Frances Goodwin is seen in this archived photo working on her statue of “Education” that was featured in an 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Photo courtesy Henry County Historical Society.

By DARREL RADFORD
Historically Speaking

In Steven Spielberg’s recent hit movie “Lincoln,” there are a couple of scenes that refer to House Speaker Schuyler Colfax, including a climactic one in which he asks that his name be called during the vote on the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery, an unusual move for a House leader, who normally votes only in the case of ties.

The scene brought back into memory an interesting Henry County historical fact. Colfax, who was an Indiana congressman, went on to serve as U.S. vice president during President Ulysses S. Grant’s administration. Colfax’s bust is featured along with all those who served as U.S. vice president in our nation’s capitol.

And it was sculpted by none other than New Castle’s own Frances Murphey Goodwin.

From the Chicago World’s Fair to the Indiana Statehouse, Long Island, N.Y, to the nation’s capitol, Goodwin’s handiwork left unforgettable impressions.

Born in 1855, little more than three decades after New Castle was founded, Frances Goodwin was one of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Goodwin’s five daughters. Her father was described as “one of the pioneers of Henry County.” She arguably had two of the most talented hands in New Castle history.

From this small community, Goodwin went on to study in New York and the Chicago Art Institute. She was obviously a good student, as evidenced by the memorable sculptures her hands created in the years to follow.

Unfortunately, two of her most prized works have disappeared. A statue of a seven-foot female figure called “Education” was exhibited during the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago and was a permanent fixture in the Indiana Statehouse until it mysteriously vanished in the 1930s.

Goodwin’s sculpture of Robert Dale Owen, a former state legislator and congressman, was also stolen from the south entrance of the Indiana Statehouse. A limestone pedestal is all that remains.

But perhaps her most acclaimed work remains in Washington, D.C.

Schuyler Colfax had already died when Goodwin was requested by the Senate Committee on the Library to present a preliminary clay model of the late vice president. On the recommendation of Colfax’s widow, the committee approved Goodwin’s proposal.

She was the second woman ever to be given a commission by the U.S. government. It was installed in the Senate chamber gallery in 1897.

Her work can still be seen locally, however. A bust of poet and legislator Benjamin Parker is featured at the Henry County Historical Society Museum.

Proof of the impact her life had came the day she died. Headlines not only here but in Richmond and Indianapolis newspapers saluted the New Castle artist.

Her gifted hands were also compassionate ones. In an April 1988 celebration, she was described as one younger family members looked up to, almost like a second mother.

One of her younger sisters added even more color to the family’s artistic endeavors, due in part to Goodwin’s influence. More on that in next week’s column.

Darrel Radford is a staff member of The Courier-Times and a board member for The Henry County Historical Society. Visit the historical society website at www.henrycountyhs.org.