Napa-San Francisco County CA Archives Biographies.....Goodman, George E. 1823 - 
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Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1891)

GEORGE E. GOODMAN has lived in California since 1852, and in Napa since 1855.
Born in Rochester, New York, in 1823, he attended the common and high schools of
that city up to the age of nineteen, when he removed to Memphis, Tennessee,
where he had an uncle in business, and engaged as a shipping clerk in a cotton
commission house, remaining there until 1852. Returning to Rochester for a visit
to his parents, he proceeded to New York and thence to San Francisco by way of
Panama, arriving October 3, 1852, after a trip of thirty days. Among his
fellow-passengers on that trip were ex-Senator W. M. Gwinn, ex-Congressman
McCorkle, Mr. Hardenburgh, formerly Surveyor-General of the State, and Nicholas
Liming, the millionaire of San Francisco. During that voyage Dr. Gwinn
frequently prophesied the building of the transcontinental railroad, which was
carried out twenty years later. Mr. Goodman was engaged in the wholesale grocery
and produce business in San Francisco until 1855. At that time business in San
Francisco was very lively, and all merchandise was shipped around Cape Horn.
Passengers and mails only came by way of Panama. When Mr. Goodman crossed, the
railroad was built for only about fourteen miles up the Chagres River, then
about ten miles by row-boat, and the rest of the way by mule to Panama. Thus it
will be seen that no merchandise could come by the Panama route, which at that
time was hardly capable of carrying the passengers and mails. This left a grand
opportunity for the wide-awake speculators who then abounded in San Francisco to
get up corners on certain accommodations, and at the same time rendered the
market liable to be so glutted with other articles that boxes of tobacco, for
instance, weighing from 140 to 150 pounds, were used for crossings in the
streets, and doubtless in some parts of the city these boxes could now be found
marking the foundations of those streets. At times corners were mode on goods so
that they sold for fabulous prices, and at others they would not bring the cost
of freights. In 1855 Mr. Goodman left San Francisco for Napa, where he engaged
in mercantile business as a member of the firm of Hart & Company. Their trade
was very extensive, reaching as far as Clear Lake, in Lake County. At that time
there was much wheat raised in the Napa Valley region, while Berryessa and other
valleys were large producers of stock, and Napa was the shipping and supply
point. Everything was hauled by ox teams, many of which had come across the
plains from the East. He continued in the mercantile business until 1859, when
he engaged in banking, as a partner of his brother, under the firm name of James
H. Goodman & Co., private bankers. This was the first bank established in Napa
County. Money, was worth three per cent, per month, and profitable use could be
made of it even at that figure. He has remained in this business since that
time, and continuously on the same block. In consequence of the death of James
H. Goodman, in 1888, the firm was changed to a corporation, under the name of
the James H. Goodman & Co. Bank, with $500,000 incorporated stock and $300,000
paid-up capital.

  In 1861 Mr. Goodman took the place of the County Treasurer elect, who went to
Virginia just previous to the breaking out of the war and failed to return.
After serving out Mr. Wood's unexpired term, he filled the office by successive
re-election for a period of almost nine years, when he declined further
nominations. He has always been a member and liberal supporter of the
Presbyterian Church. Both he and his brother James H. contributed largely to the
building of their fine edifice, costing over $30,000, fully half of this amount
being furnished by these gentlemen. They were also largely interested in
building the gasworks of that city, owning much of the stock, and were the
principal promoters of the Napa City Water Company, furnishing to a large extent
the means necessary to its successful development.

  He was married in 1860, to Miss Carrie A. Jacks, a native of New York, and the
daughter of Judge P. Jacks, of Napa. They have two children,-Harvey P., now
engaged in the bank as Vice-President, and George E. Jr., also connected with
the bank as Teller. Mr. Goodman has always been a supporter of the Republican
party. He is largely interested in the Eshcol vineyard and wine cellar, and,
from his position as a large capitalist and the leading banker of the place, is
naturally an important factor in all its business interests, while his broad and
liberal views and his generous assistance in the promotion of large enterprises
have given him a powerful and wide-spread influence throughout this section of
the State.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California.

Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast
from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with
Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of
Prominent Citizens of To-day.

"A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendents." – Macauley.

CHICAGO
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1891.

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