William Charles Gotshall

Background

Gotshall was born on May 9, 1870 in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of Daniel H. and Minnie (Wortmann) Gotshall. His father was a Civil War veteran, editor, and publisher of law books.

Education

William received his early education from private tutors and specialized in mathematics and electrical engineering.

Career

Gotshall's first employment was as a draftsman for the Metzger Iron Works of St. Louis; later, he served as an engineer in railroad construction. In 1892 he became connected with the Missouri Electric Light & Power Company, St. Louis, for which he made the first thousand-hour incandescent-lamp test for duration and efficiency and carried on other research work. The following year he was in the service of the government overseeing work on the banks of the Mississippi River. In 1894 he began an important career in connection with transportation. Electricity was coming into wide use, and his first important achievement was that of electrifying the Union Depot Railway Company lines in St. Louis. In connection with this enterprise he made one of the earliest installations of the three-wire system. This accomplishment was followed by work in Illinois, where at Cairo he rebuilt the electric railway and at Belleville constructed another. He was employed for similar work in Marshalltown, Iowa, Muncie, Indiana, and for the Grand Avenue Railway, St. Louis. After serving as consulting engineer on construction work for the St. Charles Railway in New Orleans, Louisiana, he went to New York, where in 1897-1898 he superintended the conversion of the Second Avenue Railway from a horse-car into a conduit electric system. Appointed president and chief engineer of the New York & Port Chester Railroad, he constructed a high-speed electric line, which was the first built in the United States on its own right of way and with no grade crossings. This was completed in 1912 and subsequently Gotshall's engagements included important duties in connection with railroads, not only in the United States, but in Europe, Asia, and Africa. In the First World War he served as major in the engineering corps. His interests were varied. During his career he performed services in Alaska for the United States National Park System. In 1925, in connection with William F. Bade, he organized and directed excavations in Palestine. He was a big-game hunter. His contributions to periodicals were numerous and included many articles on health and diet, in which he advocated periods of fasting and frequent sun baths. Lectures that he delivered were published under the title Notes on Electric Railway Economics and Preliminary Engineering (1903, 2d ed. , 1904). His burial was at Woodlawn Cemetery, New York.

Achievements

• Gotshall made many important achievements, among which was that of electrifying the Union Depot Railway Company lines in St. Louis.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Notes on Electric Railway Economies

    ( This work has been selected by scholars as being cultur...)

  • Notes on electric railway economics and preliminary engineering
  • Notes on electric railway economics and preliminary engineering (Volume 2)
  • The Gotshall Collection in the New York State Library: New York State Library Bibliography Bulletin, No. 84

Membership

President of the New York & Port Chester Railroad

Interests

• Gotshall collected paintings and first editions of books, which went, after his death, to the state library at Albany, New York.

• Sport & Clubs

  As a fencing expert, Gotshall won many medals and the national championship, while his abilities as a swimmer brought him a United States life-saving medal.

Connections

On September 15, 1897, Gotshall married Adelaide von Rathgen.

Father:

Daniel H. Gotshall

Mother:

Minnie Wortmann

Spouse:

Adelaide von Rathgen