James N. Hyde worked in New York for a few years before setting up a branch of his retail business in New Orleans by 1817. His brother-in-law Charles Whiting Goodrich joined him in business in New Orleans within the next decade. The original Hyde & Goodrich store was located on Chartres Street by 1828 but moved to the corner of Canal and Royal Streets in 1853. Advertisements described the store as being located at the “Sign of the Golden Pelican,” referring to the large gold pelican perched at the top of the building’s balcony, which is visible in street views of the period. The firm employed silversmiths and watchmakers, including German craftsmen Christoph Christian Küchler and Adolphe Himmel, to make and repair goods for their customers. However, the majority of Hyde & Goodrich’s business was selling fancy imported goods, including patented pistols, pens, watches, and flatware from northeastern and European manufacturers.