My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Jackson County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

* * * *

George W. Goddard is the popular proprietor of the Planters’ Hotel, at Newport, Ark., and is a native of Wayne County, N. Y., born on the 2d of December, 1840. He is one of six living members of a family of eight children born to Edwin P. and Maria (Fillmore) Goddard, and is their third child in order of birth. He was reared and educated in York State, and like the majority of natives of the “Empire State” he is intelligent and enterprising. After making his home with his parents until he attained his majority, he went to Leavenworth, Kan., where he was employed in the quartermaster’s and sutler’s department for several years during the war, and he was there afterward employed on the construction of the Kansas Pacific Railroad for some time. His next enterprise was to engage in the hotel business, at Salina, Kan., but this enterprise he gave up, after a short time, to go to Old Mexico, where he spent a year or two in investigating a mining interest. Subsequently he opened and developed the Bellville Zinc Mines, in Jasper County, Mo., putting up the improved reduction works, and these mines he operated, with good results, for several years. His next business enterprise was to engage as a clerk in a hotel at Joplin, Mo., and from this point he returned to Old Mexico. After a time he settled in Little Rock, Ark., where he became manager of the Deming House, continuing in this capacity for about three years. The following year he ran a hotel at Hot Springs, Ark., and in the month of October, 1887, he came to Newport, and took control of the Planter’s Hotel, which is a strictly first-class house. His establishment contains forty rooms, and the meals he serves are always of the best quality, and are palatable and well cooked. Mr. Goddard is connected with the mining interests of Marion County, and his mine gives promise of becoming one of the finest in the United States. Socially, Mr. Goddard is a member of the K. of P. He was married, in 1888, to Mrs. P. V. Sparks, the former proprietress of the Windsor Hotel. Edwin P. Goddard and wife were born in the State of New York, and in 1856 they emigrated to Knox County, Ill., and until 1860 were residents of Abingdon. In the latter year they removed to Leavenworth, Kan., where the father died in 1867, still survived by his widow, who resides in that city.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 144 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Jackson County, Arkansas published in 1889.  View the complete description here: Jackson County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Jackson County, Arkansas family biographies here: Jackson County, Arkansas Biographies

View a map of 1889 Jackson County, Arkansas here: Jackson County, Arkansas Map

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.