Goss, Mississippi Explained

Official Name:Goss, Mississippi
Pushpin Map:Mississippi#USA
Pushpin Label:Goss
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Mississippi
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Marion
Timezone:Central (CST)
Utc Offset:-6
Timezone Dst:CDT
Utc Offset Dst:-5
Elevation Ft:194
Coordinates:31.3553°N -89.8886°W
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:670553

Goss (also known as Prine or Rogers[1]) is an unincorporated community in Marion County located 8 miles northwest of Columbia.[2]

History

Goss was named for its first postmaster, Dr. Zeno Goss, who established a post office in 1891 or 1895. Doctor Goss practiced medicine in the area, and was known for having fought as a Confederate soldier in the Battle of Shiloh.[3] The town is currently situated along the route of a decommissioned Illinois Central rail line, running parallel to Mississippi Highway 13. The rail line was originally established as the Columbia, Lumberton & Gulf Railroad in 1894, and, when the line expanded circa 1900 as the Gulf and Ship Island Railroad, it included service near Goss at milepost 100.32, which spurred the development of lumber and sawmill industries over the years. The W. B. Brown Lumber Company, Newsom Brothers & Buckley Lumber Company, and Bunker Hill Lumber Company operated lumber mills in Goss.[4] [5] In 2011, Georgia Pacific closed their lumberyard in Goss.[6]

In 1900, Goss had a population of 28.[2]

A post office operated under the name Goss from 1891 to 1956.[7]

Goss is served by the Columbia School District.[8]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Goss, Marion County, Mississippi . msmarion.com . May 29, 2023.
  2. Book: Rowland, Dunbar . Mississippi: Comprising Sketches of Counties, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form . Southern Historical Publishing Association . 1907 . 1 . 793.
  3. Book: Images of America-Marion County . 2012 . Arcadia Publishing . Charleston, South Carolina . 978-0-7385-9193-3 . 83 .
  4. Web site: Howe . Tony . Goss, Mississippi . Mississippi Rails . May 29, 2023.
  5. New Orleans Letter . The St. Louis Lumberman . 1910 . 46 . 12 . 44 .
  6. News: Georgia Pacific closing Marion County location . May 29, 2023 . WDAM . November 1, 2011.
  7. Web site: Marion County . Jim Forte Postal History . May 29, 2023.
  8. Web site: Columbia Primary School Columbia, MS 39429 . mississippi.hometownlocator.com . May 29, 2023.