farm until 1841, when it was sold and they removed to another in the adjoining town of Antrim.

The parents, who had had but very limited school privileges, felt keenly the importance of an education, and were desirous of having their son ob- tain one. They accordingly, when he had mastered the studies of the com- mon school, sent him to Hancock academy several terms, and then to New Hampton, and he graduated at Francestown in the summer of 1852, and in the fall entered Brown Univer- sity. Here he took high rank as a scholar, winning a prize in mathemat- ics, and marking within one degree of 2

��perfect in Latin ; but his health failed him during the sophomore year, and he was compelled to return to his home. The next year and a half he spent upon his father's farm, and, hav- ing recovered his health, resumed work as a teacher, in which he was engaged two terms at Hubbardston, Mass., one at New London Literary and Scientific Institution, and one at Leominster, Mass.

A sedentary life did not agree with Mr. Goodell, however, and he again went to Antrim, with the intention of making farming his permanent busi- ness. Soon after, the Antrim Shovel Company was organized, and he was called from the farm to act as its treas- urer and book-keeper. A year later, in 1858, he was appointed general agent of the company, and served in this capacity six years, the three last as the agent of Treadwell & Co., of Boston, who had purchased the busi- ness of the original company. In 1864 Oakes Ames bought the business, including the patents covering the now famous Antrim shovel, and moved it to North Easton, Mass., and Mr. Goodell, in company with George R. Carter, one of the firm of Treadwell & Co., began, in a small way, the man- ufacture of apple-parers. He invent- ed what is known as the " lightning apple-parer," and put it upon the market through a New York house, which sold the first two years a few hundred dozen. This they considered a good business ; but Mr. Goodell was not satisfied, and the next year took the road himself, and in three weeks' time he sold two thousand dozen, and made the invention known throughout the country.

In 1867 the factory was burned, and, as the firm carried no insurance, it lost every thing ; but in six weeks it had a new shop in operation, and was able to supply the demand for the

�� �