The ancestors of Wayne Goodwin can be traced back to the 1600s in Ellington, Alconbury, and Stanground, England. His great-grandfather, James Goodwin, was an LDS convert who immigrated to America in 1850. James Goodwin's family first arrived and settled in New Orleans for two years. In 1852, the family moved to St. Louis, Missouri for one year, only to relocate to Council Bluffs, Iowa. This remained the family's residence until 1859 when they moved again, this time to Salt Lake City. The family moved from Salt Lake to Brigham City until their permanent home in Logan was finished in 1861.

Once the Goodwin family settled in Logan, James Goodwin's sons soon became influential within the town, especially William James Goodwin (Wayne Goodwin's grandfather). In 1871, the sons set up a dry goods store called the Goodwin Brothers Ranch. This store was the main competitor for the L.C.M.I., which was later renamed Z.C.M.I, Logan branch.

James Goodwin's family was active in the LDS Church until 1874. The family became disenchanted with the Church and left, but still were held in high esteem among Church members. William James Goodwin served as a probate judge in Cache County for six years, until his death in 1894. He was also an unsuccessful Republican candidate for delegate to the Constitutional Convention, but passed away before the election results announced his defeat.

Other patrilineal families researched by Wayne Goodwin include the Van Pelts. The Van Pelts immmigrated to American from the Netherlands. They resided in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Several of the Van Pelts served in the Revolutionary War. One family member, John Van Pelt, camped at Valley Forge with George Washington. In addition, other branches of Wayne Goodwin's family come from Denmark (the Hansen and Jacobsen families), Kentucky (the Logan family), and Virginia (the Cleveland family).

Wayne Goodwin was born (1916) and raised in Salt Lake City. He is the son of William Charles Goodwin. He worked for forty years with the Union Pacific Railroad Company. After his retirement in 1981, he began working on his family genealogy.

Sources: The Goodwin Family History, 1600-1900, Wayne O. Goodwin. (1990).