William Hubert Godfroy (29 Mar 1810 – 16 Jun 1873) was an early settler of Grand Rapids, involved in the city’s commercial and trading enterprises. He was the first keeper of the Eagle Hotel, a story-and-a-half wooden structure that opened in 1834 and served as one of the settlement’s earliest accommodations. After leaving the hotel business in 1836, he became a merchant and conducted trade with Indigenous peoples alongside his brother, John F. Godfroy, continuing these transactions as long as Native communities remained near Grand Rapids.
He married to Susanne E. (Marsac) Godfroy (1810–1884), and they had the following children:
- Amelia Elizabeth (Godfroy) Powers (1837–1909) – noted as the second white child born in Grand Rapids.
- William H. E. Godfroy (1843–?)
- Mary Josephine (Godfroy) Palmer (1846–1922)
- Charles F. Godfroy (1851–1898)
- James G. Godfroy (1852–?)
Godfroy died on 16 Jun 1873 in Grand Rapids at the age of 63 from consumption (tuberculosis). He was buried in Saint Andrew’s Catholic Cemetery.
Links and Resources
- History of the City of Grand Rapids by Albert Baxter, 1891
- Find-a-Grave Memorial: William H. Godfroy (1810-1873)
