Anyone researching Major John Goff of Winfield Township, Herkimer County, NY and his son, Revolutionary War Captain John Goff can find original documents in the Blue Earth County Historical Society (BECHS) in Mankato, MN. Capt. John Goff had a son named Orange Goff who migrated to Mapleton, Blue Earth County, MN. Orange in turn had a grandson, Dean Goff of El Paso, Texas. When Dean passed he donated a wooden box full of very old documents related to his ancestors to the BECHS. There are numerous documents that date back to the early 1800s hand written in ink and signed by the one of Dean Goff’s ancestors. A few of the records had to do with land purchases. Included in these papers is the original document and rough draft of Captain John Goff’s Independence Day Speech given in 1836 Herkimer County, NY. An article and sample of the speech are in Goff-Gough Family Association Newsletter Fall 2022. None of these documents has been digitalized for online research. But Harley Goff is intimately associated with the BECHS having served in various positions within the organization. He is preparing a list of documents in the box for publication and is willing to scan any documents for any interested researchers. If you would like to contact him directly, his email is hjgoff@hickorytech.net.