The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-02-11
OBITUARY.
Francis Goodhue.

Z fEduClh eoOunue.
Francis Goodhue. ~. died suddenly a
! hi home on Main street TUESDAY cvenin.
at 10 O'Clock, lie had been IN his usua
health and during the afternoon had TAX
en- a ,lclghride A. was hls custom. Mr.
Goodhue was one Of family who hav,
been actively identified with the indu.
trial growth OF the town. He was horn IN
thi, town Aug. NJ. lS22. one of the five
children Of Col. Joseph Goodhur of Brat.
tlcb0ro and Sarah Edwards Of Mort hamp.
ton. Mass. Joseph Goodluc lived on the
Ioli Arms farm. which l. noH known It, the
Retreat farm. and Francis wa, born there.
The farm was the property ri the Good
hue family previous Ia the Revolutionary
war and the old tavern that stood there
once extended it, hospitality Ia the pa
| tfiot Ethan Allen.
| Mr.. Goodhue was educated ia the acad.
| cmy at West Brattleboro and upon leay.
ing school entered the employ OF John X.
| Blake 4 company. where he worked a. a
clerk for seven year.. Leaving that con.
cern he engaged IN the grocery business
with Pitts sunc under the firm name Of
Cuuc X Goodhue. Thu store was where
+. W. kuech j. now located. lie later
entered into partnership with John W
Frost aud tot rs years was engaged in the
grocery business ON the site now occupied
by the Brooks House pharmacy, During
the civil war period he furnished the mill.
tary camp IN this town with it, supply OF
foodstuifs. \ broken leg prevented him
from enlstng IN the service, but he was
active as recruiting officer and was com
missary of the military hospital in this |
town during the latter part of the war. |
The fire OF 1869 destroying his store he |
went to California for a few years He /
was out of active business from 1869 until |
1875 when he became the manager of the
Brooks House. The hotel continued under
his management for l3 years. 1t was
owing to his large acquaintance through.
out this section and upon the solicitation
Of his brotherin-law, George Brooks the
owner OF the hotel who had built the
house that the town might have a first
lass hostelry, that Mr. Goodhue assumed
The management OF the Brooks House.
For the past 70 years Mr.. Goodhue I
lad been living in retirement and though
lis health had failed perceptibly during
he past three years he had always main
aimed a keen interest in local affairs and
Jrided himself on keeping in touch with
urrent events.
Mr. Goodhue married Mary +. Brooks
laughter of Capt William and Eleanor
FormanJ Brooks, Oct. 26, lS47. She died
Aug /, 1901 To them six children were
urviving children are Francis Goodhue,
r., of Philadelphia, and Ellen b., wife OF
henry Van kleeck, prominent lawyer OF
)enver, Col. Five grandchildren also sur,
i've.
Mr.. Goodhue received the title OF colonel
Y appointment upon the staff OF Gov
frederick Holbrook He was member OF
he Lafayette Light Infantry OF Brattle
GRO and for over " years was member
the old volunteer fire department OF
MS village, and was first assistant engi-
Ger under Silas Waite. In politics he
as originally a stalwart wing and upon
lie formation Of the republican party be-
tme identified with it. He never took an
,tive part in politics and though he was
ways closely identified with the social in
rests OF Brattleboro he never sought Of
re. He was an attendant of the Centre
church-a genial, public
rited man with wide circle OF friends.
Mr.. Goodhues grandfather, Francis
Dodhue, settled in Weathersfield, Vt,
'out 1900, coming from Swanzey, n, II,
e purchased the famous Bow farm on
e Connecticut river which he sold to
nited States Consul William Jarvis in
10. He came to Brattleboro in 1871 and
ssed the remainder of his life here, dying
1887. The Goodhue family came from
,ring English stock and the standing of
2 family in the towns wherein settled
members was such as to give them a
ointment place in the early history of
w England. The first Francis Goouhue
S the father of the industries of Brattle
70 and started the wool carding and
tn dressing mill which hourished here
number of years. He also operated
Jaw and grist mill, cotton spinning fac
y and distilery. During the height
the distillng business here 5000 bushels
grain were used yearly and $4,000
lnds of cotton were handled yearly in
cotton factory. He bought land eX-
sively and made it rule to erect at
st one building each year. He donated
land upon which was built the old
ttleboro bank on Main street. also the
/ upon which stands the Congrega
lal and Unitarian churches. Joseph
,dhue, son of Francis Goodhue and
Ter of the late Francis Goodhue, was a
Wy landowner in this town and his
lings comprised practically all of the
perty west of Main street to Western
nue. which was part of the old Arms
n now occupied by the Brattleboro Re
t. His wife was Sarah Edwards OF the
Hampton family of Edwards, of which
athan Edwards was the most distin
he'd member.
neral services will be held at the home
80 O'Clock Sunday afternoon. Rev.
NJ Houghton will officiate and the
al will be in Prospect Hill cemetery.