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After having worked several years for Paul R. Barker,
a Marble Dealer in Bangor, Maine, Mr. Osgood came to St. John in June, 1848. He
established a marble business on the south side of King Square with Mr. J. W.
Smith under the firm name of S.P. Osgood & Co. Mr. Smith continued to be a
partner in the business until 1856, when Mr. Osgood became sole proprietor. The
marble business was very limited in the Maritime Provinces when Mr. Osgood
first came to Saint John. There were freestone and granite works, where a few
slabs were kept on hand, but there was no general stock of marble in any of the
Provinces; most of the gravestones were made of freestone.
The first stock of marble imported by S.P. Osgood & Co. was greater in quantity than any before. For ten years he drove his team through New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, soliciting orders, collecting, etc., and thus gained hosts of acquaintances and worked up a large business. Halifax used to be visited regularly when the House of Assembly was in session, and large orders were invariably obtained there. The sales in Nova Scotia in some years amounted to upwards of $5,000.
A very large stock of Marble Monuments and Tablets, of different sizes and styles, and Marble Slabs of all sizes, was kept constantly on hand. Italian marble was in the greatest demand. Some of the most imposing monuments that adorn the cemeteries and memorialize the dead in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia were manufactured by S.P. Osgood & Co. Soda founts, counter and table tops, mantles, marble for cabinet work of all kinds, soapstone for stove linings, freestone and granite for cemetary purposes, and much more were made to order.
Mr. Goodwin, a native of Westmorland County, New
Brunswick, came to Saint John in 1870. In 1880, he established the first fruit
importing house in the city and enjoyed substantial patronage. Mr. Goodwin
handled large quantities of oranges, lemons, nuts, fruits, butter, cheese,
onions, vegetables and market garden produce. His business occupied the lower
stores at 36 and 38 Germain Street (Nos. 5 and 6 Market Building) and the
entire upper part of the building, comprising 20,000 square feet of floor
space. His business extended throughout the Maritime provinces and a section of
Quebec.
In 1887 "Our Dominion" wrote the following
about Mr. Goodwin:
Mr. Goodwin has every facility for conducting a commission business under the most favorable auspices, and is always prepared to render his customers every possible advantage, quick sales and prompt returns being effected...those establishing trade relations with him may depend upon receiving prompt and liberal treatment, and such marked advantages as can, with difficulty, be duplicated elsewhere.
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