Cortez Goff, a prominent and successful farmer of the Bitter Root Valley, was born in Howard County, Missouri, July 31, 1838, of Scotch and German ancestors. They were among the early settlers of Virginia. The maternal grandfather of our subject, James Turpin was a soldier in the War of 1812. Our subject's father, Moses Goff, was born in Virginia and brought up in Kentucky, where he was married to Polly Turpin. They had three daughters and one son, the latter being the subject of this sketch. The father died in Andrew County Missouri at the age of eigty-seven years. He had been four times married and was the father of nine children. Religiously, he was a member of the Christian Church. The mother of our subject died at the age of thirty-five years.

      Cortez Goff received only limited educational advantages during his youth. In 1855, when only seventeen years of age, he went to Kansas, where he began life on his own account and was there married. In 1860 he went to Colorado, where he engaged in mining. In 1864 he moved to Polk County, Oregon, locating near the town of Bethel, but eighteen months afterward came to Montana. After following mining and dairying a number of years, Mr. Goff purchased a squatter's right to 160 acres of land in the spring of 1874 to which he has since added 160 acres more and now has one of the best farms in the entire valley. In 1876 a good frame residence took the place of the log cabin and the farm contains many other improvements.

      Mr. Goff was married in Kansas to Sarah Jane Strange, a native of Kentucky and a daughter of Jacob Strange. Their eldest son, William, who was born in Kansas, accompanied him to this state and now resides on an adjoining farm. Clarence, born in Montana, is still at home. Mr. and Mrs. Goff are worthy members of the Methodist Church and the former supports the Republican party. He gives close attention to his farm interests, has acquired a competency and is known as a man of the highest integrity and honesty.

History of the State of Montana, by Joaquim Miller, 1894