Goss

History of Goss

Goss

Giles M. Goss was born in North Carolina, March 21, 1825. He started west when only sixteen living for a time in Indiana where he married in 1842. Next he moved his family to Iowa where he became a successful farmer and stockman. In 1876 he visited Kansas looking for a suitable location. He was so impressed with Harper County that he returned to Bloomfield, Iowa, and organized a colony known as the Goss and Glenn colony, which was composed of eleven families. The colony came west that year and founded the town of Harper. Goss acquired 1,400 acres. On a portion of his land the little village of Goss came into being. He purchased twenty acres from Andy Griesinger on high ground and built a three-story house that could be seen for miles. On this property he planted many trees and hand dug a well of 80 feet. John Schnackenberg who was a lad at the time tells that Mr. Goss always drove a team of high spirited horses to a fine buggy and would toss pennies to the children along his way.

Neaty and Giles Goss were parents to ten children. Neaty died November 2, 1880, and was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery. In 1881 Goss married Miss Mary Drake. Mary was the first postmaster of Goss being appointed May 24, 1892. (The post office was discontinued September 30, 1886.) Gile died September 7, 1894 and was buried beside his first wife.

Goss was located on the north one-fourth of the northwest one-fourth of section 12, township 34, range 8, west.

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