Soldier,Businessman and State Legislator. Married Wilhelmina R. Costs in 1869. Father of William M. and Gracie.
Thirty-sixth Grand Master of Masons in Ohio - 1890-1892.
LEVI C. GOODALE IS CALLED
Was Official of Railroad and Active in Civic Affairs
Following an illness of 10 days, Levi C. Goodale, one of Cincinnati's most distinguished citizens, died at Christ Hospital yesterday morning. Mr. Goodale was 86 years old. He was president of the board of trustees of the Cincinnati Southern Railroad and played a prominent part in the history of Cincinnati during the last half century.
Mr. Goodale was active until his last illness. Masonry and Odd Fellowship were the fraternities he cherished and he wielded an amazing influence in the affairs of both organizations. He was a defeated candidate for Mayor of Cincinnati in the hotly contested election with Mayor Gustav Tafel, a fusion candidate. He had served as president of the Chamber of Commerce in the Ohio Legislature. His influence in Masonry extended throughout Ohio and the nation. He was the oldest living Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, Free and Accepted Masons, and had planned to take an active part in the coming October session of the Grand Lodge.
Last week he became ill at his home in the Navarre Building, and his physician ordered him to go to Christ Hospital, where an operation for gallstones was performed. He appeared to rally from the operation, but his heart failed to gain strength and he lapsed into unconsciousness late Tuesday and did not revive fully until his death at daybreak yesterday. His surviving relatives were at his bedside when the end came.
Levi C. Goodale was born in Pike County, Illinois, August 7, 1843. His parents had removed to the west from Massachusetts, and when his mother died, he was sent back to his grandparents.
A few years later his father came to Cincinnati and, in 1858, the son was brought to this city and placed in the public schools. He attended Woodward High School.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, he entered the United States Navy and served as a gunner's mate under Admiral Porter.
Returning from the war, he became a bookkeeper in the office of Sellow & Co., wholesale dealers in tinplate and metals. After five years of service, during which he was frequently promoted, he became the vice president of a branch of the firm situated in Aurora, Indiana.
A few years later the death of the head of the firm brought about its reorganization, and Mr. Goodale took advantage of the opportunity to make an extended tour of Central and South America.
On his return he became the manager of the Cincinnati office of the Bradstreet Commercial Agency.
From this position he resigned in 1890 to organize and become the first president of the Central Trust Company. In this enterprise he eventually found himself in disagreement with his associates, so he withdrew and returned to his former position with the Bradstreet Agency.
Mr. Goodale, a member of the Chamber of Commerce since 1874, served as president of this organization in 1887 and 1888. In these two years he was one of the commissioners of the Centennial Exposition, known as the Industrial Exposition of the Ohio Valley and the Central States. Music Hall and all of Washington Park, with more than a mile of the old Erie Canal, was used for this
exposition, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of Cincinnati's birth. He served as chairman of the Department of States in this exposition and assisted in obtaining an appropriation from Congress for the festival.
As a member of the House of Representatives of Ohio, he became the author of a bill increasing the Dow tax on saloons from $250 to $350. He was author of a bill providing that corporations must pay a franchise tax. He became a member of the Board of Trustees of the Cincinnati Southern Railway, December 30, 1903. His appointment came from the Superior Court of Cincinnati, and the group of judges who were serving at that time designated the appointment as a mark of appreciation for his
distinguished service to Cincinnati. On the same day the late Samuel Hunt was appointed a Southern Railway trustee, there being two vacancies at the time. He became president of the Board in 1921 and served in this capacity until his death.
Fellow members of the Board at the present time are William J. Howard, General S. B. Stanbery, Bolton Armstrong and Washington T. Porter. He seldom missed a meeting and was considered an authority on all matters pertaining to Cincinnati's railroad.
Mr. Goodale was one of those who raised the funds for the purchase of the land on which to build the Cincinnati Post Office Building, which was erected at Fifth and Main Streets. When the fund was raised, Mr. Goodale and a group of business associates purchased the land and presented it to the Government.
The extensive annexation of suburban villages to the city in 1896 included his place of residence, Linwood, and as the Republican organization believed it would be advantageous to nominate for mayor a candidate from the annexed district, Mr. Goodale was named.
