The Goodridge family
endured both personal and financial misfortunes. Their third child and
second-oldest son, Albertus, died at the age of 10 in 1846. Evalina,
William's wife of 25 years, died on October 31, 1852.
In 1858, the family's fortunes
took a turn for the worse. They fell behind in paying
their bills. On December 31, 1858, the sheriff sold 20 of William's
properties, including his house and Centre Hall, to pay his debts. Two
months later, Glenalvin lost his property. William returned to
barbering; Glenalvin, to teaching.
In spring 1861, Glenalvin and his
brother Wallace opened a new studio. They used collodian glass negatives
to print enlarged paper photographs and stereoscopic views. The business
went well.
Then a new disaster struck. In August
1862, Glenalvin was charged with raping a white woman. Despite
inconclusive evidence, he was convicted.
His father mobilized the York
community to seek his pardon, and on December 13, 1864, the governor
pardoned Glenalvin.
There is not a man in our party
[the Republicans] but is satisfied that he [Glenalvin] never would
have been convicted if he had been a white man and if he had been a
democrat.
Dr. Charles H.
Bressler to Governor Andrew G. Curtin
21 November 1864
Glenalvin had served less than 2 years of his 5-year
sentence, but it was a bittersweet victory. He left the Eastern State
Penitentiary in Philadelphia with the tuberculosis that would take his
life on November 14, 1867. (Eastern State
Penitentiary is a National
Historic Landmark.)
A condition of Glenalvin's pardon was
that he leave Pennsylvania. His sister Mary and brothers William and
Wallace O. had already relocated in East Saginaw, Michigan. Glenalvin,
his wife Rhoda and their children joined them.
