Connections Murals Public Art Project
THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER

Mural Location:
809 5th Avenue
West wall

Anna Craig and her son William Goode, c. 1915.

Anna Craig (1868 - 1946) opened the first ladies’ beautician shop in Grinnell, operating it in various downtown locations from the late 1800s through the 1920s.

Anna Craig was the middle daughter of George and Eliza Craig and aunt to Edith Renfrow Smith. She moved to Grinnell after marrying Edward Goode, a Grinnell barber, in 1887. Soon after, she opened her beautician shop, the first in Grinnell, which she ran for over 25 years. She is pictured here with their son, William, who was born in 1901. She later married Solomon Brown. She is buried in Grinnell’s Hazelwood Cemetery, along with her first husband and their adopted son, Frankie Goode, who died as a child.

Small businesses were central to the life and development of Grinnell. Several small businesses and families that established themselves in the early 20th century remain active today, including the Grinnell Herald Register, German Plumbing and Ramsey-Weeks Insurance and Real Estate. Small businesses remain an essential part of Grinnell’s economy.

A project of the Grinnell Area Arts Council.

A special thank you to Cooper Enterprises for hosting this mural.
Thank you to Monique Shore for her collaboration and support of this project.

Support for this project is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Iowa Arts Council, which exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority, as well as by Grinnell College, the City of Grinnell, Friends of Drake Community Library, Drake Community Library and Grin Cupola.