Introduction

Charles Matthias (C. M.) Goethe was born to Henry John and Louisa Goethe (Louisa May DENGER) in Sacramento on March 28, 1875. Goethe's grandparents immigrated to Sacramento from Germany via Australia in the 1870s. Goethe's father founded the profitable Goethe Company in Sacramento, which dealt in banking, agriculture and real estate investments. Following his graduation from Sacramento High School in 1891, Goethe joined his father's company where he eventually became president in 1906. After the Goethe Bank officially closed in 1909, Goethe listed his profession simply as "capitalist."

In December 1903, Goethe married Mary Glide after a lengthy courtship and numerous proposals. Mary finally agreed to wed Goethe once she secured a promise that they would dedicate their lives to human betterment, and not simply to the acquisition of wealth. The daughter of a wealthy and prominent pioneer family in Sacramento, Mary brought a substantial fortune to the marriage. Together, Mary and Charles ("We-2") increased their wealth through astute investments in real estate, stocks, and agriculture. At the time of his death in 1966, Goethe's estate was valued at twenty-four million dollars.

Throughout their marriage "We-2" traveled extensively through Asia, Africa and Europe. In their pursuit of human betterment, Charles and Mary were instrumental in the development of the supervised playground movement, the creation of interpretive nature parks, the Save the Redwoods League, city planning in Sacramento, anti-tuberculosis campaigns, and the California Church Council. In addition, Goethe founded and was a member of a number of key eugenics organizations, including the Eugenics Society of Northern California, the Eugenics Section of the Commonwealth Club of California, the American Eugenics Society, and the Human Betterment Foundation. He briefly served as the president of the Eugenics Research Association. Goethe's eugenic vision integrated commitment to nature conservation with immigration restriction and "better breeding" initiatives.

Throughout his life, Goethe was respected as a eugenicist, conservationist, naturalist, educator, humanitarian, philanthropist, writer, and banker. In Northern California, he was honored through the naming of a junior high school in Sacramento, a park on the American River, a street, the arboretum at Sacramento State, and a memorial grove in the Prairie Creek Redwoods. Charles M. Goethe died in Sacramento on July 10, 1966.

Appendix C: Partial Listing of Real Estate Holdings of C. M. Goethe*

Bonita Vista Bonniemead
Broderick Subdivision Cedarhurst
Fruitridge Park Goethe Additions A to Q
Goethe Additions F (Amended Lots 48-53) Goethe Colonies 1 to 114
Goethe Subdivisions 1 to 163 Hillcrest Park
Las Palmas Los Alamitos
Los Ceritos Mission Trecho
New Brighton Oak Terrace
Park Terrace Park Villa
Rosehedge Park Sacramento Heights
Sequoia Park Sutter County Colonies
Yolo County Alfalfa Land

* From: Schauer, Andrew. Charles Matthias Goethe, 1875-1966. Sacramento: Foundation of California State University, Sacramento, 1976. p. 189

"Axis of Growth"

"We first bought within the old Sutter limits. This included such tracts as the Mission Trecho hopyards, also Casa Alameda, Las Palmas, Los Alamitos.

The Goethes also had become owners of what was left of Oak Park. This was the first large extraterritorial subdivision beyond Captain Sutter's incorporated Sacramento. It included Sacramento's first golf links, also the present 35th Street business section, north of McClatchy Park. This we sold at $150 to $250 per lot, $5 down, $5 monthly. These same lots sold later at $5,000.

Beyond this our subdivisions penetrated another zone. This included Oak Terrace, Park Terrace, Goethe Additions A to F, Sacramento Heights, Fruit Ridge Park, Cloverdale. Both sides of what now is Stockton Boulevard became spotted for miles with Goethe subdivisions. This for years continued to be the main axis of growth."

Charles M. Goethe, Seeking to Serve, p. 25

Timeline 1867-2005