Wayne-Oakland County MI Archives Biographies.....Goodman, Alfred Stephen 1829 - 1904 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joanne Weimer joannneweimer@yahoo.com October 29, 2007, 10:49 am Author: Portrait and biographical album of Oakland County, Michigan otes: A brief history of Detroit in the golden days of '49, by George B. Catlin., Catlin, George B. (George Byron), 1857-1934. Notes: The Grand River House, on the northwest corner of Griswold and Grand River Avenue, was opened in 1846 by Marvin Salter, who was succeeded by S. and J. French in 1849. In 1862 it became the Goodman House and later the Griswold. ALFRED GOODMAN, who represents a well-known family in Southeastern Michigan, is by occupation, farmer, hotel-keeper and dairyman. He makes his home in Royal Oak Township, although an owner of much valuable real estate, besides the Goodman Hotel, in Detroit. His portrait is presented in connection with the following brief account of his life. The father of our subject, Stephen Goodman, was a Baptist minister and was born in August, 1799 in Middlesex County, England. He came to America in June of 1830, and proceeding directly to Michigan became the organizer of the first Baptist Church at Detroit. It was composed of four women and three men. He remained with them through the next two years, and then went to Saline and after two years there bought a farm at Auburn where he located. The Rev. Mr. Goodman traveled extensively over this part of Michigan and came to Troy in 1838, and buying a farm made it his permanent home. He also engaged in mercantile business at Troy Corners where he died in 1874. He had married in 1828 Jane Barrow, who became the mother of six children, three sons and three daughters. John S., who was a son by a former marriage, was born in 1822 in London, England. He studied at the University at Madison, N. Y., afterward at Hamilton, Ohio, and was graduated from the University at Ann Arbor, fitting himself for missionary work. He was married in 1845 to Harriet Peters, daughter of Capt. Peters of Scio, Washtenaw County, Mich. This lady died in 1851 in Ohio. After this he married Mary Price, who went with him in 1852 as a missionary to Africa, They were located at a place one hundred miles south of Sierra Leone. In Africa one child was born to them which did not live. They came home by way of London, England, in September, 1855, and the young missionary became pastor of the church at Flint, Mich. Two years later he went from there to Saginaw in 1857 and became the pastor of the Baptist Church. After serving in this capacity for three years he was made County Superintendent of Schools which office he held for nine years. His election was the result of an agreement between both parties as he was the choice of both and there was no opposition. He was also engaged in doing missionary work in the country while carrying on his educational matters. About this time he became identified with the order of Masonry and took the highest degree in America that is granted. He officiated as Chaplain at the laying of the corner stone of the library building in Detroit. This reverend gentleman died in November,12, 1884, mourned by all who knew him. Our subject, the second son of the family, was born in London, England, May 22, 1829, and came with his parents to Detroit in 1830. He received his education as the boys of those (lays did, on the farm and in the log schoolhouse. In 1846 he started out as a peddler with a tin trunk, but he had not yet completed his education, and determining to have more, he attended the Romeo Academy for three months in 1849. In 1850 he engaged in the business of furnishing plank to the Detroit & Birmingham Plank Road Company. In 1851 he was smitten with the gold fever and went to California, but came back in 1855 and went into business at Troy Corners. In 1859 he sold out and farmed for a year; next he went to Detroit and began the hotel business by the purchase and management of the Grand River House and in 1868 he built the Hotel Goodman of which he is the proprietor. The marriage of Mr. Goodman took place in 1856. His bride was Ulenna H. Bradley, daughter of Wakeman Bradley, one of the first settlers and the first Supervisor of Royal Oak, Troy and Avon, when they were one township. He was also a teacher and was the first English clerk in Detroit. Two children bless the marriage of our subject who was born October 22, 1874, is attending school at Detroit and fitting herself for the stage, for which she has decided talent. Our subject has one brother, William Goodman, who is a hardware merchant at Clare, Mi. Two of his sisters, Mrs. Voorhees and Mrs. Julia B. Town, reside at Grand Island, Neb., and the third sister, Mrs. Lucy B. Cutting, at Troy Corners. Mr. Goodman's experiences in going to California are of interest. He was one hundred and two days on the way from New York to San Francisco; was shipwrecked three times on the trip and was put on short allowance for fourteen days. He is now making his home on the farm that was pre-empted by Wakeman Bradley in 1825, and the deed was signed by John Adams. He is attending to farming simply because he is not content to be idle and finds it better for his health to continue the stirring life which has always been his. He is a man of sterling qualities and broad intelligence, and has achieved large prosperity by close attention to business and by wise investment in Detroit property. The family is an old and well-known one and this gentleman feels a just pride in his talented children. Portrait and biographical album of Oakland County, Michigan Chicago,: Chapman bros., 1891.. Page 813 Additional Comments: Son of Rev Stephen Goodman, Michigan Pioneer Brother of Rev John Storey Goodman, Michigan Pioneer Buried in Woodlawn Cemetery Detroit Michigan Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/wayne/photos/bios/goodman868gbs.jpg File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/wayne/bios/goodman868gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 6.3 Kb