Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Gossin, William T. 1867 - 
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Author: Emma E. Forter (1917)

WILLIAM T. GOSSIN.

    Among the well-known and prominent farmers of St. Bridget township, Marshall
county, is William T. Gossin, who was born on the farm where he now lives on
November 4, 1867, and is the son of John C. and Catherine (Confrey) Gossin.

    John C. Gossin was born at Utica, New York, on March 3, 1829, and died on
February 26, 1915. His wife was born in Ireland, near the town of Longford, on
June 24, 1830, and died on January 11, 1912. John C. Gossin was the son of
Patrick and Catherine Gossin, both of whom were born in Ireland, where they
receiyed their education in the public schools and grew to manhood and
womanhood. They later came to the United States and located at Utica, New York,
where they lived many years before their deaths.

    John C. Gossin received his education in the schools of his native state and
there he was married to Catherine Confrey in 1854, at Utica. They established
their home on a farm near that city, where they lived until 1857, when they came
to Kansas and located at Leavenworth, and until 1861 Mr. Gossin was engaged as a
steamboat employee. That year he came to St. Bridget township and here he
homesteaded land. He and his family made the journey from Leavenworth to their
new home in Marshall county with an ox team. He later used the oxen to break his
land and put it under cultivation. The lumber with which he built his house was
hauled from Atchison, that being his nearest market point for that material.
Those days were most trying ones for the little family, but the father and
mother devoted their best efforts in developing and improving their farm, and in
time, Mr. Gossin became one of the substantial and successful men of the
township. During his early life on the homestead, he did much work for John
Frees, in the flour mill, near Dubois, Nebraska, where he acted as fireman. At
this work he engaged during the winter months, in order to get money with which
to keep his family and make needed repairs and improvements on the place. He and
his wife were most industrious and hard-working people and devoted their lives
to their family, and were much interested in the moral and the educational
growth of the community where they lived and where they were held in the highest
regard. They were charter members of the St. Bridget's Catholic church, and ever
lived true Christian lives. They were active in the building of the first church
in the township, Mr. Gossin being a member of the building committee.

    In addition to his original farm, Mr. Gossin became the owner of other land
in various parts of the township. There is in the estate eight hundred and forty
acres of the best land, most of which is under a high state of cultivation and
well improved. He was a man who believed in the thorough cultivation of the soil
and the keeping of high-grade stock. Being a man of exceptional ability and good
judgment, he was often consulted relative to the civic affairs of the township,
and while he was not an office seeker, he always took great interest in all
local affairs.

    To John C. and. Catherine Gossin were born the following children: Sarah,
Mary, John R., Margaret, Katie, Frank, Anna, William, Amelia and Theresa. Sarah
Gleason is now a resident of Shawnee, Oklahoma; Mary Curtin resides at Kansas
City, Kansas; John R. died in the year 1908; Margaret Gray lives at Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma; Katie Busick lives at Hayward, Oklahoma; Frank died on March 25,
1897; Anna Mitchell died on September 17, 1913; Amelia Mitchell is a resident of
Nemaha county, Kansas, and Theresa died at the age of four years.

    William T. Gossin received his education in the district schools of St.
Bridget township and grew to manhood on the home farm, where he assisted his
father with the farm work and the developing of the place. He remained at home
and at the age of nineteen years he took charge of the home place, which he
managed with much ability. In 1893 he rented the farm and went to Oklahoma,
where in September of that year, he made the race for a tract of land in the
Cherokee Strip, that was then opened for settlement. He made the race from the
south line of the strip and secured the second homestead of one hundred and
sixty acres. He remained in the territory until 1896, when he returned to
Kansas, where he has been successfully engaged in general farming and
stockraising. In 1905 he was the secretary and promoter of the Axtell
Development Company, and that year they drilled for oil, south of Axtell. Mr.
Gossin invested seven hundred dollars in the enterprise, and while no definite
results were obtained, many good indications of oil was discovered. He has
always taken a keen interest in all enterprises that would tend to promote the
welfare of the community in which he has lived for so many years, and where he
is held in the highest regard.

    Mr. Gossin is identified with the Democratic party and is one of the leading
men of the organization in the county. He served his township for six years as
trustee and was township clerk for four years, always giving the affairs of the
township the same care and attention that he gave to his own business. He has
served as delegate to the various conventions of his party and has rendered
excellent service. He is a member of the Farmers Union and served as county
president for two terms. He and his wife are devout members of the Catholic
church and are prominent in the social activities of their home community. They
are a most hospitable people and have made many friends throughout the county.

    On April 9, 1896, William T. Gossin was united in marriage to Delia
Shaughnessy, who was born in St. Bridget township on May 16, 1868, and is the
daughter of Michael and Ellen (Ryan) Shaughnessy. Her parents were natives of
Ireland, where they were educated and spent their early lives. The father was
born in 1824 and died on June 13, 1906, and the mother was born in 1829 and died
in February, 1885. When young they came to America and located at Madison,
Indiana, where they were married in 1849. There they established their first
home and lived until i860, when they came to Kansas and joined the little band
of early settlers in St. Bridget township, Marshall county. They located on a
farm and in time became successful farmers and prominent people of the
community. They remained on their original farm in the township until 1882, when
they purchased the farm now owned by the son, James. As he prospered, Mr.
Shaughnessy purchased more land and at the time of his death he was the owner of
over one thousand acres of excellent Kansas land. Mr. and Mrs. Shaughnessy were
devout members of the Catholic church and were prominent in the social life of
the community, wrhere they were held in the highest regard. They were the
parents of the following children: Thomas, Edward, Michael, Ellen, the wife of
Patrick Loot, of Axtell; Mary, the wife of B. Myers, of St. Bridget; Delia, the
wife of Mr. Gossin, and Anna.

    William and Delia Gossin are the parents of the following children: Gilbert,
Edward, Mary, Valentine, and Joseph. Gilbert was born on January 27, 1897, and
is on his father's farm; Edward, on June 12, 1899; Mary, February, 21 1903;
Valentine, February 14, 1905, and Joseph, March 25, 1901, and died in infancy.

    Mr. Gossin is one of the hustling and intelligent men of Marshall county and
has met with much success in his work. He devotes himself to his business and is
a most careful and prudent business man. He is a man of broad and generous
views, well read and informed on the current events of the day. He is most
progressive and a firm believer in permanent and substantial public
improvements. Good roads and good schools are to him an index of the future
progress of the county and the state. He and Mrs. Gossin have a fine family and
their home life is an ideal one.



Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

History of Marshall County, Kansas: its people, industries, and institutions
by
Emma E. Forter

Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen & Co. (1917)


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