In 1738 Nathan Hussey, a Quaker, from New Castle County, Delaware, obtained a grant for land on which the Village of Goldsboro now stands.

Prior to completion of the railroad the 20 or so houses that made up Goldsboro were affectionately referred to as Martinsville, for Martin P. Burger who owned a store near the village.

[8] On January 15, 1867, a prize fight took place in a field just north of Goldsboro between Sam Collyer and Johnny McGlade for the American Lightweight championship of boxing, and a purse of $2000.

[9] It was a bare-knuckle fight, which was illegal at the time, so they planned the match for the same day as the inauguration of the Governor of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, the Civil War General John W. Geary, thinking that more attention would be on that event.

The York County sheriff arrived after securing a posse with the Zeigle Guards, a military company already on their way to attend the inauguration.

It was estimated that between 1000 and 2000 spectators were in attendance, including members of the PA state legislature, gamblers and underworld figures Kit Burns and Harry Hill, plus other boxers and former title holders of the day Young Barney Aaron, Dan Kerrigan, Johnny Moneghan and Joe Coburn.

[11] The name "Etters", used by the USPS to refer to the post office in Goldsboro, comes from the establishment in 1838 of a post office inside a tavern owned by Henry Etter, a former Revolutionary War soldier, approximately one mile north of the current location of Goldsboro.

The post office was moved to Goldsboro in 1850, at which time it retained the name "Etters" to avoid confusion with the already established post office in Gouldsboro, Wayne County, PA.[7][12][13] The 17319 ZIP code also covers other parts of York County well beyond the borough of Goldsboro, including parts of Fairview Township, Valley Green, Newberry Township, Lewisberry Borough, and Yocumtown Village.