James Madison Goodhue

James Madison Goodhue
(1810-1852)

When you meet James Goodhue, you will enjoy his clever wit and insightful observations of Minnesota's early years as a Territory. Be sure to look for his printing press in the exhibit, and ask him how the printing profession gave us such expressions as 'cut to the chase.'

James Goodhue — the editor of Minnesota's first newspaper, the Minnesota Pioneer — was born in New Hampshire and came to St. Paul in 1849, right after Congress established Minnesota Territory. Having tried his hand as a farmer, lawyer and novelist before becoming a printer and editor, Goodhue saw great opportunity in Minnesota. The territory's new government would make laws for the people who lived here, and Goodhue planned on being hired to print those laws. The first Territorial Legislature did, in fact, select him as the official government printer.

Goodhue thought Minnesota was a wonderful place to live. To encourage immigration, he wrote many positive articles about Minnesota in the Pioneer and then sent copies of his paper throughout the country. He also reported on significant events in Minnesota Territory, including the 1851 signing of the treaty of Traverse des Sioux. In this treaty, 21 million acres of land in southern Minnesota were sold by the Sisseton and Wahpeton bands of the Dakota Indians to the U.S. government for about 12 cents an acre.

No matter what the subject matter, Goodhue wrote with unparalleled skill and wit. His articles and editorials painted vivid pictures for readers in an era of few photographs and no moving images. Goodhue died in 1852 after a lengthy illness. Some claim his death was due to the lingering effects of knife wounds he suffered in a brawl the previous year. Even at its end, his life never ceased to be newsworthy.