John Noble Goodwin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Noble Goodwin (October 18, 1824 – April 29, 1887) was a United States politician. He is one of a select few to serve in the United States House of Representatives from two different states, having been a Representative from Maine and a Delegate from the Territory of Arizona.

Goodwin was born in South Berwick, York County, Maine. He attended public schools and the local academy at Berwick, Maine, followed by Dartmouth College from which he graduated in 1844. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1848. He went into practice in South Berwick, and was elected as a Republican member of the Maine State Senate in 1854.

In the elections of November 1860, Goodwin was elected as a Republican from the 1st Congressional District of Maine, narrowly beating the Democratic Party candidate. He served only one term in Congress (March 4, 1861-March 3, 1863) before being defeated for re-election in November 1862 by 247 votes by Lorenzo De Medici Sweat. President Lincoln swiftly appointed Goodwin as Chief Justice of Arizona Territory on March 6, 1863. When Arizona was organized, Goodwin was on August 21, 1863 appointed as the first Governor of the Territory. It fell to him to enter the Territory and formally proclaim its organization at Navajo Springs on December 29, 1863.

Goodwin was elected as a Republican Delegate from Arizona Territory to the Thirty-ninth Congress and served a further two years in the House (March 4, 1865-March 3, 1867). He did not seek re-election in 1866, and did not return to Arizona, preferring instead to resume the practice of law in New York City. He died in Paraiso Springs, California, and was buried in Forest Grove Cemetery, Augusta, Maine.

[edit] References

• This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

Preceded by Daniel E. Somes	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 1st congressional district 1861 – 1863	Succeeded by Lorenzo De Medici Sweat
Preceded by none	Governor of Arizona Territory 1863 – 1866	Succeeded by Richard Cunningham McCormick
Preceded by Charles Debrille Poston	Delegate to the United States House of Representatives from Arizona Territory 1865 – 1867	Succeeded by Coles Bashford