In his campaign of 1897, there was dissension in the ranks of the dominating party, the leader, George B. Cox, having permitted a coterie of citizens who were prominent in business and society to name the candidates. He also left them the task of electing their nominees. As a result, the Democrats elected the late Gustav Tafel and their entire ticket.
Although Mr. Goodale participated actively in the business affairs of the city, he also gave much time to fraternal societies. He was considered by Masons to be the leading Mason of Southern Ohio. He served as president of two Masonic Relief Commissions. The first followed the great flood in 1884 and the second was organized when the waters of the Ohio's tributaries laid waste great stretches of land and caused hundreds of deaths in 1913.
He was made a Master Mason in McMillan Lodge in 1874. Four years later he served the lodge as Worshipful Master. In 1884 he was elected Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, and advanced to the office of Grand Master in 1890 He served two years in each elective office in the Grand Lodge. In 1904 he became a member of the Grand Lodge Committee on Charters and Dispensations, and for many years, he served as Chairman of this committee which grants permission for founding of new lodges.
In 1893 Mr. Goodale was appointed a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Masonic Home at Springfield, and served on this board until his death. He sponsored many improvements at the Springfield institution. Because of his interest in the Home, he was made an honorary member of Clarke Lodge at Springfield, Ohio.
His activities in York Rite Masonry won him many honors in that branch of Masonry. He was made a Royal Arch Mason in Cincinnati Chapter No. 2 in 1876. He served this chapter as High Priest and later as Secretary. Entering the Grand Chapter of Ohio as Scribe in 1896, he became Most Excellent Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter in 1901.
Mr. Goodale also won honors in the Council of the York Rite. He became a Royal and Select Mason in 1868, and served in various offices of the Cincinnati Council. He was awarded the degree of Super Excellent Master at the Grand Council meeting in Chillicothe in 1880.
During the contest to consolidate the chapter and the council in York Rite Masonry, Mr. Goodale took a stand against the consolidation. This proposal was defeated and the council and chapter retained their independence. An edict was issued against the proposed consolidation that settled the matter for all time.
Mr. Goodale became Grand Master of the Grand Council. He has served on the committee of accounts since 1883. It was this council that built a firm foundation for York Rite Masonry in America.
Mr. Goodale also was active in Scottish Rite Masonry. He received the thirty-second degree in Cincinnati in 1872, and served in many offices in the Scottish Rite, gaining much prominence as Thrice Potent Master of Gibulum Lodge of Perfection in Cincinnati. For distinguished service in the Scottish rite he
was made a thirty-third degree Mason by the Supreme Council of North America, Northern Jurisdiction, in 1889. Mr. Goodale also was a member of the Mystic Shrine, being a noble in Syrian Temple. He was made a noble of the Shrine in 1883.
As a member of the building committee of the Shrine and the Scottish Rite, he directed the remodeling of the old Scottish Rite Temple on Broadway. William B. Melish and Jacob Menderson were his associates. He was interested in the building of the present Masonic Temple and took an active part in the campaign to raise funds. He was one of the founders of the Masonic Relief Association.
Mr. Goodale became a member of Washington Lodge of Odd Fellows in 1884 and received many honors. He was a trustee of the old Odd Fellows' Temple on Home Street and assisted in building the present temple at Seventh and Elm Streets.
Mr. Goodale has been a regular attendant of the First Unitarian Congregational Church since 1861. He was interested in many charitable enterprises.
Mr. Goodale was married in 1869 to Miss Wilhelmina R. Costs. Two children were the product of the marriage, Colonel William M. Goodale, Los Angeles Cal., and Grace Goodale, who later became Mrs. Edward O. Keator, Dayton, Ohio.
Funeral services for Mr. Goodale are to be held tomorrow morning in the Scottish Rite Cathedral of the Masonic Temple. The body is to lie in state in the cathedral from 10 o'clock until 11 o'clock, when the Scottish Rite funeral services are to begin. Burial is to be private. Previous to the funeral, friends of Mr. Goodale are to have the opportunity to view the body at the W. D. Jacock's funeral home.
