William Charles Gotshall (May 9, 1870 – August 20, 1935) was an American civil engineer known for his research on engineering economics in civil engineering published as Notes of electric railway economics and preliminary engineering (1903, 1904). He was also responsible for the conversion of the Second Avenue Railroad in New York from horses to conduit electrical power in 1897–1898.
Early life and career William Charles Gotshall, was born in St. Louis, Mo., on May 9, 1870, the son of Daniel H. Gotshall (1844–1909) and Minnie Wortmann Gotshall (1845–1918).Ancestry.com. U.S., Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889–1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Sons of the American Revolution Membership Applications, 1889–1970. Louisville, Kentucky: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Microfilm, 508 rolls.Gotshall collection (1960) He married German-born Adelaide von Rathgen on September 15, 1897.Onofrio (2001)
Military service Gotshall was commissioned as a Major of Engineers in the New York Guard in June 1917 and discharged in 1920.Ancestry.com. New York, Military Service Cards, 1816–1979 [database on-line]. Provo, Utah, US: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: NYNG Officer Service Cards prior to 1/1/1930. Saratoga Springs, New York: New York State Military Museum. NYNG Officer Service Cards prior to 1/1/1930. New York State Military Museum, Saratoga Springs, New York. His service consisted of surveying, locating and constructing military roads as well as assisting in railroad design and camp layouts.
Death
Gotshall died in New City on August 20, 1935.
The Gotshall collection At the time of his death in 1935, Gotshall possessed an extensive collection of books and in his will left this collection to the New York State Library, one of the largest in the world.
Bibliography Notes on electric railway economics and preliminary engineering. New York: McGraw Publ. Co.. (1903). Railway (Electric) Economics (article), Beach, Frederick Converse, and George Edwin Rines, eds. The encyclopedia americana. Vol. 10. New York: Americana Company, 1904.
See also Engineering economics (civil engineering)
References
Sources Gotshall, William Charles. Marquis Who Was Who in America 1607–1984, edited by Marquis Who's Who, Marquis Who's Who LLC, 1st edition, 2009. Credo Reference, Accessed 26 Oct. 2018. Gotshall, William Charles (article) Missouri Biographical Dictionary, Jan Onofrio, Somerset Publishers, Inc., (2001) The Gotshall collection in the New York State Library. New York State Library. (1960)
External links New York State Library., Gotshall, W. Charles. (1960). The Gotshall collection in the New York State Library. Albany.