WILLIAM D. FOSSETT, chief
office deputy United States marshal at Guthrie, is a typical frontiersman of the
best class, fearless and energetic, ambitious and prompt to act, ready for any
emergency, cool and sufficiently conservative - in a word, just the kind of
citizen needed in a newly opened locality, and especially valuable on account of
his sterling integrity and patriotism.
It will be no surprise to those who know him well to
learn that W. D. Fossett comes from the sturdy old Scotch-Irish stock which has
furnished America with a multitude of its best and most enterprising citizens.
His father, John Fossett, was born in Dublin, Ireland, though his parents were
from Scotland. In early manhood, John Fossett married, in Glasgow, Scotland,
Miss Susan Corrigan, a native of that city. The young couple soon removed to
this country, and took up their residence near Watertown, N.Y., on farm. Thence
they later went to Wisconsin, and in 1862 the father located in Minnesota. His
death occurred in Caldwell, Kans., when he was in his seventy-ninth year. In
religious faith she was a Catholic, while Mr. Fossett was a Presbyterian. Seven
of their nine children are living. John and Isaac H. served during the Civil war
in the First Minnesota Cavalry, and both received honorable wounds while
fighting for the Union.
William D. Fossett was born November 3, 1852, on a
farm near Watertown, M. Y., and when he was four years old accompanied the
family to Oskosh, Wis., and in 1862 went with them to Minnesota. He was reared
as a farmer's boy, and received a common-school education. In 1872 he went to
Kansas, and engaged in the cattle business on the Smoky River, near Solomon
city. He had some experience about this time, as a marshal in Texas, and upon
returning to Kansas became one of the first marshals of Caldwell. For several
years he dealt extensively in live stock, often going to Monterey, Mexico, and
driving as many as five hundred horses, sometimes to Emporia, Kans., where he
shipped the animals to Michigan and other eastern points. The life of a drover
in those days on the plains, among outlaws and desperadoes, who cared nothing
for the laws of God or man, was one replete with danger, and many a narrow
escape did Mr. Fossett have. His natural courage and presence of mind alone
saved him on more than one occasion, and he has many thrilling accounts of
hair-breath escapes. As a marshal he was particularly set apart for death, and
though his life was frequently threatened, and more than once he was a target
for the assassin and several of his deputies were killed, he seemed to lead a
charmed life. While he was the marshal at Caldwell he had a lively encounter
with seven outlaws who attempted to rob the bank. He continued to hold the
position for seven years, at the end of which time he resigned. While on a trip
to Monterey, Mexico, to buy horses, his party of seven was ambushed by Mexican
bandits, who killed and plundered the bodies of five of the party.
In 1882, Mr. Fossett located upon a ranch on
Chikaskia Run, in Kingman County, Kans., and there he engaged in raising cattle.
Later he took contracts for building sections of the Missouri Pacific, the
Denver Midland, and the Bald Knob & Memphis Railroads, and in each of these
enterprises was thoroughly successful. He then became interested in the
construction of a levee along the Mississippi river, but, in common with many
other contractors at that time, lost heavily, owing to the bad weather and high
water that winter. In April 1889, he located a farm on the present site of
Kingfisher, Okla., and as thousands of persons selected lots on the same
property, the first decision of the local office was against him, but, appealing
the case, he received a favorable verdict, and finally was sustained by the
secretary of the interior. False affidavits, however, were filed, and the whole
matter, from the beginning, had to be reviewed. It was not until the close of
three years of lawsuits that Mr. Fossett received his patent to forty acres,
which was proved up under the town-site act, and for which he paid ten dollars
an acre. He retains the greater portion of this property, thought he has
disposed of some building sites to good advantage. His suit, which gained
widespread attention, was the first contested case in the territory. In 1888 he
was in the employ of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company, as
special agent in the claim department.
In political faith Mr. Fossett is a stalwart
Republican. He was appointed chief office deputy marshal at Guthrie by Mr.
Thompson, November 6, 1897, and is still serving in this capacity. He is a
Knight of Pythias, and in social circles is as popular as he is with railroad
men and the most progressive of the pioneers of the great west.
In April 1885, Mr. Fossett married, in McPherson
County, Kans., Miss Laura Kelso, who was born in London, Iowa, where her father,
John Kelso, was engaged in farming. Her mother, Esther, daughter of William
Denney, was a native of the Buckeye state, and the father, whose birthplace was
in England, died in Iowa. Of the five sons and one daughter born to John and
Esther Kelso, all but Samuel, a citizen of Iowa, have taken up their abode in
this territory, and are prospering. William is living at Guthrie, Robert t
Watonga, John at Crescent, and David at Marshall. Mrs. Fossett was reared in
Newton, Kans., and is a member of the Baptist Church.