The Goodspeed family wasn't on the Mayflower that landed at Plymouth Rock but it is known they were there by the 1730s. After several generations Samuel Goodspeed, a sailor, married and moved his new family to Vermont. Samuel's wife was a direct descendant of William Brewster. William Brewster (1568 – 10 April 1644) was an English official and Mayflower passenger in 1620. In the Plymouth Colony, by virtue of his education and existing stature with those immigrating from the Netherlands, Brewster, a Brownist (or Puritan Separatist), became senior elder and the leader of the community. When the passengers of the Mayflower landed at Plymouth Colony, Brewster became the senior elder, and so served as the religious leader of the colony in the colony, he became a separatist leader and preacher, and eventually an adviser to Massachusetts Governor William Bradford.
The Pilgrims Arriving At Plymouth Rock
By 1855 Samuel, along with a lot of other New England families, moved near Ottawa in LaSalle County, Illinois, just southwest of Chicago along the Illinois River. Just 2 years later disaster struck after a stormy winter. Floods dominated the states east of the Mississippi causing major damage and deaths.
Towns Were Washed Away In Some Areas
Samuel moved a county away to Livingston County where it was safer from flooding. The family settled near the village of Dwight and in 1859 Samuel had a son he named Selah Betts Goodspeed. He was named after his maternal grandfather.
Selah grew up farming like his father. But, wanting a better education, he headed west to Kansas. There he enrolled in Campbell Normal College in the town of Holton.
Selah grew up farming like his father. But, wanting a better education, he headed west to Kansas. There he enrolled in Campbell Normal College in the town of Holton.
The college was initially planned in 1870 and opened in 1880 with a large part of the funding provided by A. G. Campbell, a wealthy Utah mine owner and former Jackson County, Kansas resident, for whom it was named. Campbell was approached for money to start a college and he offered to match up to $20,000. Eleven acres of land were purchased and a stone building was erected in 1880. Exactly when Selah attended is unknown, but he must have been in one of the very early classes. The voluminous Goodspeed family history states that "he taught school with success at several places, but finally returned to Dwight."
By this time the little town of Dwight was becoming famous. During the mid 1880’s, Dr. Leslie E. Keeley was among the first medical pioneers to recognize alcoholism as a disease. Dr. Keeley and his associates founded the Keeley Institute in Dwight for the treatment of alcoholism. Within twenty years the Institute had developed a national and international reputation for the successful, humane treatment of alcoholism. The Keeley Company grew from its beginning in Dwight to more than two hundred branches throughout the United States and Europe. The Livingston Hotel, attached to the treatment center was used by patients while in Dwight. Because of the Keeley Company, Dwight instantly became famous and people from all over visited Dwight for the famous “Keeley Cure”. In order to impress the important clientele of the Keeley Company, elaborate buildings were constructed. At this time Dwight was gifted with water, streets and the basic infrastructure of the thriving community. Parks and cemeteries were also designed by world renowned landscape architects.
The Keeley Institute and Downtown Dwight
What Selah was a teacher of is unknown. Maybe it was history. For whatever reason in 1891 he copyrights the idea for a new card game. It is called "Game of American Patriots". It is a game using 71 cards. There are 23 Patriot cards, 23 Event cards and 23 Date cards that compose 23 books. Also 1 Prize card and 1 Minus (Benedict Arnold) card.
Who would have printed this deck for Selah? I believe his brother Arthur was involved. Brother Arthur Rogers Goodspeed was a publisher in Dwight. He was engaged in the mail order business and finally moved into Dwight in 1886 from the family farm nearby. He began the publication of '' The Agents Directory" and "The Note Book," for several years with much success and advertised widely in newspapers and magazines. Both he and Selah were close and lived with their father for most of their lives. Neither ever married.
The popularity of the deck may have been very small. I found no advertisements in newspaper databases or a number of trade magazines. In August 1898 Arthur R. Goodnight offers the printing plates and copyright for the game for sale in Printer’s Ink magazine.
By 1900 Selah and Arthur have no occupations listed in the census record. They are just living with their father and a younger brother that is a bookkeeper. By 1910 Selah's occupation is now listed as a gardener. In 1923 he passes away. Selah is buried next to Arthur and their mom and dad in the McDowell Cemetery in Dwight.
The popularity of the deck may have been very small. I found no advertisements in newspaper databases or a number of trade magazines. In August 1898 Arthur R. Goodnight offers the printing plates and copyright for the game for sale in Printer’s Ink magazine.
