Goes: Corporate History; Overview

The Great Chicago Fire ripped through flammable wooden structures and tar-roofed homes, leaving much of the city, including its central business district, in ruins. A grand commemoration of the reconstructive spirit engulfing Windy City residents after their near-destruction was on display during the 1893 World's Fair. The Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building was the largest building ever constructed at the time. A main exhibition space, it contained an open arcade where visitors could sit and view Lake Michigan. Goes Lithographing Company, incorporated in October of 1890, participated in the occasion by producing a commemorative poster in the artistic style of their namesake, recently made commercially viable through steam-power. In the lithographic process, ink is applied to a grease-treated image on the flat printing surface; blank, non-image areas, which hold moisture, repel the lithographic ink. The process was discovered in 1798 by a Munich-based actor and playwright who had fallen into debt due to problems printing one of his works, and relies on the essential contrast between oil and water. The process remained a secret until Senefelder revealed his technique by publishing A Complete Course of Lithography in 1818.

Although the official reason to hold the 1893 World's Fair was Christopher Columbus landing in America, its organizers planned a number of special days to boost local business, celebrate certain holidays, and honor different constituencies. By far the most successful was Chicago Day; designated on October 9 in memorial of the Great Fire burning that same day some 20 years previous.

C.B. Goes I, a 14-year old typography apprentice, emerged from one of the businesses in flames, the Chicago Herald, loading up ledgers and manuscript copy books onto horse-drawn carriages. Organized in 1879 as a partnership, the company he founded had already evolved into a trade leader by the time of the World's Fair. A logical choice due to their productive capacities, factory home on Chicago's Printer's Row near Millennium Park, and expertise in 9-color reproductions, Goes Lithographing Company's poster would inspire citizens to imagine what has been created since the Fire, and to divert inhibitive focus on the massive destruction.

Goes Certificates remain famous for their intricate, versatile, and secure design. We carry a line of State-Specific Stock Certificates for Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Colorado, Virginia and Massachusetts. A wide variety of sizes and colors are available. Corporate and LLC language requirements are met with standard wording options for Common, Preferred, Shares Each, and LLC Unit Text. The essence of lithography is kept in a third-generation of family ownership. High-quality
Goes Certificates feature peerless, beautifully designed insignias for any business need.

These are our styles available as custom certificates. Most include standard wording. The certificates will come with details specific to your Corporation, Limited Liability Company, or Non-Profit. Head over to the blank Goes section to have unvarnished templates sent.