(Copied from the Cincinnati Enquirer, Vol. LXXXVI, No. 270, Friday, September 27, 1929)
Thirty-sixth Grand Master of Masons in Ohio - 1890-1892.
LEVI C. GOODALE IS CALLED
Was Official of Railroad and Active in Civic Affairs
Following an illness of 10 days, Levi C. Goodale, one of Cincinnati's most distinguished citizens, died at Christ Hospital yesterday morning. Mr. Goodale was 86 years old. He was president of the board of trustees of the Cincinnati Southern Railroad and played a prominent part in the history of Cincinnati during the last half century.
Mr. Goodale was active until his last illness. Masonry and Odd Fellowship were the fraternities he cherished and he wielded an amazing influence in the affairs of both organizations. He was a defeated candidate for Mayor of Cincinnati in the hotly contested election with Mayor Gustav Tafel, a fusion candidate. He had served as president of the Chamber of Commerce in the Ohio Legislature. His influence in Masonry extended throughout Ohio and the nation. He was the oldest living Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, Free and Accepted Masons, and had planned to take an active part in the coming October session of the Grand Lodge.
Last week he became ill at his home in the Navarre Building, and his physician ordered him to go to Christ Hospital, where an operation for gallstones was performed. He appeared to rally from the operation, but his heart failed to gain strength and he lapsed into unconsciousness late Tuesday and did not revive fully until his death at daybreak yesterday. His surviving relatives were at his bedside when the end came.
Levi C. Goodale was born in Pike County, Illinois, August 7, 1843. His parents had removed to the west from Massachusetts, and when his mother died, he was sent back to his grandparents.
A few years later his father came to Cincinnati and, in 1858, the son was brought to this city and placed in the public schools. He attended Woodward High School.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, he entered the United States Navy and served as a gunner's mate under Admiral Porter.
Returning from the war, he became a bookkeeper in the office of Sellow & Co., wholesale dealers in tinplate and metals. After five years of service, during which he was frequently promoted, he became the vice president of a branch of the firm situated in Aurora, Indiana.
A few years later the death of the head of the firm brought about its reorganization, and Mr. Goodale took advantage of the opportunity to make an extended tour of Central and South America.
On his return he became the manager of the Cincinnati office of the Bradstreet Commercial Agency.
From this position he resigned in 1890 to organize and become the first president of the Central Trust Company. In this enterprise he eventually found himself in disagreement with his associates, so he withdrew and returned to his former position with the Bradstreet Agency.
Mr. Goodale, a member of the Chamber of Commerce since 1874, served as president of this organization in 1887 and 1888. In these two years he was one of the commissioners of the Centennial Exposition, known as the Industrial Exposition of the Ohio Valley and the Central States. Music Hall and all of Washington Park, with more than a mile of the old Erie Canal, was used for this
exposition, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of Cincinnati's birth. He served as chairman of the Department of States in this exposition and assisted in obtaining an appropriation from Congress for the festival.
As a member of the House of Representatives of Ohio, he became the author of a bill increasing the Dow tax on saloons from $250 to $350. He was author of a bill providing that corporations must pay a franchise tax. He became a member of the Board of Trustees of the Cincinnati Southern Railway, December 30, 1903. His appointment came from the Superior Court of Cincinnati, and the group of judges who were serving at that time designated the appointment as a mark of appreciation for his
distinguished service to Cincinnati. On the same day the late Samuel Hunt was appointed a Southern Railway trustee, there being two vacancies at the time. He became president of the Board in 1921 and served in this capacity until his death.
Fellow members of the Board at the present time are William J. Howard, General S. B. Stanbery, Bolton Armstrong and Washington T. Porter. He seldom missed a meeting and was considered an authority on all matters pertaining to Cincinnati's railroad.
Mr. Goodale was one of those who raised the funds for the purchase of the land on which to build the Cincinnati Post Office Building, which was erected at Fifth and Main Streets. When the fund was raised, Mr. Goodale and a group of business associates purchased the land and presented it to the Government.
The extensive annexation of suburban villages to the city in 1896 included his place of residence, Linwood, and as the Republican organization believed it would be advantageous to nominate for mayor a candidate from the annexed district, Mr. Goodale was named.
