James Cooper Goodwin

Rancher, farmer, mining engineer, and legislator.

Came to Tempe in 1888.

He left Missouri in 1884 and went to Tombstone, and then Bisbee, Arizona, and eventually arrived in Tempe in about 1888. He constructed canals, railroads, and highways, including such projects as the Kyrene Ditch and the Miami-Superior Highway. He was the first president and manager of the Phoenix-Mesa-Tempe Railroad, and established a street railway in Tempe.

Established a ranch in the Kyrene district, and built large grain warehouses. Grew dates and raised 200 head of cattle. Member of Kyrene School Dist. Governing Board, 1888.

During the Spanish-American War, he served as a Private in Troop C of the First Volunteer Cavalry, also known as Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, from 4 May to 15 Sep 1898. He was later appointed chairman of the Roosevelt Memorial Association campaign for the Tempe district in 1921.

Proposed and lobbied for the creation of the 2000-acre Papago Saguaro National Monument, which was established by proclamation by President Wilson.

He was elected to the 19th Territorial Legislature in 1897, and served as Chairman of the House Committee on rentals of State School lands. He was again elected later and served two terms as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives in the second and third State Legislatures, 1915-1918.

He took a great interest in prehistoric Arizona, and contributed artifacts to the Smithsonian Institute. He also collected minerals, became an authority on mining, and was placed in charge of a mineral exhibit at the Arizona State Fair for many years.

Member of the Tempe Old Settlers Association.

He [and his widow in 1923, '25, -'26] lived at 820 S. Farmer Avenue in 1928,'30, '31, '32

OSB 11

BIO-Goodwin

BIO-Goodwin, James C.

Old Settlers Collection, THM

Federal census (Tempe), 1900, 1910

HPS-243

Tempe CD, 1892-1920, -23, -25, -'26, '28,, '30, '31, '32

Double Butte Cemetery, Tempe

Furlong, Story of Kyrene, p. 24

Lamb, Historical Overview

TH-942

Painter Scrapbook

Hopkins and Thomas, The ASU Story, p. 51

Charles Herner, The Arizona Rough Riders, pp. 242-243