By 1900 Selah and Arthur have no occupations listed in the census record. They are just living with their father and a younger brother that is a bookkeeper. By 1910 Selah's occupation is now listed as a gardener. In 1923 he passes away. Selah is buried next to Arthur and their mom and dad in the McDowell Cemetery in Dwight.
But Wait, There's More....
Recently, fellow collector Rocco D'Eugenio brought a similar patriotic deck to my attention. Originally thought to have been made for the 1876 United States Centennial the new game of CENTENNALIA was introduced by the Milton Bradley game company in November 1875.
This game featured 66 cards composed of 21 Patriots, 21 Events, 21 Dates, 2 Prize Cards and 1 Minus card. Whereas the Patriot game by Goodspeed featured 71 cards composed of 23 Patriots, 23 Places, 23 Dates, 1 Prize Card and 1 Minus card.
Centennalia Cards American Patriot Cards
Both decks used half of the same people; John Adams, Gen. Warren, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Gen. LaFayette, Benjamin Franklin, Gen. Wm. H Harrison, Gen. Andrew Jackson, Gen. Winfield Scott and Benedict Arnold. And they even used the same pictures for them.
Centennalia Cards American Patriot Cards
But Goodspeed eliminated half of the Revolutionary War people and replaced them with Civil War era figures and recently assassinated President James Garfield. He also used dates instead of places. With all these changes he avoided a lawsuit from Milton Bradley.
Here is a comparison list for reference;
CENTENNALIA (66 cards) PATRIOTS (71 cards)
Patriot, Event & Place Patriot, Event & Date
Card #1 John Hancock Patrick Henry
Card #2 Gen. Israel Putnam John Adams
Card #3 Ethan Allen Gen. Joseph Warren
Card #4 Gen. Warren Thomas Jefferson
Card #5 John Adams Gen. Geo. Washington
Card #6 Gen. Sullivan Paul Jones
Card #7 Thomas Jefferson Gen. La Fayette
Card #8 Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin
Card #9 Gen. Greene Gen. Wm H Harrison
Card #10 Gen. Stark Gen. Andrew Jackson
Card #11 Gen. Gates Daniel Webster
Card #12 George Washington Gen. Zachary Taylor
Card #13 Gen. Marion Gen. Winfield Scott
Card #14 Gen. Sumpter Henry Clay
Card #15 Gen. Shelby Gen. Geo. B. McClellan
Card #16 Gen. LaFayette Abraham Lincoln
Card #17 Gen. Harrison Gen. Geo. G. Meade
Card #18 Capt. Bainbridge Admiral Farragut
Card #19 Gen. Scott Gen. Phil. H. Sheridan
Card #20 Gen. Brown Gen. W. T. Sherman
Card #21 Gen. Jackson Gen. U. S. Grant
Card #22 (Not Used) Gen. Geo. A Custer
Card #23 (Not Used) James A. Garfield
Minus Card Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold
Prize Card Great Seal The Stars and Stripes
Prize Card Money (Not Used)
CENTENNALIA (66 cards) PATRIOTS (71 cards)
Patriot, Event & Place Patriot, Event & Date
Card #1 John Hancock Patrick Henry
Card #2 Gen. Israel Putnam John Adams
Card #3 Ethan Allen Gen. Joseph Warren
Card #4 Gen. Warren Thomas Jefferson
Card #5 John Adams Gen. Geo. Washington
Card #6 Gen. Sullivan Paul Jones
Card #7 Thomas Jefferson Gen. La Fayette
Card #8 Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin
Card #9 Gen. Greene Gen. Wm H Harrison
Card #10 Gen. Stark Gen. Andrew Jackson
Card #11 Gen. Gates Daniel Webster
Card #12 George Washington Gen. Zachary Taylor
Card #13 Gen. Marion Gen. Winfield Scott
Card #14 Gen. Sumpter Henry Clay
Card #15 Gen. Shelby Gen. Geo. B. McClellan
Card #16 Gen. LaFayette Abraham Lincoln
Card #17 Gen. Harrison Gen. Geo. G. Meade
Card #18 Capt. Bainbridge Admiral Farragut
Card #19 Gen. Scott Gen. Phil. H. Sheridan
Card #20 Gen. Brown Gen. W. T. Sherman
Card #21 Gen. Jackson Gen. U. S. Grant
Card #22 (Not Used) Gen. Geo. A Custer
Card #23 (Not Used) James A. Garfield
Minus Card Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold
Prize Card Great Seal The Stars and Stripes
Prize Card Money (Not Used)