In his campaign of 1897, there was dissension in the ranks of the dominating party, the leader, George B. Cox, having permitted a coterie of citizens who were prominent in business and society to name the candidates. He also left them the task of electing their nominees. As a result, the Democrats elected the late Gustav Tafel and their entire ticket.
Although Mr. Goodale participated actively in the business affairs of the city, he also gave much time to fraternal societies. He was considered by Masons to be the leading Mason of Southern Ohio. He served as president of two Masonic Relief Commissions. The first followed the great flood in 1884 and the second was organized when the waters of the Ohio's tributaries laid waste great stretches of land and caused hundreds of deaths in 1913.
He was made a Master Mason in McMillan Lodge in 1874. Four years later he served the lodge as Worshipful Master. In 1884 he was elected Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, and advanced to the office of Grand Master in 1890 He served two years in each elective office in the Grand Lodge. In 1904 he became a member of the Grand Lodge Committee on Charters and Dispensations, and for many years, he served as Chairman of this committee which grants permission for founding of new lodges.
In 1893 Mr. Goodale was appointed a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Masonic Home at Springfield, and served on this board until his death. He sponsored many improvements at the Springfield institution. Because of his interest in the Home, he was made an honorary member of Clarke Lodge at Springfield, Ohio.
His activities in York Rite Masonry won him many honors in that branch of Masonry. He was made a Royal Arch Mason in Cincinnati Chapter No. 2 in 1876. He served this chapter as High Priest and later as Secretary. Entering the Grand Chapter of Ohio as Scribe in 1896, he became Most Excellent Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter in 1901.
Mr. Goodale also won honors in the Council of the York Rite. He became a Royal and Select Mason in 1868, and served in various offices of the Cincinnati Council. He was awarded the degree of Super Excellent Master at the Grand Council meeting in Chillicothe in 1880.
During the contest to consolidate the chapter and the council in York Rite Masonry, Mr. Goodale took a stand against the consolidation. This proposal was defeated and the council and chapter retained their independence. An edict was issued against the proposed consolidation that settled the matter for all time.
Mr. Goodale became Grand Master of the Grand Council. He has served on the committee of accounts since 1883. It was this council that built a firm foundation for York Rite Masonry in America.
Mr. Goodale also was active in Scottish Rite Masonry. He received the thirty-second degree in Cincinnati in 1872, and served in many offices in the Scottish Rite, gaining much prominence as Thrice Potent Master of Gibulum Lodge of Perfection in Cincinnati. For distinguished service in the Scottish rite he
was made a thirty-third degree Mason by the Supreme Council of North America, Northern Jurisdiction, in 1889. Mr. Goodale also was a member of the Mystic Shrine, being a noble in Syrian Temple. He was made a noble of the Shrine in 1883.
As a member of the building committee of the Shrine and the Scottish Rite, he directed the remodeling of the old Scottish Rite Temple on Broadway. William B. Melish and Jacob Menderson were his associates. He was interested in the building of the present Masonic Temple and took an active part in the campaign to raise funds. He was one of the founders of the Masonic Relief Association.
Mr. Goodale became a member of Washington Lodge of Odd Fellows in 1884 and received many honors. He was a trustee of the old Odd Fellows' Temple on Home Street and assisted in building the present temple at Seventh and Elm Streets.
Mr. Goodale has been a regular attendant of the First Unitarian Congregational Church since 1861. He was interested in many charitable enterprises.
Mr. Goodale was married in 1869 to Miss Wilhelmina R. Costs. Two children were the product of the marriage, Colonel William M. Goodale, Los Angeles Cal., and Grace Goodale, who later became Mrs. Edward O. Keator, Dayton, Ohio.
Funeral services for Mr. Goodale are to be held tomorrow morning in the Scottish Rite Cathedral of the Masonic Temple. The body is to lie in state in the cathedral from 10 o'clock until 11 o'clock, when the Scottish Rite funeral services are to begin. Burial is to be private. Previous to the funeral, friends of Mr. Goodale are to have the opportunity to view the body at the W. D. Jacock's funeral home.
(Copied from the Cincinnati Enquirer, Vol. LXXXVI, No. 270, Friday, September 27, 1929)
Soldier,Businessman and State Legislator. Married Wilhelmina R. Costs in 1869. Father of William M. and Gracie.
