Goodyear, Charles, 1800-1860, American inventor, b. New Haven, Conn., originator of vulcanized rubber. He failed in his earlier business ventures and was in jail for debt when he began his experiments with rubber, searching for a way to prevent it from sticking and melting in hot weather. He experimented endlessly, kneading various chemicals into the raw rubber. He achieved some success in 1837 with a patented acid and metal coating, but it was not until 1839 that he discovered the process of vulcanization. He spent further years in perfecting the process, patenting it in 1844. Goodyear had carried on his research in the face of poverty and debt and was forced to market his patent rights for a fraction of their value. He went to Europe to try to establish the rubber business there but was unsuccessful. He died, poor and overworked, leaving his family in debt.

His son Charles Goodyear, 1833-96, b. Germantown, Pa., assisted him in the manufacturing and marketing of rubber articles. He later turned to shoe manufacturing, being one of the first to see the application of Howe's sewing machine to the making of shoes. He organized in 1871 the Goodyear Boot & Shoe Machinery Company of New York to manufacture machines. He was only partially successful until the consolidation in 1880 with Gordon McKay, his chief competitor.

(born Dec. 29, 1800, New Haven, Conn., U.S.—died July 1, 1860, New York, N.Y.) U.S. inventor of the vulcanization process that permitted the commercial use of rubber. Interested in treating rubber so that it would lose its adhesive quality and not melt, he discovered vulcanization in 1839 when he accidentally dropped a rubber-sulfur mixture onto a hot stove. The process would prove profoundly important for the future uses of rubber. He patented it in 1844 but had to fight numerous patent infringements in the U.S. and Europe. He never profited from his discovery, and he died in debt. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (founded 1898) honours his name.

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(born Dec. 29, 1800, New Haven, Conn., U.S.—died July 1, 1860, New York, N.Y.) U.S. inventor of the vulcanization process that permitted the commercial use of rubber. Interested in treating rubber so that it would lose its adhesive quality and not melt, he discovered vulcanization in 1839 when he accidentally dropped a rubber-sulfur mixture onto a hot stove. The process would prove profoundly important for the future uses of rubber. He patented it in 1844 but had to fight numerous patent infringements in the U.S. and Europe. He never profited from his discovery, and he died in debt. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (founded 1898) honours his name.

Learn more about Goodyear, Charles with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Goodyear (Pima: Valin Thak) is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 47,359. Goodyear was the third fastest-growing place among all cities and towns in Arizona of any size between 1990 and 2000.

On December 21, 2006, it was announced that the Cleveland Indians of baseball's American League would move their spring training facility to Goodyear from Winter Haven, Florida, and thus re-join the Cactus League in February 2009, after a 15-year absence. Before that, the Indians held spring training for many years in Tucson, Arizona.

On April 7, 2008, Goodyear's City Council voted 6-0 to fund $32 million to bring the Cincinnati Reds to Goodyear for Spring Training. The Reds will share the 10,000-seat stadium with the Cleveland Indians but each will have their own offices, practice fields, and clubhouses. The Reds will continue in Sarasota, FL through Spring Training of 2009 and then will move to Goodyear.

On June 6, 2008, Goodyear won the All-America City Award, sponsored by the National Civic League.

Geography

Goodyear is located at (33.449917, -112.358382). Nearby cities include Avondale, Litchfield Park, and Buckeye.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 116.5 square miles (301.6 km²), all of it land.

The largest master planned community in Goodyear is Estrella, south of the Gila River, composed of over 2500 homes as of September 2006.

Demographics

As of 2000, there were 18,911 people, 6,179 households, and 4,986 families residing in the city. The population density was 162.4 people per square mile (62.7/km²). There were 6,771 housing units at an average density of 58.1/sq mi (22.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 78.13% White, 5.20% Black or African American, 1.06% Native American, 1.71% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 10.87% from other races, and 2.95% from two or more races. 20.80% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 6,179 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.1% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.3% were non-families. 14.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 103.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $57,492, and the median income for a family was $60,707. Males had a median income of $40,702 versus $28,410 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,506. About 3.6% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Trivia

Home of the Phoenix Trotting Park, a now-abandoned horse racing park that can be seen from the I-10 while driving through Goodyear.

References

External links

• City of Goodyear