Aaron Goodrich was born on 6 July 1807 at
Sempronius, Cayuga County, New York.
2 He was the son of
Levi Hamilton Goodrich and
Eunice Skinner.
1 He married
Alice Paris on 10 August 1870.
2 He died on 24 June 1887 at age 79.
2 Transcribed from Case: "Most of the years of his minority were spent on his father's farm; his education was in part obtained in the common district-school and partly under the tutelage of his parents, both of whom were thorough practical educators of that day; not far from his twentieth year he went into the employment of Isaac W. Skinner of Buffalo, as traveling agent for his extensive iron foundry, where he soon proved himself worthy of a wider field of labor, and in a short time became the junior member of the firm of Skinner & Goodrich. It was while in this position that Judge Wilkinson, recognizing the ability of the firm and fearing its rivalry in business, succeeded, by offering extraordinary inducements, in allying him to his own vast interests. Here he not only distinguished himself in business life, but also in public life - chosen alderman while Judge Wilkinson served as mayor; it was while so engaged that he began the study of law. He eventually severed his connection with this firm and went to Tennessee, finished his course of law, and was admitted to its practice in Dover, Stewart County. He rose rapidly in his profession, and soon took rank among the most prominent of the profession in his adopted State. One prominent characteristic that distinguished him was his originality; he was original in everything; in this he was a tower of strength. He was always active as a politician.
In 1847-8, he was elected to the legislature of the State, the only Whig who ever represented his district in the halls of legislation. At this time he was nominated presidential elector on the Whig ticket, in opposition to the Hon. Isham G. Harris, ex-governor of the State; was elected; cast his vote for Taylor and Fillmore, for whom he stumped the State. Upon the territorial organization of Minnesota, he was appointed its chief-justice, where for three years he demonstrated great ability as a jurist and constitutional lawyer. On retiring from the bench, he resumed the practise of his profession in St. Paul, where he was regarded as preeminently the foremost jurist of the time. In the organization of Minnesota as a State, he took an active part; when admitted into the Union, in 1858, he, with a majority of the legislature opposed to him in politics, was appointed a member of the commission to revise the laws and prepare a system of pleadings and practice for the State courts; two years later he was made chairman of the commission which prepared a system of pleadings and practice. Judge Goodrich has always opposed what is known as the "code" system of practice, and gave his views on this subject in the introduction to a minority report before the legislature in 1858. The legal student will find it worthy of consultation.
In politics the Judge was a Whig, but, on the demise of that party, cast his lot with the Republican party; was a delegate to the convention that nominated Abraham Lincoln, but cast his vote for William H. Seward. It is said of him that on September 17, the same year, he appeared on the balcony of the International Hotel at St. Paul, and in one of the best speeches ever made by that gentleman introduced to a vast concourse of people the Hon. William H. Seward; a speech that has become historic, and, says the St. Paul
Daily Times, "we hazard nothing in pronouncing it one of the finest specimens to be found in our annals."
In March, 1861, he was appointed by President Lincoln secretary of legation at Brussels, and served in that capacity eight years. During this period he found time to gratify his literary and more particularly his antiquarian tastes, visiting various parts of of the Eastern continent, none of which he enjoyed more than his visit to Goodrich Castle, from which he brought away with him the views that now adorn this memorial volume. It was during these years while abroad that he gathered the material for a literary work, which produced a very decided sensation when published, in 1874, by D. Appleton & Co., New York, entitled "A History of the Character and Achievements of the so-called Christopher Columbus."
On his return from Europe, he was again drawn into the vortex of politics. In 1872, sent delegate to the Liberal Republican Convention at Cincinnati, where he cast his vote for David Davis, U.-S. senator from Illinois. During his last ten years he led a retired life, enjoying himself in the seclusion of his home, where he had one of the finest libraries in the country and a rare collection of old and obsolete works collected in Eastern countries. He achieved fame as a scholar, statesman, orator, jurist, and author. Eminently companionable, but never hesitated to express his opinions openly and frankly. Few are the men held in such high estimation as he was in his own city with all classes of men, and few, if any, will be more missed.
In the month of April, 1849, two men, strangers, met at the white house in Washington, D.C., and were admitted together to President Taylor's reception-room; perceiving that the men were unacquainted, the president said: "Allow me, Mr. Goodrich, to introduce you to Peter Parley; Peter Parley, Mr. Goodrich." An acquaintance was then made that became a bond of friendship most highly prized, and was sundered only by death."
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