Robert Goddard from Bath, Maine

Robert Goddard had his photo taken in Bath, Maine. The facial hair reminds me of Abraham Lincoln, so looks like he favoured the same style.

The following text has been changed since I originally shared it.

Robert Goddard’s obituary from August 1910 in Lewiston Evening Journal sums up the most important milestones of his life: he was a moulder of iron and a dealer of ice. I initially mistook the business title for ice cream dealer. In my imagination I could picture Mr. Goddard quite the sweet tooth. But recently an attentive reader of the blogpost pointed out that it must have been ice blocks instead, used for refridgerating food.

Robert owned an iron foundry business in Bath, Ma, in 1860. In 1883 I find him in the Bath city directory as an ice dealer. So I supposed he must have hopped on the train of success of ice cream craze taking over The US in the early 1880s. But instead, Robert was probably running a business, dealing with ice for food refrigeration. Wikipedia explains the end of 19th century popular trade with frozen water like this:

"The ice trade, also known as the frozen water trade, was a 19th-century and early-20th-century industry, centering on the east coast of the United States and Norway, involving the large-scale harvesting, transport and sale of natural ice, and later the making and sale of artificial ice, for domestic consumption and commercial purposes. Ice was cut from the surface of ponds and streams, then stored in ice houses, before being sent on by ship, barge or railroad to its final destination around the world. Networks of ice wagons were typically used to distribute the product to the final domestic and smaller commercial customers. The ice trade revolutionised the U.S. meat, vegetable and fruit industries, enabled significant growth in the fishing industry, and encouraged the introduction of a range of new drinks and foods. It only flourished in the time between the development of reliable transportation and the development of widespread mechanical refrigeration."

Robert was married three times:

1. to Elizabeth A. Eaton whom he married on August 6, 1840 in Rhode Island. With her, Robert had 6 children: James (1840-1900), Josephine, Amos (1853-?), Frank (1854-1915), Herbert (1857-1901) and Gilford (1859-?). Wife Elizabeth died in October 1859, perhaps in childbirth with baby Gilford, but I don't know for sure.

2. to Lucy Springer on February 4, 1860. With her, Robert had three more children: Edward, Elizabeth (1862-?) and Lucy (1864-?). Wife Lucy died in November 1891.

3. to widow Ellen Merriman Stover whom he married on July 26, 1892 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, when Robert was 74 years old. Ellen stayed by his side for almost 20 years,

So altogether Robert had (at least) 9 children! He didn’t beat his own father’s record though – his father Amos Goddard had altogether 15 children between him and his two wives, the Crossmann sisters Abigail and Hannah. Robert’s mother Abigail “Abby” Goddard née Crossmann passed away when Robert was 20.

Robert was born on June 29, 1818! And when he passed away on August 4, 1910, he was 92 years old! I will add his photo to FindaGrave.

Robert outlived many of his children, but he got to enjoy his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Perhaps their descendants are missing him and would love to find this photo!