My Genealogy Hound

Josephus Goodenough, M. D., is well known through Oakland County, both as a physician and surgeon of skill and as an author whose contributions are gladly accepted by the leading periodicals of the profession throughout the country. Dr. Goodenough has been a resident of Clarkston since 1871, but he was born in Ellicottville, Cattaraugus County, New York, November 10, 1830. He is a son of James and Sarah (Hiller) Goodenough, and a grandson of Solomon Goodenough, who was born in England, came to America in boyhood, served in the Revolutionary War and subsequently settled in Vermont, where he died at the age of 98 years, leaving four children.

James Goodenough, the father of Dr. Goodenough, was born in Vermont. In young manhood he removed to Syracuse, New York, where he married Sarah Hiller, a daughter of John Hiller. They moved to a farm in Cattaraugus County, from which they removed to Michigan May 10, 1831. Mr. Goodenough bought his first tract of land, 160 acres, during the administration of President Jackson, in West Bloomfield township, and 400 acres at Dryden, his death occurring at the latter place, at the age of 56 years, his hard work in clearing all this land probably tending to shorten his life. He was a man of fine intellect and was a natural leader of men. In politics he was a strong supporter of Jacksonian Democracy, and served two terms in the Territorial Legislature, the capital then being Detroit. As a member of the New York State Militia he served in the War of 1812. A family of seven children was born to James Goodenough and wife, namely: John, deceased; Josephus; Josephine and Joanna, both deceased; Mrs. Sarah J. Sutton, of the State of Washington; William, also of Washington; and Mary M., deceased.

Since the age of six months, Dr. Goodenough has been a resident of Michigan. When he was six years old his parents removed from West Bloomfield to Farmington township, and six years later to a large farm in Lapeer County, where he was reared to the age of 18 years. He then took advantage of his uncle’s residence in Romeo, and became a member of the latter’s family in order to attend the Romeo High School, where he was graduated with credit. His decision having been made to adopt medicine as a profession, he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and, after taking the prescribed course of medical lectures at the Eclectic Medical Institute in that city, was graduated in 1856 with his degree of M. D. For seven years he engaged in successful practice in Macomb County, Michigan, and then went to Waterford, Oakland County, where he remained 11 years, his pleasant home life being there broken up by the death of his wife. The succeeding three years were spent mainly in travel through the West and South, one year being spent in Texas. In 1871 he located at Clarkston and soon became identified with the various interests of the locality, rapidly building up a practice which has absorbed his time ever since. From being a close student, Dr. Goodenough became an author and a favorite one in the profession, his contributions being constantly found in the Medical World, the Medical Journal, the Medical Age and the Medical Brief, of St. Louis. For years all his leisure was given to the careful compilation of a most valuable book entitled “Favorite Receipt Book and Home Doctor,” which was issued in 1902 from the press of the F. B. Dickerson Company, of Detroit. This book has met with a hearty reception, and is already known to some of the farthest parts of the earth, an order recently being received for 500 volumes from South Africa.

Dr. Goodenough was first married to Eleanor, Walton, who was born in New York. One son of this marriage survives, — Eugene, of Chicago. Dr. Goodenough’s second wife, Emma Tubbs, was born at Elmira, New York. One son, Elmer J., has been born to this marriage.

Dr. Goodenough is a stanch Democrat, but has always refused official recognition. He is a very prominent member of the State Medical Society, the State Surgical Society, and the National Medical Society. Fraternally he belongs to the Masons and the Maccabees.