Goodan Family Papers, 1864-1991

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Summary

Title:
Goodan Family Papers
Dates:
1864-1991
Abstract:
The Goodan Family Papers, contain artwork, news clippings, photographs, rodeo programs, and ephemera of cowboy turned artist Til lman "Till" Parker Goodan and family records, correspondence, and ephemera for Goodan's father John A. Goodan, and mother Martha A. Goodan. The papers also include news clippings and artwork related to Till's daughter Betty Anne Goodan Andrews and her career as a rodeo performer and artist. Most materials are from the 1880s-1960s.
Extent:
4 Linear Feet (3 document boxes, 2 flat boxes)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Goodan Family Papers, 1864-1991, Autry Library, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MSA.46; [folder number] [folder title][date].

Background

Scope and content:

The Goodan Family Papers, contain letters, family records, and ephemera for the Goodan family in Colorado and California, from 1860s-1960s. The papers also contain artwork, news clippings, and ephemera related to Till Goodan's career as a cowboy turned artist. It includes hand lettered or illustrated signs, posters, advertisements, and film promotional materials, such as press books and advertising proofs spanning the 1920s and 1930s from Goodan's early career as a commercial artist and paintings, illustrations, prints, publications, and designs that reflect his later career as a Western-themed artist. Additionally, the papers include artwork and news clippings related to Betty Anne Goodan (later Andrews) and her career as both a rodeo performer and commercial artist. Both Till and Betty Goodan were actively involved in 20th century rodeo culture, and the themes of their artwork reflect this affinity. There is also a collection of menus from California restaurants from the first half of the 20th century, but the provenance is unclear.

Biographical / historical:

John A. Goodan (1837-1919) was born in Kentucky. He moved to Colorado and became civically engaged in Weld County, Colorado. He worked as a notary public, county treasurer, publisher of the Eaton Herald newspaper, and became a member of Occidental Lodge number 20 in Greeley, Colorado. His wife Martha "Mattie" A. Parker Goodan (1870-1958) was born in West Virginia. They had three children: Tillman, John, and Floyd.

Tillman "Till" Parker Goodan (1896-1958) was born in Eaton, Colorado on 1896 March 27. The Goodan family moved from Weld County, Colorado to a small farm in Los Angeles, California in 1905. Till spent his youth working on a neighboring cattle ranch where he learned horse-riding and cow-roping skills and competed in rodeos. Till also studied art and formed "The Goodan Brothers" commercial art business with his brother (possibly Floyd). As a commercial artist, he completed work for the film industry, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Lowe's Theatres, Helms Bakery, and Security Bank. He served as Art Director for the Richfield Oil Company. He was the initial illustrator for Gene Autry comics and designed several of Autry's Christmas cards. As a fine artist, he turned his attention to "the Old West" and produced oil paintings, watercolor paintings, and lithograph prints that reflected themes of ranching and rodeo culture.

Till Goodan married Minnie Adele Thorp (1849-1957) in 1920 and their daughter Betty Anne Goodan (1923-2019) was born in Los Angeles in 1923. Betty learned to ride horses on her family's ranch in Lebec, California. Like her father, Betty had an interest in rodeo and a talent for art. In her teens, Betty competed in rodeo events throughout California and performed in rodeo shows with Western cowboy personalities including Monty Montana, Roy Rogers, and Gene Autry. Betty earned an art degree at the California Institute of the Arts, collaborated with her father on various art projects, and published illustrative work for Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. Together Till and Betty designed a complete line of Western gift wares and dishes including a popular Westward Ho Rodeo pattern manufactured by Wallace China Company of Los Angeles in association with W.C. Wentz Company of Pasadena, California.

Betty married Lt. Billie Corder Blanton in 1945 and they had 5 children. In 1958, Till died from a heart attack while leading a rodeo parade as Grand Marshall of the Tulare California Rodeo. Betty was widowed in 1978 and then married Robert L. Andrews in 1984. She died in Los Angeles, California in 2019.

References

"About the Artist: Tillman Parker Goodan (1896-1958)." True West. Accessed 7 April 2025, https://truewesthome.com/meet-till-goodan. 1900-1940 U.S. Census records

"Betty Anne Goodan Blanton Andrews." FamilySearch. Accessed 7 April 2025, https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:61VP-57G8?lang=en

"Historical List of Weld County Treasurers." Weld County, CO. Accessed 7 April 2025, https://www.weld.gov/files/sharedassets/public/v/1/departments/treasure-and-public-trustee/documents/c5ad8c9a0b2085a58c12.pdf

"Martha A. Parker." FamilySearch. Accessed 7 April 2025, https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/about/L7BB-WWW

Pepin, Carol. 2013. "Guide to Weld County Newspapers." Greeley Museums. Accessed 7 April 2025, http://greeleymuseums.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Weld-County-Newspapers.pdf

"Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Colorado of the Most Ancient and Honorable Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons" Freemasons, Grand Lodge of Colorado, Volumes 41-43, 1901.

Acquisition information:
Donated by Joseph and Linda Sherwood, 2014.
Processing information:

Initial processing and Finding aid completed by Mallory Furnier, 2016. Final processing and Finding Aid revisions completed by Molly Smith, 2025.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 5 series.

1. Family Papers and Records, 1864-1964

Contains family letters and post cards, family records such as life insurance policies, bills and receipts, Occidental Lodge No. 20 invitations, schoolwork, and news clippings related to Till Goodan and Betty Goodan.

2. Publications, 1920s-1991

Theater programs, film promotional materials, product catalogs, rodeo programs, and newsletters.

3. Menus, 1930-1950

A collection of menus for restaurants located in Southern California.

4. Artwork, Illustrations, and Designs, 1920s-1950s

Contains western themed art prints, illustrations, and promotional materials including film press materials, advertisements, hand lettered or hand drawn posters and signage, and designed materials.

5. Photographs, 1920s-1940s

Black and white photographic prints of family portraits, actor portraits, and landscapes.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Mallory Furnier
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-02-11 23:53:56 +0000 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research. Appointments to view materials are required. To make an appointment please visit http://theautry.org/research/research-rules-and-application or contact library staff at rroom@theautry.org.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to the Autry Museum of the American West. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Library and Archives at the Autry. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Autry Museum of the American West as the custodian of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Preferred citation:

Goodan Family Papers, 1864-1991, Autry Library, Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles; MSA.46; [folder number] [folder title][date].

Location of this collection:
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA 90027, US
Contact:
(747) 201-8448
rroom@theautry.org
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