Where Is/Was Goodwin, Oklahoma? - Maps

Google Earth Map (2015) Locating Goodwin, Oklahoma

Story

Goodwin, Oklahoma as it looks today (2015) on Google Earth map is just a siding along a railroad track. The original town site was named Holstein and was later named for George L. Goodwin, assistant treasurer of the Santa Fe Railway.

An Oklahoma 2014-2015 State Railroad Map still shows Goodwin as a stop[1].

Oklahoma 2014-2015 State Railroad Map 

As can be noted on the above railroad map, there is a direct railway connection between Goodwin, Oklahoma and Alva, Oklahoma.

While the 2015 Google Earth map shows Goodwin, Oklahoma as being only a small barren area at a crossroad with a railroad track, Goodwin once was a thriving community a mile from the Wilhelm and Martha Kirmse properties.

A Google Earth map showing the location of the Wilhelm Kirmse homestead outlined in red and the Martha Kirmse property outlined in blue.  The blue pen shows where the town of Goodwin was located.

At the time the William Kirmse family lived nearby, there was controversy about building a new railway station at Goodwin, Oklahoma. The railroad even offered to purchase the entire town as noted in this 1908 International Railway Journal article.

International Railway Journal Article[2]

One element of the controversy was the grade at the town of Goodwin and the difficulties it posed.

US Geological Map

Eventually the matter was settled in a court decision, "ATCHISON T. & S. F. RY. CO. v. STATE, Case 878"[3]

This 1936 General Highway and Transportation map shows the position of Goodwin relative to the Texas-Oklahoma border along the Santa Fe railroad.

1936 General Highway and Transportation Map

This 1936 Works Progress Administration (WPA) map shows the size of the town and the land ownership around Goodwin, Oklahoma.

1936 Works Progress Administration (WPA) Map

This 1936 General Highway and Transportation Map shows that there was once a school at Goodwin as well as several other buildings and churches nearby..

1936 General Highway and Transportation Map

The Farm Unit identified on the map is that of the Kirmse farm home. And a Farm Unit less than a mile to the south is that of the Henry Lohmann farm home. The Goodwin train stop was less than two miles away by road from the Kirmse properties - this was very likely the way the William Kirmse family moved to Alva as this railroad line goes to Alva, Oklahoma.

John Krueger stopped by Goodwin, Oklahoma on April 14, 2015 and reported that the GOODWIN sign is all that is left of the once thriving town of Goodwin, Oklahoma.[4]

Goodwin Road Sign

John Krueger's picture tour of the Goodwin area will be presented in another blog post.[4]

If you happen to go by Goodwin,Oklahoma and are adventuresome, look for the Geocaching cache located nearby as denoted by:

Geocaching Emblem

For more details on engaging in the sport of geocaching, check out the Geocaching internet site for Goodwin, Oklahoma[5].

Date

1900-Present

Location

Goodwin, Ellis County, Oklahoma

Notes

1. Oklahoma 2014-2015 State Railroad Map Downloaded from http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/Maps/railroad/2014-2015/map_rail_2014-2015.pdf 
2.  Google eBook "International Railway Journal Volume 15" - No. 11, Page 17, February, 1908. See:https://books.google.com/books?id=t8RLAAAAYAAJ&q=goodwin#v=snippet&q=goodwin&f=false
3. "ATCHISON T. & S. F. RY. CO. v. STATE, Case 878", Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1910, See: http://law.justia.com/cases/oklahoma/supreme-court/1910/3961.html
4. John Krueger shared photographs and comments of his visit to Goodwin, Oklahoma with the Facebook group "Descendants of Julius and Barbara (Kraus) Kirmse", April, 2015.
5. Goodwin, Oklahoma Geocaching web site  http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC2E3NE_goodwin-oklahoma