Butte County
Biographies
WILLIAM
C. GOODENOW
WILLIAM C. GOODENOW.—A well-known citizen of Oroville, William C. Goodenow is interested as a wide-awake Californian in the preservation of the records of the historic past. Born in Utica, N. Y., March 12, 1871, he is the son of Charles Goodenow, who was also born there and had a transfer business equal to any in Utica. He volunteered for service in the Civil War and saw action as a member of a New York regiment; and at the end of a long and useful life he died at Utica. Mrs. Goodenow, who was Sara Jones before her marriage, was born at Holyhead, Wales, but was reared from her seventh year in the New World, especially in New York State. Now she resides at Sauquoit, N. Y., the mother of seven children/
The second eldest of these and the only one on the Pacific Coast, William C. Goodenow, was brought up at Utica, and given the advantages of both the grammar and high school there. Finishing his studies, he engaged in the dairy business at Utica, and so continued until 1901, when, having made a decided success of his retail venture, but believing that California offered still greater inducements than did the Empire State, he came west and located in Oroville. For four years he was in the employ of the city, driving the team used in the street department inspection, and then he established a lunch counter known as the Western Pacific Lunch, located at the Western Pacific Railroad Depot. He was successful during the two years of his experiment, but at length was forced out of business.
During this time Mr. Goodenow had bought out the interest of Mr. Harlan in the Rex Theater, and his partner, Lewis Slissman, and he then bought the interest of Mr. Pyke, and for some time the Rex Theater, so widely known for its excellent management, was owned and controlled by Slissman and Goodenow.
Besides attending to this important theatrical interest, Mr. Goodenow was also engaged in the transfer business, using an auto truck and rendering the promptest service possible on the most reasonable terms. A live citizen, willing at all times to respond to his civic duty, Mr. Goodenow is the more influential because of his independent attitude and action in both national and local politics.
Transcribed by
Marie Hassard 07 December 2009.
Source: "History of Butte County, Cal.," by George C.
Mansfield, Pages 1310-1311, Historic Record Co, Los
Angeles, CA, 1918.
©
2009 Marie Hassard.
Golden Nugget Library's
Butte County Biographies