William C. Goodridge Historical

William C. Goodridge Historical (HM1WEZ)

Location: York, PA 17401 York County
Buy Pennsylvania State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 39° 57.879', W 76° 43.545'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 510 views
Inscription

Businessman, Abolitionist

Born into slavery in 1805, William C. Goodridge was sent to York at age six to apprentice as a tanner. At age 16, Goodridge was given his freedom, left York and was trained as a barber. He returned to York in the 1820s. After opening a barber shop on Centre Square, Goodridge rose to prominence as one of York's most successful businessmen. He expanded his store to include imported toys, candies, perfumes, hair remedies, and much more. He also became a property owner and developer, constructing York's first 4.5 story building and owning up to twelve properties at one time. Goodridge began the Reliance Line of railcars, eventually providing service between York and Philadelphia.
In addition to his business ventures, he also became prominent on the Underground Railroad. His properties, including this house as well as Centre Hall on the Square, served as stations. Runaway slaves were hidden in the root cellar of this home, which was accessible via a hidden door in the kitchen floor. The Goodridge railcars were also used to transport runaway slaves to safety. Goodridge was a notable York resident until the mid-1860s, when he left to join family members in Minnesota and thereafter Michigan.
[Photo captions, from left to right, read]:
Photograph of William Goodridge's business - building on left.
William C. Goodridge
Inset
of map of downtown York showing Goodridge's property on the Square in the lower left side
Ad advertisement for William Goodridge's building on Centre Square, York
[All images] Courtesy of the York County Heritage Trust
www.visitPA.com
Details
HM NumberHM1WEZ
Series This marker is part of the Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Civil War Trails series
Tags
Placed ByPennsylvania Civil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Sunday, January 1st, 2017 at 1:01pm PST -08:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 352610 N 4425259
Decimal Degrees39.96465000, -76.72575000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 57.879', W 76° 43.545'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 57' 52.74" N, 76° 43' 32.7" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)717
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 114-128 PA-74, York PA 17401, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. What historical period does the marker represent?
  2. What historical place does the marker represent?
  3. What type of marker is it?
  4. What class is the marker?
  5. What style is the marker?
  6. Does the marker have a number?
  7. What year was the marker erected?
  8. This marker needs at least one picture.
  9. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  10. Is the marker in the median?