C.I. Gould is one of the fathers and founders of the city of Jamestown. His lineage traces back to Abraham Gould of the same line as Jay Gould, the late railroad magnate, whose gifted daughter, Miss Helen, is known the world over for her many charities and as an angel of mercy to the suffering poor. Abraham Gould, who signed the charter for the state of Connecticut, was Mr. Gould's great-great-grandfather. His mother was also of distinguished ancestry tracing a direct line to General Nathaniel Greene, of Revolutionary fame.
Orrin P. Gould, father of our subject, was born in the state of Connecticut. His ancestry was of English birth. His brother was captain of a company in the war of 1812, and was one of the Americans who were defending Buffalo, New York, when they painted logs black to give the enemy the impression they had numerous and heavy cannon. After serving during the entire war he returned to his home and entered land in the Holland Purchase Reserve near Batavia, New York. Mr. Gould's father when a small boy, came with his parents to western New York, where he lived until the subject of this sketch was three years of age, when they removed to Michigan. Here his mother's health failed and he returned to New York, remaining until she fully recovered. In 1869, they emigrated to Kansas and homesteaded land near Blue Rapids and in 1878 removed to Cloud county, where they were both deceased; his mother in 1885 and his father in 1893.
Mr. Gould was born in Batavia, New York, in 1851. He received his education in the Rural Seminary, East Pembrook, New York, and later came west with his parents. In June, 1870, in company with three other young men he came to Cloud county on an ox cart and homesteaded the farm on which he now lives on the 19th day of November, a portion of which is the present site of Jamestown. He gave the railroad company one-half interest in sixty acres of land to build the depot and plat the town. His residence, a comfortable dwelling, is within the city limits. He little thought when he filed on this claim that the future would build up a prosperous town and as for a railroad, it was looked for, but no one knew the course it would take. Only a few houses were in sight; government troops were encamped in their barracks at Fort Sibley and Concordia was unknown. Mr. Gould did some splendid soliciting for the railroad company in the different townships in Jewell county. For calling elections to vote bonds for the extension of Jewell Branch, Major Downs, general manager of the Central Branch of the Union Pacific railroad, complimented him for his success in a substantial manner.
THE FIVE GOULD BROTHERS.
Mr. Gould has always been a tiller of the soil, finding many resources in its depths. He owned and operated a thresher for six seasons before the use of traction engines. His present machine cost him the neat little price of $2,800, purchased in 1901. Mr. Gould is one of five children, all boys and all living. Two brothers reside in Jamestown; Edwin A. is a farmer near Jamestown; Baird T., manages the P.V. elevator at Hollis, his family residing in Jamestown; David G., of Concordia, manager of the P.V. elevator; Myron H., a farmer in Iowa, removed from Kansas six years ago.
Mr. Gould was married in 1875, to Lucy Webster of Southfield, Massachusetts, who in company with her parents came to Blue Rapids where she met Mr. Gould and became his wife. Her father was a soldier and enlisted in the 49th Massachusetts. His company was sent south into the swamps of Louisiana, where he contracted a serious illness from climatic changes which was the direct cause of his death; like many thousands of other brave boys, he left a beautiful and happy home never to return to its enjoyments, but answered his "last roll call" and sleeps beneath the canopy of the little green tent which nature provides for every soldier.
To Mr. and Mrs. Gould eight children have been born, seven of whom are living. Olive D., wife of C.W. Nelson, a farmer living two miles north and two miles west of Ames. Webster O., an expert traction engineer and a young man highly respected throughout the community. Arthur C., by profession a school teacher on his second term. He taught last year northwest of Clyde in District No. 15. He is employed this year in District No. 64. He is a graduate of the Jamestown high school. Irving H., a young man who has not quite reached his majority is living at home, a valuable assistant to his father in the duties of the farm, and in exemplary young man. Florence L., her father's housekeeper, who was deprived of a mother's training and good counsels when a child, having just passed her seventh birthday, has developed into a matronly young woman assuming the responsibilities of the household affairs with credit for one of her years. Benjamin and Jay, the two youngest children, are school boys.
Mr. Gould is a member, trustee and steward of the Methodist Episcopal church. He has been superintendent of the Sunday school for two years. In 1901, was elected president of the International County Sunday School Association. In the convention notes of the Miltonvale Record, where the society convened, the following mention is made: "The retiring (but untiring) president, C.I. Gould, was surely the right man in the right place." To his devotion, energy and personal efforts as a church worker is due much of the success of the church and the Sunday school which is one of the best in the county. His heart is in his work and he feels he has faithfully done his duty for the best interests of the congregation.
Mr. Gould is a member in good standing of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, joining the order two years ago, also a member of the Sons and Daughters of Justice, the Pyramids and the Threshers' National Protective Association, a comparatively new order whose object is to elevate and better the conditions of dealers and operators. He is a good, fair and square Republican, and served as deputy sheriff with Morrisette, the last year of his term in office. He has ben a member of the council for two years, also served a term several years ago. Mr. Gould has been an indefatigable church and Sunday school worker and is a highly respected citizen. His sons are intelligent young men of excellent repute.
Transcribed from E.F. Hollibaugh's Biographical history of Cloud County, Kansas biographies of representative citizens. Illustrated with portraits of prominent people, cuts of homes, stock, etc. [n.p., 1903] 919p. illus., ports. 28 cm.