Anson Conger Goodyear’s Legacy of Business and Philanthropy

Anson Conger Goodyear was an American industrialist and art collector who had multiple interests in railroads. Aside from his own railroads, he served Buffalo and Susquehanna Railroad from 1907 to 1910 as vice president, and New Orleans Great Northern Railroad Company from 1920 to 1930 as president. He also served in the boards of Paramount Pictures, Gaylord Container Corporation and Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad.

From the late 19th century toward the early 20th century, Goodyear started collecting artwork. Goodyear organized the Museum of Modern Art located in New York City where he served as president from 1029 to 1939. Some pieces from his collection were donated to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

Goodyear served the New York National Guard and actively joined the World War I holding the rank of Colonel. He became the personal representative of the Secretary of War. Later, he was promoted to the rank of Major General. He was department commander of the American Red Cross stationed in Hawaii during the World War II.

George Jay Gould: Father of Intercontinental Railroads in the US

George Jay Gould was an American financier and railroad owner. He was born on February 6, 1864 in New York City. His father, Jay Gould, was a railroad executive. The elder Gould led Western Pacific Railroad and Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad.

When his father died, Gould inherited his father’s fortunes, including his railroad holdings. At the turn of the 20th century, Gould hired surveyors and engineers to survey the Feather River canyon in California for a possible railroad that would reach San Francisco, California. However, there were oppositions and backbiting, especially the ones instigated by E.H. Harriman who was leading Southern Pacific Railroad and Union Pacific Railroad at that time. So Gould established third party companies to do the surveying and construction for him and disguise himself. The result of this shrewd undertaking became the mainline for Western Pacific. He used the Western Pacific line as an outlet to the sea to better compete with Harriman. Several years later, the Western Pacific Railroad and the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad worked together in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Gould also took the east through Wabash Railroad that spans Toledo and Baltimore through Pittsburgh. Aside from challenging the monopoly posed by Pennsylvania Railroad, Wabash railroad was Gould’s outlet to the Atlantic. With his railroads spanning the west and the east, Gould has practically established a transcontinental railroad system.

However, Gould was not able to take good care of his investments. He was believed to have implemented unsound financial principles. So when the Panic of 1907 hit his company, he was not able to carry on with the operations of the company. All his railroads were gone by 1907.

Gould contracted pneumonia and died on May 16, 1923. At his death, he left an estate which was valued at $15,054,627 after debts were paid which amounted to $5,175,590 (US dollars valued in 1933).

Charles Goodnight: Great American Cowboy

Charles Goodnight was an American cattle rancher who was popular in the West, especially in Texas. Also known as Charlie, Texas natives call him the “father of Texas.” His greatness was more than any other cowman in the history of America has achieved.

Goodnight was born on March 5, 1836 in Macoupin County, Illinois. Goodnight migrated to Texas in 1846. He became a cowboy ten years later, joined the local militia, and fought the Comanche raiders. During the Civil War, Goodnight joined the Confederate States Army. His assignment was with the frontier regiment that guard against raiding Indians.

After the War, Goodnight started herding Texas longhorn cattle. He moved his cattle northward, from West Texas up to the railroads. In 1866, he was joined by Oliver Loving. They moved their cattle northward, in an area which was known as the Goodnight-Loving Trail. Their partnership allowed them to reach as far as the Capulin Mountain in New Mexico.

Goodnight invented the first cattle drive wagon, the chuckwagon. At New Mexico, Goodnight and Loving partnered with John Chisum for potential contracts with the US Army in the future. After Loving’s death, Goodnight and Chisum extended the pasture trail to Colorado and Wyoming.

Louis Antoine Godey: Man with a Big Heart for Women

Louis Antoine Godey was an American publisher, editor and businessman who published Godey’s Lady Book. This book once became the women’s source for French lifestyle. Godey’s Lady Book became the first successful women’s lifestyle and fashion magazine in the US.

Godey was born on June 6, 1804 in New York City, New York. He was born to parents who survived the French Revolution. The Godey family was relatively poor and the Godey children were unschooled. Godey ended up educating himself.

