 GOODMAN’S CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION–Thousands enjoyed the Goodman Centennial celebration on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Aug. 7, 8 and 9. In top photo, Niagara resident Larry Kuchinski, born and raised in Goodman, is shown driving Lucille Engel and Howard Viens, the oldest residents in Goodman along the parade route. |
Goodman Centennial Attracts Thousands Thousands of visitors flocked to tiny Goodman over the weekend to help celebrate the community’s 100th birthday.
The celebration started with Goodman-Armstrong Creek Players performances of, “History of Goodman–Part I” to crowds that filled the 800 capacity gymnasium on Thursday and Friday evenings. On Friday evening following the play, an enthusiastic overflow audience ringed the staging area for the hour-long performance before leaving in high spirits for the street dance. Several streets in the community were closed for centennial events.
Saturday started with a lumberjack breakfast, followed by a 45-minute parade, and then the presentation ceremonies, followed by an afternoon of food, fun and games, and some special athletic competitions on Sunday.
It was all designed to celebrate Goodman’s unique history.
Tucked into the woods in the northwest corner of Marinette County, the entire township today boasts a population of only 851, with even fewer residents in the unincorporated “village” area that comprises downtown Goodman. But they support a community, including churches and a school.
Goodman was founded in 1908 as a company town, owned lock, stock and barrel by Goodman Lumber Company and the brothers who started it, Robert B. and Charles Goodman.
For the first half century or so, Goodman Lumber Company owned the mill, all the houses, the grocery store, bank, hotel, clubhouse, and the forests around it. They operated company farms to help feed the workers who lived in their town, generated their own electricity and methane gas, and had special brass coins minted to meet the company payroll. It was a friendly relationship. Goodman Lumber cared for its workers.
All that has changed now. The homes and businesses have been sold to private parties. Even ownership of the famed veneer mill and the forests that supply it has changed hands. Community residents were determined to keep the mill going, and they have succeeded. Efforts are also underway to find tenants for the community’s new industrial park. But long-time residents still fondly recall their ties to the Goodman family.
The Centennial celebration brought at least 36 members of the Goodman family back to the community founded by their forefathers. Today they are scattered across the country, so it was a reunion of sorts for them as well as for many former town residents who “came home” for the celebration.
Margo Goodman-Decker, 83-year-old daughter of R. B. Goodman, who lives in St. Louis, Mo., came to help celebrate the community her father founded. She reportedly was thrilled with the celebration and anxious to see what happens in the next 100 years.
Shortly after noon on Saturday, Town Supervisor Steve Gostisha, on behalf of the Town of Goodman, presented Albert Goodman, R. B. Goodman’s grandson, with a key to the town. Albert Goodman lives in Wilmette, Il., with his wife and son.
In accepting, Goodman sketched a brief history of the Goodman family history and background leading to the community’s beginnings a century ago. He said, “With the past we turn to the future. With the Goodman’s mother’s endowment, I pledge to get some of that money here every year to help with your children’s education.”
He was referring to a foundation created before his mother’s death to put some of the family wealth to good use. He said their charities have mainly focused on Chicago area causes, including the Goodman Theater, USO of Illinois, Battered Women of Chicago, and others. He added that in recent years the family has decided to expand its charitable giving, and one of the beneficiaries is to be Goodman School District. Goodman said he is thinking of donating about $10,000 a year, with the idea that some of the money could be used to study forest management and environmental sciences.
His pledge drew cheers and applause from the throng that gathered for the presentation portion of the celebration.
Goodman said he was a bit sorry he had not established closer ties in the past to the community his grandfather founded. He said he was surprised by the hospitality he was shown.
The recognition ceremony, with 35 other Goodman ancestors in attendance, followed the parade, which was highlighted by the appearance of the two oldest community members, Lucille Engel and Howard Viens, as well as the longest consecutively married couple, Joe and Dottie Gostisha, who were married in Goodman 60 years ago, and, in a fire truck as a passenger, the youngest member of the community, Joey Stec, son of Fire Chief Mike Stec.
During the parade, an extensive one lasting over 45 minutes, Bank North’s float in the shape of a monumental birthday cake dominated the lineup. The bank is one of the original remaining buildings. UW-Marching Band presented a 5th Quarter performance. The parade followed a lumberjack-style breakfast of biscuits and sausage gravy, pancakes, American fried potatoes, bacon, sausage, and salt pork.
Head cook Janice Kowalkowski said that the breakfast was the most difficult meal she has ever catered. “I had no idea how many to expect,” she said. She started work at two in the morning. Her crew arrived at 4 a.m. Timing their arrival after a brief shower but before the parade, customers suddenly filled the hall at 7:30 a.m. Lines stretched outside, just as they did when lumberjacks gathered to eat before a long day of work in the woods.
Saturday’s big day concluded with a spectacular fireworks display over what is known locally as the Mill Pond.
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