William H. Gass, Knoxville Mayor - the early years

William Houston Gass

(Mayor, 1904-1905)

The Honorable William Houston Gass was Knoxville’s 51^st mayor, serving in 1904 and 1905.

The son of David R. Gass and Mary Jane Russell, William was born in early 1860. The family is listed in the 1860 US census in Greene County, Tennessee. David is a merchant.  (source)

A decade later the family has expanded, with Sarah F. becoming a younger sister to William. David now goes by the name Rufus. He’s still a merchant, still in Greene County. William is “at school”.  (source)

In 1880 William is found at home with his parents, who still reside in Greene County. David’s occupation has expanded to Merchant & Farmer. William is now a “Student of Law”. Sarah was not with the family but daughter Ida Jane was 5.  (source)

According to the city directories of Knoxville, Gass was a travel agent (1882, 1884), a salesman (1887), then settled into the banking industry as a cashier (1888-91, 1893-94, 1897-98). In 1900 he is listed as the President of Knoxville Banking Co. and remained in that position through 1910.

In January 21, 1893 an article in The Knoxville Sentinel about the Knoxville Savings Bank changing its name to the Knoxville Banking Company, Gass is given a glowing write up:

W. H. Gass, the cashier, is one of the most successful young business men in the south and as a financier he ranks with the foremost in the state.

The almost unparalleled success of the bank is principally due to Mr. Gass’ business sagacity. He has been cashier since the organization of the bank, and is eminently fitted for the position which he holds. (source)

On December 14, 1893, William married Annie Boyd Houk in Knoxville. The Reverend Dr. Thomas C. Warner, pastor of the First M. E. Church (Knoxville), performs the ceremony. Annie Boyd Houk was about 13 years his junior.  (source)  The happy couple honeymooned in Florida.  (source)

Gass first appears in the society pages of the Knoxville newspapers in January of 1896 when he and his wife invite friends for an elaborate dinner held at the Palace Hotel.  (source)

In December of 1897 Gass announced his desire to be on the ballot for Alderman of the Fourth ward.  (source) 

In mid-January he defeated his opponent, Howard Cornick, 95 votes to 50. Both ran under the democrat banner.  The Journal and Tribune of January 15, 1898 reported that:

Mr. Gass made a very short canvass, but received nearly two-thirds of the vote of the ward. His friends say that he must be the candidate for mayor two years hence. (source)

By February of 1899 Alderman Gass was chairman of the school committee.  (source)

In May of 1900 Gass was elected as a member of the Board of Education.  (source)

In the 1900 US Census, William H. Gass was living with his wife, Annie, his brother-in-law Ed Houk and a servant, Mary Street, on Cumberland in Knoxville. William and Annie have not yet had children. In this census we find that Gass was born in March of 1860.  (source)

In July of 1902 W. H. Gass is described as “president of the Knoxville Banking company, and ex-alderman from the fourth ward.”  (source)

Mayor Joseph Tedford McTeer, Sr. passed away on January 6, 1904. His friend William Gass was nominated as his replacement on the ticket that month.  Election day came and went. Gass tallied the most mayoral votes in each of the 11 Wards, gathering almost five times that of his opponent, Keller.  (source)

A later post will look at Gass' life after his term as mayor of Knoxville and then at his death in 1921.  (obituary) (burial)

Note:  Links to newspaper sources will lead to clippings from Newspapers.com.  Links to census and other government documents will lead to records at FamilySearch.org.  You may need to register (free) at FamilySearch to view these documents.