Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF i'.IOGRAFI I
ping place of the stages For Albany and had just been given the American agency
other western points and known as Good- of the great London banking hous<
win's Tavern. It was with him that the George Peabodj & Company, of which
connection with the Morgan family be- his father was a member. The career of
gan, when as a youth he entered Joseph the Morgan firm is too widely known to
Morgan's office. This Joseph Morgan was need rehearsing lure, and in fact Mr.
Goodwin remained a partner for only ten
the father of Junius Spencer Morgan, the
well known London banker, and one of
tin.- founders of the great financial inter-
ests which later became so closely identi-
fied with his son's gigantic career. After
a time James Goodwin married a daughter
of Joseph Morgan, and from his mother's
brother, James Junius (ioodwin. was
given the name of Junius. James (ioodwin
became associated in a prominent
way with many of the largest and most
important business institutions in Hartford,
among which should be mentioned
the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance
Company, of which he was president, as
well as institutions of another character,
such as the Hartford Hospital, and in the
old military organization known as the
Governor's Horse Guard, of which he was
major of the first company.
James Junius (ioodwin, son of Major
(ioodwin, was
James and Lucy (Morgan I
born in Hartford. Connecticut. September
i'), 1835, and there passed his childhood
and youth. His education was for a time
in the excellent private schools of the
city, and later in the Hartford High
School, from which he was graduated
with the class of 1851. For a few years
following- he was employed in a number
of clerical positions, and in 1857 he went
abroad for eighteen months of study and
travel. In the early part of the year 1859,
he returned to the United States and accepted
a position in the firm of William
A. Sale & Company, of Xew York,
engaged in the Chinese and East India
trade. He remained with them about two
years, and then became the partner of his
cousin, the late J. Pierpont Morgan, who
275
V
years, though the interests with which he
was connected were always allied to Mr.
Morgan's. In iSji the firm was reconstructed
under the name of Drexel, Morgan
& Company. Mr. (ioodwin withdraw-
ing from it. and indeed from all active
business. He was one of those who in-
herited through his father a large portion
of his ancestors' 1
lartford property which,
with the growth of the city, had become a
most valuable possession, and the care of
which required much watchful attention.
But though he was not now engaged in
active business, he did not sever his connection
entirely with the financial world
in which he had played so important a
part. On the contrary, his interests were
very large and varied, and without doubt
it is due in very large measure to his skill
and wisdom that the institutions with
which he was connected had great prosperity.
Among these should be mentioned
the Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance
Company, the Hartford Fire Insurance
Company, the Collins Company. Connecticut
Trust and Safe Deposit Company,
the Holyoke Water Power Company, and
the Erie & Susquehanna Railroad.
Important as was his position in the
financial world, and powerful as was his
influence from this source, it is not for
this that Mr. Goodwin was best known
and is best remembered in the city of his
birth ; for though his busini SS connections
were numerous, he was still more
active in other departments of the city's
life. His public spirit knew no bounds
and there were few movements undertaken
for the general welfare in which he