My Genealogy Hound

Joseph P. Gosnell, a well-known citizen of this region, was born in Columbia County, Ark., in 1855, and was the youngest of four children born to Peter and Mary (Holcombe) Gosnell, native Georgians, who emigrated to Arkansas in 1853, settling in Columbia County, where the father purchased a farm and made his home until 1859. Then he removed to Hempstead County, but twelve years later moved to Pike County and took up his abode on the farm on which he is now residing. Joseph P. Gosnell was an attendant of the public schools of Hempstead County until he was sixteen years of age, and at the early age of eighteen years (in 1873) he was married to Miss Irena S., a daughter of John M. Davis, an old, well known and highly esteemed citizen of Pike County. After his marriage Mr. Gosnell devoted his attention to farming, and is now the owner of 280 acres of excellent land in the Little Missouri River bottom, and has eighty acres under cultivation, about fifty of which he cleared himself. The rest is good timber land, but he expects to gradually clear it, and in time will have his entire farm under the plow. He has always taken an active part in political matters, and in 1882 was elected assessor of Pike County, and after serving four years was chosen county sheriff, a position he filled in a very efficient manner for one term. At the end of his term of office he came to Nashville, Ark., and engaged as a clerk with Cowling & Co., a position he is still filling. Socially he is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Pike Lodge No. 90.