Résumé

Carpenter, Malahide, ON, Canada, 1871.

County Architect, Oxford County, ON, between 1879-1883.

Principal, T.H. Goff, Architect, Woodstock, ON, 1885. In 1885, Goff either lived or worked on the south side of Dundas Street in Woodstock, a town about midway between Hamilton and London, ON.

Principal, T.H. Goff, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, c. 1886-1889, c. 1890-1904.

Principal, T.H. Goff, Architect, San Bernardino, CA, c. 1890-1898; the San Bernardino, California, City Directory, 1891, (p. 69.) indicated that Goff was the "superintendent construction State Hospital for Insane, Architect, Farmers Exchange Bank Building...." His office was in the Famers Exchange Bank Building in 1891. (See San Bernardino, California, City Directory, 1891, p. 139.) During the following year, Goff was one of four architects listed in San Bernardino, CA. (See "Classified Business Directory of San Bernardino," Los Angeles, California, City Directory, 1892, p. 834.)

Partner, Goff and Fyfe, Architects, Seattle, WA, c. 04/1889.

Relocation

Born in Canada, (probably Quebec), c. 1851, Thomas Hargrave Goff's name appeared in the 1861 Census of Canada as living with his family in Leeds, Mégantic County, Quebec. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Census Returns For 1861; Roll: C1295-1296, accessed 02/01/2019.)

The 1871 Canadian Census noted that Goff lived in Malahide, ON, where he worked as a carpenter. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information This index to the 1871 Ontario, Canada Census was created by volunteers from the Ontario Genealogical Society from data supplied by Library and Archives Canada.. Ontario, Canada Census Index, 1871 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006, accessed 02/01/2019.)

Thomas Hargrave Goff worked as the County Architect for Oxford County in Ontario between 1879 and 1883. During this time, he resided in Toronto, ON. The 1885 Ontario Gazetteer (p. 1078) indicated that Goff lived or worked on the south side of Dundas Street in Woodstock, ON, the county seat of Oxford County. (See Ancestry.com, Canada, City and Area Directories, 1819-1906 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.)

He visited Los Angeles, CA, for a three-month visit in 04/1886 and decided at that time to reestablish himself in Southern CA. He opened an office in Los Angeles c. 11/1886 at 48 Temple Street. According to the Los Angeles Herald, Goff found some success early in his career in CA: "Since opening an office two months ago at 48 Temple street, he has put under construction: an hotel at San Bernardino, costing $70,000; an hotel at Santa Ana, costing $40,000, both of which he secured by competition, besides several smaller buildings in the city." (See "A Successful Architect," Los Angeles Herald, vol. XXVI, no. 85, 01/09/1887, p. 4.) He designed the Hotel Stewart c. 1886-1887 in San Bernardino, as mentioned in the quote above. Exactly how successful Goff was is questionable, as he seems to have left Los Angeles by at least 1889.

Either just before or after the Great Fire of 1889, Goff may have worked in Seattle, WA.

A classified ad in the San Bernardino Daily Courier in 08/1890, indicated that Goff had relocated there. (See T.H. Goff advertisement, San Bernardino Daily Courier, vol. VIII, no. 98, 08/03/1890, p. 1.) In 1891, Goff lived at the Hotel Stewart in San Bernardino. (See San Bernardino, California, City Directory, 1891, p. 69.)

Goff lived in San Bernardino until at least 1898. He was naturalized a US citizen in San Bernardino County Superior Court on 06/10/1891, and registered to vote in San Bernardino's Precinct #6 on 07/18/1894. This 1894 register indicated that he was 40 years old at the time. (See Ancestry.com, California State Library, California History Section; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll Number: 38; FHL Roll Number: 977092.) He registered to vote there again on 09/02/1896 and, in 1898, he reappeared in the Great Register of San Bernardino, County, signing up to vote on 07/30/1898. (See Ancestry.com, California State Library, California History Section; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll Number: 38; FHL Roll Number: 977092and "Goff, Thomas Hargrave," Los Angeles Public Library, California Index.)

Goff died of cancer at 1319 South Grand Avenue at the age of 52 according to a Los Angeles Herald notice. (See "Goff Obituary," Los Angeles Herald, vol XXXI, no, 205, 04/21/.1904, p. 9.) (Thank you to Noreen Jacky for locating the Herald articles.)

Parents

Thomas Goff (born c. 1816 in Lower Canada), T.H. Goff's father, worked as a carpenter/farmer according to the 1861 Census of Canada. His wife was not mentioned in this document, but he did have seven children, of which T.H. was the second oldest. His siblings included: Mary Goff (born c. 1845 in Lower canada), Walter Goff (born c. 1850 in Lower canada), Alfred Charles Goff (born c. 1854 in Lower canada), Andrew Goff (born c. 1856 in Lower canada), John Goff (born c. 1858 in Lower canada), and Agnes Goff (born c. 1859 in Lower Canada). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Census Returns For 1861; Roll: C1295-1296, accessed 02/01/2019.)

Biographical Notes

San Bernardino voting rolls of 1892 indicated that Goff was naturalized a US citizen on 06/10/1891 in San Bernardino County (See Superior Court. Source Citation California State Library, California History Section; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll Number: 38; FHL Roll Number: 977092, accessed 02/01/2019.)

In 1894, the Great Register of San Bernardino County noted that, at age 40, Goff stood 5-feet 6-inches tall, had brown hair and blue eyes. (See Ancestry.com, California State Library, California History Section; Great Registers, 1866-1898; Collection Number: 4 - 2A; CSL Roll Number: 38; FHL Roll Number: 977092.)