Thirty-sixth Grand Master of Masons in Ohio - 1890-1892.
LEVI C. GOODALE IS CALLED
Was Official of Railroad and Active in Civic Affairs
Following an illness of 10 days, Levi C. Goodale, one of Cincinnati's most distinguished citizens, died at Christ Hospital yesterday morning. Mr. Goodale was 86 years old. He was president of the board of trustees of the Cincinnati Southern Railroad and played a prominent part in the history of Cincinnati during the last half century.
Mr. Goodale was active until his last illness. Masonry and Odd Fellowship were the fraternities he cherished and he wielded an amazing influence in the affairs of both organizations. He was a defeated candidate for Mayor of Cincinnati in the hotly contested election with Mayor Gustav Tafel, a fusion candidate. He had served as president of the Chamber of Commerce in the Ohio Legislature. His influence in Masonry extended throughout Ohio and the nation. He was the oldest living Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, Free and Accepted Masons, and had planned to take an active part in the coming October session of the Grand Lodge.
Last week he became ill at his home in the Navarre Building, and his physician ordered him to go to Christ Hospital, where an operation for gallstones was performed. He appeared to rally from the operation, but his heart failed to gain strength and he lapsed into unconsciousness late Tuesday and did not revive fully until his death at daybreak yesterday. His surviving relatives were at his bedside when the end came.
Levi C. Goodale was born in Pike County, Illinois, August 7, 1843. His parents had removed to the west from Massachusetts, and when his mother died, he was sent back to his grandparents.
A few years later his father came to Cincinnati and, in 1858, the son was brought to this city and placed in the public schools. He attended Woodward High School.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, he entered the United States Navy and served as a gunner's mate under Admiral Porter.
Returning from the war, he became a bookkeeper in the office of Sellow & Co., wholesale dealers in tinplate and metals. After five years of service, during which he was frequently promoted, he became the vice president of a branch of the firm situated in Aurora, Indiana.
A few years later the death of the head of the firm brought about its reorganization, and Mr. Goodale took advantage of the opportunity to make an extended tour of Central and South America.
On his return he became the manager of the Cincinnati office of the Bradstreet Commercial Agency.
From this position he resigned in 1890 to organize and become the first president of the Central Trust Company. In this enterprise he eventually found himself in disagreement with his associates, so he withdrew and returned to his former position with the Bradstreet Agency.
Mr. Goodale, a member of the Chamber of Commerce since 1874, served as president of this organization in 1887 and 1888. In these two years he was one of the commissioners of the Centennial Exposition, known as the Industrial Exposition of the Ohio Valley and the Central States. Music Hall and all of Washington Park, with more than a mile of the old Erie Canal, was used for this
exposition, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of Cincinnati's birth. He served as chairman of the Department of States in this exposition and assisted in obtaining an appropriation from Congress for the festival.
As a member of the House of Representatives of Ohio, he became the author of a bill increasing the Dow tax on saloons from $250 to $350. He was author of a bill providing that corporations must pay a franchise tax. He became a member of the Board of Trustees of the Cincinnati Southern Railway, December 30, 1903. His appointment came from the Superior Court of Cincinnati, and the group of judges who were serving at that time designated the appointment as a mark of appreciation for his
distinguished service to Cincinnati. On the same day the late Samuel Hunt was appointed a Southern Railway trustee, there being two vacancies at the time. He became president of the Board in 1921 and served in this capacity until his death.
Fellow members of the Board at the present time are William J. Howard, General S. B. Stanbery, Bolton Armstrong and Washington T. Porter. He seldom missed a meeting and was considered an authority on all matters pertaining to Cincinnati's railroad.
Mr. Goodale was one of those who raised the funds for the purchase of the land on which to build the Cincinnati Post Office Building, which was erected at Fifth and Main Streets. When the fund was raised, Mr. Goodale and a group of business associates purchased the land and presented it to the Government.
The extensive annexation of suburban villages to the city in 1896 included his place of residence, Linwood, and as the Republican organization believed it would be advantageous to nominate for mayor a candidate from the annexed district, Mr. Goodale was named.
