John Gossett: Another first before the end
Lead Summary
By
Steve Roush-
Ladies and gentlemen, John Gossett, a pioneer of Ohio and Highland County, was born in 1769 and settled near New Market in 1799 – roughly 222 years ago.
As we discussed earlier, he built the first gristmill in Highland County, was the first state representative from Highland County, and was a farmer.
According to the 1954 book, “The Family of Gossett” by Evangeline Gossett Newcomer, historians describe John Gossett as “a quiet, modest man,” “a very worthy and unassuming farmer, differing in no essential particular from his pioneer neighbors,” “a man who had great energy and endurance and who met disappointment with an attitude of courage and cheerfulness,” and as “one of the most distinguished and enterprising of the Highland County pioneers,” “a man with high principles and generosity in his dealings with his associates.” “He was a very kind-hearted man, and if persons applying for flour or meal were unable to pay for it, he would cheerfully give it to them.”
Speaking of farming, in the book “In History of Ross and Highland Counties, Ohio,” published by William Bros., Cleveland, 1880, p. 485, appears the following article, “Mr. Gossett bought, at Chillicothe, in 1823, the first iron mold-board plow ever used in Highland County. It was a great curiosity in those days, and was visited by people from a distance of twenty miles. Its cost was twenty-three dollars.”
At the age of 54 in 1823, John Gossett scored another “first” with his iron mold-board plow, but the end was quickly drawing near for Gossett. On Dec. 28, 1823, John Gossett passed away.
The cause of his death is unknown, but he must have known time was short as his will was made just six days before his death. Before his estate was settled, his daughter, Lavinah, had died.
Newcomer wrote that, “John Gossett lived in a region which was infested with malaria-carrying mosquitoes along the water courses, and violent epidemics of malarial fever were prevalent for many years. The pioneers had no antimalarial drugs, no quinine for chills and fever, but they tried to soothe the mosquito bites with oils.”
In the 1823 diary of Mary Harris, who may have been a neighbor of the Gossetts, she had several entries of John Gossett being ill. On Nov. 6, she wrote, “Mr. Gossett came this evening, he is unwell.”
On Dec. 5, she wrote, “Went up to see Mr. Gossett he is very sick.” On Dec. 25, she wrote, “I went to brother Gossett’s in the morn he was alying (sic) he died in the triumphs of faith he said he did love his dear redeemer, he has been engaged in religion this year past and has spoke in our meetings frequently by the way of exhortation and often remind us of the shortness of time and that Death was near at hand.” Finally, on Dec. 29, she wrote, “Went to the burying of Mr. Gossett.”
There are at least eight Mary Harrises buried in Highland County, but of the eight, the only one who was alive in 1823 was Mary Harmon Harris (1776-1854). She was born in Sanford, York County, Maine, and is buried in the New Market Baptist Cemetery beside her husband, Oliver Harris (1780-1845). She was Oliver's second wife, his first, Amy Sheppard Harris, died Nov. 24, 1820 in childbirth at the age of 40.
Newcomer wrote in 1954, “The graveyard where John Gossett and his wife Honor are buried is two miles east of New Market and is called Sanders Cemetery. It is well-fenced, but is abandoned and overgrown with bushes and poison ivy. Many markers lie on the ground. John Gossett’s stone is standing and bears the inscription:
“John Gossett departed this life December the 28th, 1823. Aged 54 years.
“Honor Gossett is buried on the right side of his grave, but the corner of her gravestone which bore the dates is broken off and is disintegrated. A child’s grave and a large grave marked with stones are on the left side of John Gossett’s grave.
“The foundation of an old log church remains near the cemetery and a cornerstone discloses the denomination was Baptist.”
Honor Gossett died Sept. 9, 1837 at age 67 or 68. Since 1954, a replacement headstone for both John and Honor Gossett was placed by members of the Gossett Reunion.
Let’s pause for now, and we’ll continue next time.
