Daughter of Josiah Arnold and Clarissa Lora Jones

Married Hyrum Goff, 2 Jan 1871, Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Children - Melissa Loraine Goff, Clarissa Laura Goff, Ellen Adelia Goff, Alicia Margaret Goff, Harold Goff, Hyrum Leroy Goff, Clifford Isaac Goff, Hyrum Herbert Goff, Alma Angus Goff, Cora Maria Goff, George Arnold Goff, Irene Lenore Goff

History - Maria Tryphena Arnold, born in 1855 to Josiah and Clarissa Jones Canfield Arnold, was one of the first children born in West Jordan (Midvale). her father died when she was four years old. Maria and her sisters, Ellen and Melissa, went to school in the old rock meeting house near the West Jordan Cemetery. They loved this old building because it was almost like a second home to them. Schoolw as held here, church meetings and socials and almost all entertainments such as plays and dances were in this building. produce was accepted as the entering fee.

At the age of fifteen, she plighted her troth with Hyrum Goff and on New Year's Day 1871, Hyrum and Maria left West Jordan (Midvale) for Salt Lake to be married in the Endowment House. They were parents of twelve children.

Maria and Hyrum had an organ in their parlor and the children were musically inclined, but Harold was especially talented. He could sing well and taught speech at the University of utah, where he also participated in dramatics and was editor of the school paper.

Many of the church officials coming from Salt Lake to visit the West Jordan Ward (Midvale) would stay at their home. They traveled from the city on a train known "Bingham Bill." It went daily from Salt Lake to Bingham and stopped at Bingham Junction. Getting off the train here, about 8:00 am they would walk to the Goff home. Maria would have the parlor ready for them and they would sit there until Sunday School time when Hyrum would take them in his surrey to the rock meeting house. Afterward they returned to a hot dinner Maria had prepared for them. - Melissa Goff Smith