And the West is History: Goodman paint and undertaking businesses – ca. 1918

Frank Goodman opened his Durango paint and wallpaper business in 1880. Eventually, his brother George joined the company. By the early 1900s, George and his wife, Ida, were also undertakers. The Goodman businesses are shown here at 140 and 144 E. Eighth St., likely during the 1918 influenza epidemic. Two horse-drawn hearses indicate a double funeral, which was common during that difficult time. Shortly after the flu epidemic ended, the Goodmans sold the undertaking business in part because of the emotional toll of conducting so many funerals for friends and acquaintances during the epidemic. The building shown is now Bank of the San Juans. – Ed Horvat for Animas Museum, edhorvat@animasmuseum.org (Catalog Number: 23.49.1 from the La Plata County Historical Society Photo Collections).