Steve Roush is vice chairman of the Highland County Historical Society Board of Trustees, a vice president of an international media company and a columnist and contributing writer for The Highland County Press. He can be reached by email at roush_steve@msn.com.
As we discussed earlier, he built the first gristmill in Highland County, was the first state representative from Highland County, and was a farmer.
According to the 1954 book, “The Family of Gossett” by Evangeline Gossett Newcomer, historians describe John Gossett as “a quiet, modest man,” “a very worthy and unassuming farmer, differing in no essential particular from his pioneer neighbors,” “a man who had great energy and endurance and who met disappointment with an attitude of courage and cheerfulness,” and as “one of the most distinguished and enterprising of the Highland County pioneers,” “a man with high principles and generosity in his dealings with his associates.” “He was a very kind-hearted man, and if persons applying for flour or meal were unable to pay for it, he would cheerfully give it to them.”
Speaking of farming, in the book “In History of Ross and Highland Counties, Ohio,” published by William Bros., Cleveland, 1880, p. 485, appears the following article, “Mr. Gossett bought, at Chillicothe, in 1823, the first iron mold-board plow ever used in Highland County. It was a great curiosity in those days, and was visited by people from a distance of twenty miles. Its cost was twenty-three dollars.”
At the age of 54 in 1823, John Gossett scored another “first” with his iron mold-board plow, but the end was quickly drawing near for Gossett. On Dec. 28, 1823, John Gossett passed away.
The cause of his death is unknown, but he must have known time was short as his will was made just six days before his death. Before his estate was settled, his daughter, Lavinah, had died.
Newcomer wrote that, “John Gossett lived in a region which was infested with malaria-carrying mosquitoes along the water courses, and violent epidemics of malarial fever were prevalent for many years. The pioneers had no antimalarial drugs, no quinine for chills and fever, but they tried to soothe the mosquito bites with oils.”
In the 1823 diary of Mary Harris, who may have been a neighbor of the Gossetts, she had several entries of John Gossett being ill. On Nov. 6, she wrote, “Mr. Gossett came this evening, he is unwell.”
On Dec. 5, she wrote, “Went up to see Mr. Gossett he is very sick.” On Dec. 25, she wrote, “I went to brother Gossett’s in the morn he was alying (sic) he died in the triumphs of faith he said he did love his dear redeemer, he has been engaged in religion this year past and has spoke in our meetings frequently by the way of exhortation and often remind us of the shortness of time and that Death was near at hand.” Finally, on Dec. 29, she wrote, “Went to the burying of Mr. Gossett.”
There are at least eight Mary Harrises buried in Highland County, but of the eight, the only one who was alive in 1823 was Mary Harmon Harris (1776-1854). She was born in Sanford, York County, Maine, and is buried in the New Market Baptist Cemetery beside her husband, Oliver Harris (1780-1845). She was Oliver's second wife, his first, Amy Sheppard Harris, died Nov. 24, 1820 in childbirth at the age of 40.
Newcomer wrote in 1954, “The graveyard where John Gossett and his wife Honor are buried is two miles east of New Market and is called Sanders Cemetery. It is well-fenced, but is abandoned and overgrown with bushes and poison ivy. Many markers lie on the ground. John Gossett’s stone is standing and bears the inscription:
“John Gossett departed this life December the 28th, 1823. Aged 54 years.
“Honor Gossett is buried on the right side of his grave, but the corner of her gravestone which bore the dates is broken off and is disintegrated. A child’s grave and a large grave marked with stones are on the left side of John Gossett’s grave.
“The foundation of an old log church remains near the cemetery and a cornerstone discloses the denomination was Baptist.”
Honor Gossett died Sept. 9, 1837 at age 67 or 68. Since 1954, a replacement headstone for both John and Honor Gossett was placed by members of the Gossett Reunion.
Let’s pause for now, and we’ll continue next time.
Steve Roush is vice chairman of the Highland County Historical Society Board of Trustees, a vice president of an international media company and a columnist and contributing writer for The Highland County Press. He can be reached by email at roush_steve@msn.com.