William C. Goodridge

(ExplorePaHistory.com) - Born a slave in Baltimore in 1805, he was treated more like a servant because his father was white. As a young boy, he served an apprenticeship in York. When the tannery where he worked went bankrupt, he opened his own barbershop. He soon expanded the shop to include a small candy and retail store. In the store, he sold a concoction of his own invention that he claimed restored lost hair. He also began to distribute area newspapers and bought and sold local real estate. The Reliance rail car network, which he owned, served 20 different communities in the region. The railroad line reportedly aided in the escape of three participants in the 1851 Christiana resistance as well one member of John Brown's 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry.

Bottom photo: York Town Square