In his campaign of 1897, there was dissension in the ranks of the dominating party, the leader, George B. Cox, having permitted a coterie of citizens who were prominent in business and society to name the candidates. He also left them the task of electing their nominees. As a result, the Democrats elected the late Gustav Tafel and their entire ticket.
Although Mr. Goodale participated actively in the business affairs of the city, he also gave much time to fraternal societies. He was considered by Masons to be the leading Mason of Southern Ohio. He served as president of two Masonic Relief Commissions. The first followed the great flood in 1884 and the second was organized when the waters of the Ohio's tributaries laid waste great stretches of land and caused hundreds of deaths in 1913.
He was made a Master Mason in McMillan Lodge in 1874. Four years later he served the lodge as Worshipful Master. In 1884 he was elected Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, and advanced to the office of Grand Master in 1890 He served two years in each elective office in the Grand Lodge. In 1904 he became a member of the Grand Lodge Committee on Charters and Dispensations, and for many years, he served as Chairman of this committee which grants permission for founding of new lodges.
In 1893 Mr. Goodale was appointed a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Masonic Home at Springfield, and served on this board until his death. He sponsored many improvements at the Springfield institution. Because of his interest in the Home, he was made an honorary member of Clarke Lodge at Springfield, Ohio.
His activities in York Rite Masonry won him many honors in that branch of Masonry. He was made a Royal Arch Mason in Cincinnati Chapter No. 2 in 1876. He served this chapter as High Priest and later as Secretary. Entering the Grand Chapter of Ohio as Scribe in 1896, he became Most Excellent Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter in 1901.
Mr. Goodale also won honors in the Council of the York Rite. He became a Royal and Select Mason in 1868, and served in various offices of the Cincinnati Council. He was awarded the degree of Super Excellent Master at the Grand Council meeting in Chillicothe in 1880.
During the contest to consolidate the chapter and the council in York Rite Masonry, Mr. Goodale took a stand against the consolidation. This proposal was defeated and the council and chapter retained their independence. An edict was issued against the proposed consolidation that settled the matter for all time.
Mr. Goodale became Grand Master of the Grand Council. He has served on the committee of accounts since 1883. It was this council that built a firm foundation for York Rite Masonry in America.
Mr. Goodale also was active in Scottish Rite Masonry. He received the thirty-second degree in Cincinnati in 1872, and served in many offices in the Scottish Rite, gaining much prominence as Thrice Potent Master of Gibulum Lodge of Perfection in Cincinnati. For distinguished service in the Scottish rite he
was made a thirty-third degree Mason by the Supreme Council of North America, Northern Jurisdiction, in 1889. Mr. Goodale also was a member of the Mystic Shrine, being a noble in Syrian Temple. He was made a noble of the Shrine in 1883.
As a member of the building committee of the Shrine and the Scottish Rite, he directed the remodeling of the old Scottish Rite Temple on Broadway. William B. Melish and Jacob Menderson were his associates. He was interested in the building of the present Masonic Temple and took an active part in the campaign to raise funds. He was one of the founders of the Masonic Relief Association.
Mr. Goodale became a member of Washington Lodge of Odd Fellows in 1884 and received many honors. He was a trustee of the old Odd Fellows' Temple on Home Street and assisted in building the present temple at Seventh and Elm Streets.
Mr. Goodale has been a regular attendant of the First Unitarian Congregational Church since 1861. He was interested in many charitable enterprises.
Mr. Goodale was married in 1869 to Miss Wilhelmina R. Costs. Two children were the product of the marriage, Colonel William M. Goodale, Los Angeles Cal., and Grace Goodale, who later became Mrs. Edward O. Keator, Dayton, Ohio.
Funeral services for Mr. Goodale are to be held tomorrow morning in the Scottish Rite Cathedral of the Masonic Temple. The body is to lie in state in the cathedral from 10 o'clock until 11 o'clock, when the Scottish Rite funeral services are to begin. Burial is to be private. Previous to the funeral, friends of Mr. Goodale are to have the opportunity to view the body at the W. D. Jacock's funeral home.
