GUSSETTVILLE, TEXAS
aka
Fox's Nation or Fox Nation

Texas Ghost Town
Live Oak County, South Texas

Farm Road 799 West of I-37
S of Oakville
6 miles SE of George West the county seat
85 miles SE of San Antonio
20 miles SW of Beeville
Population: 0

Gussettville Area Hotels › George West Hotels

Texas - Live Oak County Charter Oak historical marker

Photo courtesy William Beauchamp, 2011

The Live Oak County Charter Oak ›

History in a Pecan Shell

Named after storekeeper N. Gussett, the community was on land granted to Irish immigrants by the Mexican government in 1829. Led by Patrick McGloin, who had been issued a 5,240 acre grant, the settlement was known as Fox's Nation after the Fox family, the first settlers to arrive. In 1846 served the settlement served as a stage stop on the run between San Antonio and Corpus Christi. It had been renamed Gussettville sometime in the 1850s.

Live Oak County was cut from San Patricio County by an act of the State Legislature in 1856. The community fought to be declared county seat, but that honor went to Oakville.

Gussettville was granted a post office in 1858 and by 1884 there was a church, school, and store but the population was a mere 30 people. The post office closed in 1886 and then Gussettville suffered the same death-blow as so many budding towns - it was bypassed by the railroad. All that was left by the 1930s was a church, school, and a few residences. Gussettville's school merged with those in George West in 1945 - one of the earliest school consolidations after WWII.

St. Joseph's Catholic Church is still active and there are two cemeteries shown on the detailed county maps - one marked Gussettville and the other named "Old" Gussettville.

Graves facing East - Church facing West
Gussetville Cemetery at late afternoon.

TE Photo, 2006

Front of Church

TE Photo, 2006

Family Memorial

TE Photo, 2006

Lichen on cross, Gussetville Cemetery tombstone, Texas

Lichen on a Tombstone
TE Photo, 2006

Area Destinations:
Oakville
George West
San Antonio
Beeville

Gussettville Area Hotels
George West Hotels

Book featuring
Gussettville Texas

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