Gussettville
Gussettville, Live Oak County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Founded by Irish catholics of McMullen and McGloin colony in 1830's. Called "Fox nation" for the Fox family, was renamed Gussettville in 1850's in honor of N. Gussett, owner of general store. First Catholic church in Live Oak County built here 1874. Land for church and part of the cemetery was given by Thomas Shannon and his wife Anne. A stagecoach stop on San Antonio-Brownsville line, town prospered until by-passed by railroad. Typical of hundreds of early towns that faded as train service diverted traffic. Church is chief remaining structure.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Gussettville began in the 1830s when Irish Catholic settlers of the McMullen and McGloin colony put down roots in South Texas, first calling the place "Fox Nation" before renaming it for storekeeper N. Gussett in the 1850s. The community built the first Catholic church in Live Oak County in 1874 on land donated by Thomas and Anne Shannon, and thrived as a stop on the San Antonio–Brownsville stagecoach line. Like hundreds of similar towns, it withered once the railroad passed it by, leaving the church as its chief surviving landmark.
Why it matters
Gussettville captures both the Irish Catholic strand of early Texas colonization and the hard truth that a town's survival often hinged on whether the railroad chose to come through.
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Related people
- · N. Gussett
- · Thomas Shannon
- · Anne Shannon
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Live Oak County
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