(Copied from the Cincinnati Enquirer, Vol. LXXXVI, No. 270, Friday, September 27, 1929)
Thirty-sixth Grand Master of Masons in Ohio - 1890-1892.
LEVI C. GOODALE IS CALLED
Was Official of Railroad and Active in Civic Affairs
Following an illness of 10 days, Levi C. Goodale, one of Cincinnati's most distinguished citizens, died at Christ Hospital yesterday morning. Mr. Goodale was 86 years old. He was president of the board of trustees of the Cincinnati Southern Railroad and played a prominent part in the history of Cincinnati during the last half century.
Mr. Goodale was active until his last illness. Masonry and Odd Fellowship were the fraternities he cherished and he wielded an amazing influence in the affairs of both organizations. He was a defeated candidate for Mayor of Cincinnati in the hotly contested election with Mayor Gustav Tafel, a fusion candidate. He had served as president of the Chamber of Commerce in the Ohio Legislature. His influence in Masonry extended throughout Ohio and the nation. He was the oldest living Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, Free and Accepted Masons, and had planned to take an active part in the coming October session of the Grand Lodge.
Last week he became ill at his home in the Navarre Building, and his physician ordered him to go to Christ Hospital, where an operation for gallstones was performed. He appeared to rally from the operation, but his heart failed to gain strength and he lapsed into unconsciousness late Tuesday and did not revive fully until his death at daybreak yesterday. His surviving relatives were at his bedside when the end came.
Levi C. Goodale was born in Pike County, Illinois, August 7, 1843. His parents had removed to the west from Massachusetts, and when his mother died, he was sent back to his grandparents.
A few years later his father came to Cincinnati and, in 1858, the son was brought to this city and placed in the public schools. He attended Woodward High School.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, he entered the United States Navy and served as a gunner's mate under Admiral Porter.
Returning from the war, he became a bookkeeper in the office of Sellow & Co., wholesale dealers in tinplate and metals. After five years of service, during which he was frequently promoted, he became the vice president of a branch of the firm situated in Aurora, Indiana.
A few years later the death of the head of the firm brought about its reorganization, and Mr. Goodale took advantage of the opportunity to make an extended tour of Central and South America.
On his return he became the manager of the Cincinnati office of the Bradstreet Commercial Agency.
From this position he resigned in 1890 to organize and become the first president of the Central Trust Company. In this enterprise he eventually found himself in disagreement with his associates, so he withdrew and returned to his former position with the Bradstreet Agency.
Mr. Goodale, a member of the Chamber of Commerce since 1874, served as president of this organization in 1887 and 1888. In these two years he was one of the commissioners of the Centennial Exposition, known as the Industrial Exposition of the Ohio Valley and the Central States. Music Hall and all of Washington Park, with more than a mile of the old Erie Canal, was used for this
exposition, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of Cincinnati's birth. He served as chairman of the Department of States in this exposition and assisted in obtaining an appropriation from Congress for the festival.
As a member of the House of Representatives of Ohio, he became the author of a bill increasing the Dow tax on saloons from $250 to $350. He was author of a bill providing that corporations must pay a franchise tax. He became a member of the Board of Trustees of the Cincinnati Southern Railway, December 30, 1903. His appointment came from the Superior Court of Cincinnati, and the group of judges who were serving at that time designated the appointment as a mark of appreciation for his
distinguished service to Cincinnati. On the same day the late Samuel Hunt was appointed a Southern Railway trustee, there being two vacancies at the time. He became president of the Board in 1921 and served in this capacity until his death.
Fellow members of the Board at the present time are William J. Howard, General S. B. Stanbery, Bolton Armstrong and Washington T. Porter. He seldom missed a meeting and was considered an authority on all matters pertaining to Cincinnati's railroad.
Mr. Goodale was one of those who raised the funds for the purchase of the land on which to build the Cincinnati Post Office Building, which was erected at Fifth and Main Streets. When the fund was raised, Mr. Goodale and a group of business associates purchased the land and presented it to the Government.
The extensive annexation of suburban villages to the city in 1896 included his place of residence, Linwood, and as the Republican organization believed it would be advantageous to nominate for mayor a candidate from the annexed district, Mr. Goodale was named.
