Representative Marshall Goodspeed View All Years
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Marshall Goodspeed
Washington County
Born March 20, 1825, two and a half miles east of Olcott, Niagara County, New York, and he was the eldest son of Heman and Louisa (Albright) Goodspeed. He supplemented his early education acquired in the common schools of his native county by study in the Yates Academy, of New York, and after putting aside his text-books he learned the nursery business and later was employed as a clerk in the store of J. D. Cooper, at Olcott. For one term he engaged in teaching in the home school at thirteen dollars per month, after which he entered the employ of his grandfather, Jacob Albright, with whom he engaged to work for a year. On the 21st of September, 1847, Mr. Goodspeed was married to Miss Cordelia Petty, near Lowville, Lewis County, New York. Two years later he removed to La Salle, Illinois, where he located and engaged in teaching school for a year. Subsequently he took up his abode at Troy Grove, Illinois, and engaged in the nursery business in partnership with Asa Dowling. Mr. Goodspeed then sought a home in the middle west, settling near Lexington, in Washington county, Iowa, and resumed the nursery business. Mr. Goodspeed not only figured prominently in business circles but also made a most creditable record by his public service which carried him into important relations. For many years he served as justice of the peace and county supervisor. In 1868 and again in 1872 he was elected a member of the state legislature and he likewise served during the adjourned session of 1873. Each question which came up for settlement received his earnest consideration. He introduced the bill that was passed abolishing capital punishment in 1872, also the bill separating the horticultural from the agricultural department and giving farmers a rebate of taxes for setting out and keeping in cultivation a certain number of trees.
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