Biography - Allen Cty, Ohio
Frederick Goodman
Frederick Goodman, a representative of one of Allen
County's prominent pioneer families, is engaged in farming in Shawnee
Township, his farm being located in section 4. He was born January 12,
1836 in Ross County, Ohio, and is a son of Peter and Diana (Shaffer)
Goodman, and a grandson of Peter Goodman, Sr., who in 1803, with his
brothers, Daniel and Samuel, removed from Reading, Pennsylvania to Ross
County, Ohio. The three brothers were married and brought their
families with them.
Peter Goodman, father of our subject, was born in Pennsylvania
in 1803 and was three weeks old when the family came to Ohio and located
in Ross County. There in early life he engaged in hauling freight,
consisting of all kinds of merchandise, driving six-horse teams. He
acquired a piece of land in that county, which he cleared and cultivated
until 1860, in which year he came to Allen County. Here he purchased a
tract of 160 acres, located five miles east of Lima. There he farmed
and resided until 1880, when he moved to the present Goodman farm in
section 4, Shawnee Township. He died in this place April 9, 1882, aged
89 years. His wife, Diana (Shaffer) Goodman, was born in Virginia and
was 17 years old when she came to Ohio. Her death occurred in February,
1870. Peter Goodman was a Democrat in politics, and a member of the
Lutheran Church.
Peter and Diana (Shaffer) Goodman had the following children:
Harriet; Caroline, wife of Daniel Moyer, living in Arkansas; Frederick;
Margaret; Charles, who lived on the home place until his death at the
age of 46; Mary, deceased, who was the wife of Albert Hefner, ex-county
commissioner of Allen County; David, deceased at the age of 22 years;
Calvin; and Oliver who died at the age of two years.
There are two houses on the Goodman farm, one of them occupied
by our subject and his family and the other by his sisters, Harriet and
Margaret, and his brother Calvin, who never married.
Frederick Goodman was past 24 years of age when, in April
1860, he accompanied the family to Allen County. He enlisted in the
Union Army in 1862, and served three years in the Pioneer Corps, seeing
hard service in the South and West. The work was very hazardous, as it
was usually in advance of the fighting line. The detachments of the
Pioneer Corps, while engaged at their work of clearing away
obstructions, building roads and bridges, etc., were always subject to
attacks by large forces of the enemy. They were in the woods cutting
timber upon one occasion when they were attacked by 500 Confederate
cavalrymen. Mr. Goodman was shot through the leg and incapacitated for
some time. He was honorably discharged in May 1865, and returned to
Columbus, where for about a year he followed his trade as a mechanic.
He had followed his trade in St. Louis for a time before going to the
war. Since returning to Allen County he has been engaged in farming,
although he has done some carpentering.
In working upon the place some time ago, Mr. Goodman ploughed
up a silver hair-comb, which Mrs. Goodman or her daughter sometimes
wears. Although buried in the ground many years, it is not in the least
impaired. Our subject also has an old Indian scalping-knife, which was
found on the place, and many other interesting relics of the period of
Indian habitation in Allen County.
More than a century ago Turkey Foot, a member of the Shawnee
tribe of Indians living in this vicinity, built on what is now the
Goodman farm a cabin which has since been known as "Turkey Foot's
Cabin." It is still standing although fast succumbing to the elements.
On February 5, 1884, Frederick Goodman married Loureath
Hibbets, who was born in Jackson township, Allen County, Ohio, and is
the daughter of John and Margaret (Harper) Hibbets. John Hibbits
removed to Champaign County, Ohio, at an early date, and in 1830 came to
Allen County, locating a farm situated partly in Bath and partly in
Jackson Township, the house being in the latter. His wife chopped down
the first tree for the clearing where the log-cabin was erected.
Mrs. Hibbets was born in West Virginia at Harper's Ferry, and
was a daughter of Samuel and Sarah Harper, who moved from Harper's
Ferry, which was named after this family, to Champaign County, Ohio.
Mr. and Mrs. Hibbets had 10 children, namely: Maria, wife of
Jesse Rambaugh, living in Iowa; Samuel, who lives in Michigan; Peggy,
Sarah, John, Caroline, Rosanna and Jane, all deceased; Loureath, wife of
our subject; and Aramitta, wife of Henry Bolton, of Lima. John Hibbets,
father of Mrs. Goodman, finally moved from Jackson to Shawnee township,
and took up a farm which connects with our subjects. He died December
24, 1889; his wife died February 4, 1888.
To Mr. and Mrs. Goodman were born two children, as follows:
Clara, deceased at the age of two years; and Alta, born September 28,
1888, who lives at home.
Mr. Goodman is a Democrat in politics, and was six years on the
township board. Mrs. Goodman is a member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church; Mr. Goodman, while not a member of the church, has always been a
consistent church-goer and has contributed towards building churches.