In his campaign of 1897, there was dissension in the ranks of the dominating party, the leader, George B. Cox, having permitted a coterie of citizens who were prominent in business and society to name the candidates. He also left them the task of electing their nominees. As a result, the Democrats elected the late Gustav Tafel and their entire ticket.
Although Mr. Goodale participated actively in the business affairs of the city, he also gave much time to fraternal societies. He was considered by Masons to be the leading Mason of Southern Ohio. He served as president of two Masonic Relief Commissions. The first followed the great flood in 1884 and the second was organized when the waters of the Ohio's tributaries laid waste great stretches of land and caused hundreds of deaths in 1913.
He was made a Master Mason in McMillan Lodge in 1874. Four years later he served the lodge as Worshipful Master. In 1884 he was elected Junior Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, and advanced to the office of Grand Master in 1890 He served two years in each elective office in the Grand Lodge. In 1904 he became a member of the Grand Lodge Committee on Charters and Dispensations, and for many years, he served as Chairman of this committee which grants permission for founding of new lodges.
In 1893 Mr. Goodale was appointed a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Masonic Home at Springfield, and served on this board until his death. He sponsored many improvements at the Springfield institution. Because of his interest in the Home, he was made an honorary member of Clarke Lodge at Springfield, Ohio.
His activities in York Rite Masonry won him many honors in that branch of Masonry. He was made a Royal Arch Mason in Cincinnati Chapter No. 2 in 1876. He served this chapter as High Priest and later as Secretary. Entering the Grand Chapter of Ohio as Scribe in 1896, he became Most Excellent Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter in 1901.
Mr. Goodale also won honors in the Council of the York Rite. He became a Royal and Select Mason in 1868, and served in various offices of the Cincinnati Council. He was awarded the degree of Super Excellent Master at the Grand Council meeting in Chillicothe in 1880.
During the contest to consolidate the chapter and the council in York Rite Masonry, Mr. Goodale took a stand against the consolidation. This proposal was defeated and the council and chapter retained their independence. An edict was issued against the proposed consolidation that settled the matter for all time.
Mr. Goodale became Grand Master of the Grand Council. He has served on the committee of accounts since 1883. It was this council that built a firm foundation for York Rite Masonry in America.
Mr. Goodale also was active in Scottish Rite Masonry. He received the thirty-second degree in Cincinnati in 1872, and served in many offices in the Scottish Rite, gaining much prominence as Thrice Potent Master of Gibulum Lodge of Perfection in Cincinnati. For distinguished service in the Scottish rite he
was made a thirty-third degree Mason by the Supreme Council of North America, Northern Jurisdiction, in 1889. Mr. Goodale also was a member of the Mystic Shrine, being a noble in Syrian Temple. He was made a noble of the Shrine in 1883.
As a member of the building committee of the Shrine and the Scottish Rite, he directed the remodeling of the old Scottish Rite Temple on Broadway. William B. Melish and Jacob Menderson were his associates. He was interested in the building of the present Masonic Temple and took an active part in the campaign to raise funds. He was one of the founders of the Masonic Relief Association.
Mr. Goodale became a member of Washington Lodge of Odd Fellows in 1884 and received many honors. He was a trustee of the old Odd Fellows' Temple on Home Street and assisted in building the present temple at Seventh and Elm Streets.
Mr. Goodale has been a regular attendant of the First Unitarian Congregational Church since 1861. He was interested in many charitable enterprises.
Mr. Goodale was married in 1869 to Miss Wilhelmina R. Costs. Two children were the product of the marriage, Colonel William M. Goodale, Los Angeles Cal., and Grace Goodale, who later became Mrs. Edward O. Keator, Dayton, Ohio.
Funeral services for Mr. Goodale are to be held tomorrow morning in the Scottish Rite Cathedral of the Masonic Temple. The body is to lie in state in the cathedral from 10 o'clock until 11 o'clock, when the Scottish Rite funeral services are to begin. Burial is to be private. Previous to the funeral, friends of Mr. Goodale are to have the opportunity to view the body at the W. D. Jacock's funeral home.
(Copied from the Cincinnati Enquirer, Vol. LXXXVI, No. 270, Friday, September 27, 1929)
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