from The Snake River Herald, December 11, 1936


JAMES GOOLDY
CIVIL  WAR VETERAN, PROMINENT IN EARLY SNAKE RIVER DEVELOPMENT


With the death of James Gooldy at his home in Fulton, Missouri last Tuesday, 
the final curtain was rung down on a career filled with many years of thrilling 
adventures, pioneering, and constructive effort along lines of industrial 
development of the places in which he lived.

James Gooldy was born in Roanoke, Bedford County, Virginia, February 24th, 1845, 
and passed away at his home in Fulton, Missouri, at 6:40 p.m., December 1, 1936, 
being 90 years, 9 months, and 7 days old.

He, the son of Alfred and Sophia Pollard Goodly, was the seventh in a family 
of twelve children. At the age of 17 years, he enlisted in the Confederate Army 
in the 64th Southern Virginia regiment, serving until the end of the war.

In 1868 Jim and his brother Robert went to McCredie (Kingdom City in 2004), 
Missouri  where they remained until 1870. The lure of the rangeland beckoned, 
and Jim left for Texas, where he led the adventurous life of a cowboy for a 
few years, helping trail herds of cattle from the Texas plains to Kansas, 
Missouri, and Oklahoma. Those were stirring times, and when in a reminiscent 
mood, "Uncle Jim," as Mr. Goodly was familiarly known, would relate many 
thrilling experiences while pushing the longhorn Texas cattle north.

Returning to Missouri in 1874, he and his brother Robert farmed and raised 
stock, settling near Joplin. Here he married Miss Mary Frances Kelly. Three 
daughters were born: Lulu, Mabel, and Lena. In 1880 Mr. Gooldy with his family 
moved to Rocky Comfort, Missouri, where he engaged in the mercantile business 
for five years.

In 1885, disposing of his mercantile interests, he purchased some cattle and, 
in the company with F C McCary, father of John McCary of Savery, headed for 
the Snake River Valley. Shipping their stock by train, the two men unloaded at 
Denver, Colorado, from which point they trailed their stock over the mountains 
by way of Berthoud Pass, finally reaching their destination in 1885. Engaging 
in the stock business in this valley, the two newcomers with some others, were 
the first men to run cattle in the Southfork Park country at the head of the 
south fork of the Little Snake River. Shortly after coming to this valley, Mr. 
Gooldy homesteaded a piece of land at Savery, now a part of the Wren Estate ranch.

On June 2, 1889, Mrs. Gooldy died and is buried in Reader Cemetery. In 1889 
Mr. Gooldy became foreman of the Douglas ranch, now known as the Dolan Place, 
a position he held until 1892. Leaving the employ of Douglas, Mr. Gooldy entered 
the placer mining game, and was instrumental in securing eastern capital to 
finance the Timberlake Mining Company's gold mining activities in the placer 
fields south of Baggs. He had charge of the construction of the famous Timberlake 
ditch and pipeline which had its head in the Roaring Fork of Slater Creek and 
cost over $80,000 to build. The mining venture did not prove successful, but 
"Uncle Jim" had great faith in the field and held on to his claims through the 
years. He succeeded in selling his holding recently to a group of mining men, 
and his contention that the field would be a valuable producer of gold now seems 
certain to bear him out.

In 1910 Mr. Gooldy married Mrs. Kate Pasley, the widow of Lee M Pasley, a comrade 
of Mr. Gooldy's Texas cowboy days.

Mr Gooldy leaves to mourn his passing his widow, Mrs. Kate Gooldy of Fulton, and 
Mrs. Mabel Barton of Ohio, two grandsons, James and Robert Baron, a stepson, Lee 
Pasley of Denver, and a step-daughter, Mrs. Ray Hamilton of New York City, beside 
several nieces and nephews. His daughter Lena died a number of years ago.

He was the brother of the late Robert and Milton Gooldy, who were old time 
residents of Snake River.