A “Good” family history in the Valley & the “Plains”
The Good family history goes back generations here in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The earliest known records show Conrad “Guth” (Good) on the Augusta Co. (later to be Rockingham) records in 1766. His grandson, Noah- a farmer, carpenter, and noted sharp shooter, served in the Civil War driving a team pulling artillery and ammunition. At the end of the war, it is said he refused to go before the Yankee head marshal in New Market to be paroled. Before and after enlisting in the war, he worked on a farm south of New Market for the Grim family. He lived on this farm as a working tenant for some 25 years, as well as farming other pieces of property with Mr. Samuel Grim. Along with the help of his sons Amos and Sidney, he built a home not far from Smith Creek. Using logs hand hewn from the land and sawed on the up and down mill at the creek, mud was used as chinking and the roof covered with tin.
William Berryman, also a son of Noah, was born on the river near the Plains Mill in Timberville, and grew up on the Grim property, where as a boy he most likely worked while his father was serving as a confederate soldier in the war. He would later move back to the river near where he was born, on the Myers farm, where he would at some point help build a large brick home on this property which would later be known to many in the area as the Smucker farm. Later he begin working on the Driver farm, moving into the tenant house south of the Mill.
William’s first son, William Hamilton Rice (“Rice”) Good, who was employed by the railroad for a time, would end up purchasing the farm near the Mill where his father had previously worked as a tenant. His son Roy William “Jack” Good, continued to own and operate this farm. Along with serving as a member of the Rockingham County Supervisor for the Plains District, farming was his main occupation until his transition to retirement.
The only child of Jack Good to really pick up the farming trade was his son, William “Bill” David Good. He purchased the “Plains Farm” as it would be called from the Hoover family. For a time he operated a dairy, and even tried his hand at raising sheep. His main focus however was raising cattle, cash crops, and sweet corn on the some 200 acres of land. In 2012 he put the farm into an environmental easement to protect the land from development, which seems to be an ever increasing sad reality today.
Because of his great investment in agriculture, since Bills passing in 2015, the “Plains Farm” was passed down to his daughters. Today, half of the “Plains Farm” is owned by his daughter Barbara along with her husband Garlin Estep. They have thankfully allowed their only daughter, and Williams only grandchild to chase her own farming dreams. 😉 Kelly received a B.S. in Agricultural and Life Sciences, with minors in Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, and Animal and Poultry Sciences from Virginia Tech in 2012 *Go Hokies!*. Since graduation, she has worked in the animal sciences field in various roles but has found her true passion in sustainable agriculture. She has decided to call the farm “Good Plains Farm” as a nod to the deep family roots in the Valley, as well as the commitment to making the land better than it was before.
Good, William Algernon. Shadowed by the Massanutten: a History of Life along Smith Creek, the Good Family Genealogy, and Civil War Notes. W.A. Good, 1992.
Downs, Janet Baugher., et al. Mills of Rockingham County. Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society, 1997.