Biographical Sketch of Theodore Gosewisch, Lafayette County, Missouri

>From "History of Lafayette County, Mo., carefully written and compiled
from the most authentic official and private sources" St. Louis, Mo.
Historical Company, 1881.
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The subject of this sketch is a native of Hanover, Germany, born July
12, 1812.  He completed a very thorough course of study at Brunswick,
Germany.  In 1834 he emigrated to the United States, stopping one season
at Baltimore, and then went to Pittsburg, Penn., where he was engaged in
the mercantile business for three years, after which he went to Louis-
ville, Kentucky, where he was so unfortunate as to engage in the 
confectionary trade and lose all his property.  Having learned the art
of oil painting while in Europe, after losing his wealth he engaged in
portrait painting with a considerable degree of success.  Becoming
acquainted with a major who was engaged in an emigration scheme, organ-
ized ostensibly for the purpose of settling Texas, he united his fortune
with the major's and started for the Lone Star state.  On arriving at 
New Orleans and learning that his passage money, which the major had
assumed to pay, had not been paid, he became convinced from that fact,
in connection with other things which had came under his observation,
that the whole thing was a fraud and the major a swindler.  He accord-
ingly withdrew from the enterprise, pawned his baggage for the purpose
of paying his passage down, and traded three barrels of crackers 
(which he had brought along, expecting to find a scarcity of bread)
for a passage up the Red river, to a town where he again engaged in
portrait painting, at which he was quite successful.  He subsequently
returned to St. Louis, where he remained one season, and then came to
Lexington, Missouri and re-engaged in the confectionary business, from
which he retired with considerable wealth at the end of a period of
fifteen years.  During the war he lost heavily, and soon felt the
necessity of again embarking in business.  This time he engaged in the
drug trade, and from 1863 to 1875 he had the leading trade in that line,
and again built up his extended fortune.  In 1848 he was married to
Miss Cathrine Moore, of Lexington, Mo.  By this union they have four
children living, viz.: Charles T., who has graduated in medicine from
St. Louis, and is now traveling in Europe; Mary Ida, married and living
in Germany; Walter R., druggist; and Katie.  Mr. Gosewisch has been a
member of the Masonic order for 30 years. 

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