At 15, Godey worked as a paper boy for a New York City newspaper. By the time he decided to quit his job, Godey has saved enough money to move to Philadelphia where he worked as “scissors editor” in Daily Chronicle. Godey worked in Philadelphia County until the first Lady Book was published two years later.

The first issues of the Lady Book contained article clippings taken from a few French publications. The earlier issues of the book became a turning point for the spread of French culture and lifestyle in America. Godey’s book became “the guiding star of female education and the beacon of light of refined taste, pure morals and practical wisdom.”

More than 150,000 subscribers benefited from the Lady Book’s information – fashion trends, etiquette, house plans, patterns and craft ideas, short stories, tips and hints, health advice, poetry, musical scores, book notices –anything that can help turn women into ladies. Since the release of Lady Book, it was noted that feminine culture became stronger in the US.

Needless to say, Godey brought French fashion to the US through the Lady Book. When the publication’s influence became clearer, Godey moved to hire other writers to infuse fresh American ideas. Godey’s first move was to hire Sarah Josepha Hale as the book’s literary editor. Godey ended up with his own magazine company.

Godey retired in his St. Augustine, Florida home.  He became very ill and died on November 29, 1878 in Philadelphia.

Joseph Glidden: Birthing Barbed Wire

Joseph Glidden was credited for the barbed wire patent. Barbed wire is an interesting invention since it changed the development in Western America. Glidden was a farmer. He was born on January 18, 1813 in Charlestown, New Hampshire.

Glidden’s first barbed wire was made of coffee mill placed along a wire. He twisted another wire to keep the barns in place. Glidden was credited for the barbed wire’s patent in 1847, after which he founded the Barn Fence Company. His invention gave him a huge fortune. At his death in 1906, Glidden was one of America’s wealthiest men.

The effectiveness of Glidden’s barbed wire was tested in the “Flying Pan Ranch” in Potter County, Texas. Flying Pan Ranch housed 12,000 heads of cattle. Its success changed the landscape of ranching in America.

Glidden donated 63 acres of his real property to be converted into a school – the Northern Illinois Normal School. The school was launched on September 12, 1898. It started with 16 teachers and 139 students. In 1957, the school was renamed Northern Illinois University.

Glidden, a town in the State of Iowa, was named in honor of Glidden.

Stephen Girard was Once America’s Financial Savior

Stephen Girard was a naturalized American banker and philanthropist. During the War of 1812, he saved the US government from an imminent financial collapse out of his personal wealth. He was known as one of the wealthiest Americans, placing fourth in the all-time list based on his fortunes in proportion to the GDP. He remained childless in his entire lifetime. He devoted his time and wealth in philanthropic activities, especially charities that pertain to education and the orphans.

Girard was born as Étienne Girard on May 20, 1750 in Bordeaux, France. When he was eight, he lost the sight on his right eye so that he had little education. His father was a sea captain. His father used to accompany him cruising to and fro the Caribbean. At 23, he was a licensed captain and was able to visit California in 1774 at the age of 24. With the help of a merchant from New York, Girard was able to trade from New Orleans to Port au Prince and vice versa. A British fleet drove him into a port in Philadelphia in May 1776. He settled in Philadelphia as a merchant.

In 1776, Girard married Mary Lum. Mary was diagnosed with an incurable mental instability in 1785. He committed his wife to the Pennsylvania Hospital as an incurable lunatic and took Sally Bickham as a mistress. While he lived with his mistress, Girard continued to provide Mary with luxury. She gave birth to a baby girl named Mary, but later on died.

A yellow fever epidemic broke into Philadelphia in 1793. While most wealthy citizens left the city, Girard chose to stay to take care of the sick and the dying. He converted a mansion outside the city into a hospital and hired volunteers to take care of the patients. After the outbreak, he was treated as a local hero. Another yellow fever outbreak occurred between 1797 and 1797 where Girard was a prominent supporter.

At the expiration of the charter of First Bank of the United States in 1811, Girard purchased its stocks and opened his own bank. During the War of 1812, Girard’s bank offered credit to the US government. The federal government’s financial credit was at its lowest and Girard placed almost all his resources to the US government’s disposal. Girard’s Bank enabled the US to carry on with the war.