Frank R. Gooding

Frank Robert Gooding (September 16, 1859 – June 24, 1928) was a Republican United States Senator and the seventh Governor of Idaho. The city of Gooding and Gooding County, both in southern Idaho, are named for him.

Life and career

Born in the county of Devon, England, Gooding emigrated to the United States as a youngster with his family in 1867. The family settled on a farm in Michigan near Paw Paw. He attended the common schools there, and moved to Mount Shasta, California in 1877, and engaged in farming and mining. Gooding moved to the Idaho Territory in 1881, and was one of the largest sheep owners in Idaho. He settled in Ketchum (adjacent to Sun Valley since 1936), where he worked as a mail carrier, and subsequently engaged in the firewood and charcoal business. In 1888, he moved south and settled near present-day Gooding.

After Idaho became a state in 1890, Gooding emerged as a leader of the conservative faction of the Idaho Republican Party. Gooding was a powerful figure in Idaho in the early 20th century, as the city and county of Gooding were both named for him during his lifetime.