Founders' kin reunite at Market celebration

They came from as far away as Maine, these six dozen relatives of the founders of Pike Place Market.

It was appropriate, many said, that their reunion was on the weekend the market was celebrating its 100th birthday.

"Most of us have never met," said Kerry Serl, of Chehalis, the family genealogist and great-granddaughter of Frank Goodwin, one of six Goodwin brothers who left their mark on Seattle's history, including founding the market in 1907. "To get so many together is just great."

Frank Goodwin, reputed to be a rigid vegetarian, used money from the Alaska gold rush to join his brothers Ervin and John in Goodwin Real Estate Co. The brothers owned the Leland Hotel at the western end of the market, and they later opened the market to let local farmers sell their produce out of stalls.

The market officially opened on Frank Goodwin's birthday, Aug. 17. In 1910, with Frank Goodwin as president, the Public Market & Department Store Co. was created to develop and manage the real-estate company's holdings in the market.

Also at the reunion was Gwendolyn "Fuzzy" White, a descendant of Ervin Goodwin. She traveled to Seattle from Maine for the festivities.

Ervin Goodwin was the youngest of the six brothers and owned the land where the market would eventually be built.

"I'm quite proud," White said. "I'm meeting lots of people I've heard about."

Also in attendance was David Goodwin, Arthur Goodwin's great-nephew, from Ashland, Ore. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many of us," he said. "Most of us hadn't met 'til today. The anniversary was a good opportunity to make this happen." Arthur Goodwin was Ervin's nephew.

Serl said she has been working for years to collect all the names of the Goodwin descendants and has put them on a DVD. "I did a lot of cold-calling," she said.

She peered out into the crowd gathered at the market Saturday afternoon: "It's thrilling. I never knew if Grandma was exaggerating."

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com