Souvenir Edition, The Williamstown Courier, Williamstown, Ky, May 30, 1901,
reprinted September 19, 1981 by the Grant County KY Historical Society.

T. J. GOUGE, Uncle Jeff, as everybody calls him now, was born in Grant
County on the farm now occupied by Alonzo Threlkeld, February 24, 1823,
and was therefore 78 years old last February.  He has never lived further
than a mile and a half from his birthplace, except the four or five years
which he spent in Williamstown as the proprietor of the Gouge House,
which afterward burned, and the lot is now occupied by the Opera House.
     In early life he married Sarah Clark, sister to O. D. and Thomas C.
Clark and they had ten children, four of whom are still living, viz: James,
Millard, Barbara (wife of J. A. Littell) and Marietta, now in Alexandria,
Ind.  His present wife, a noble Christian woman, is a sister of Rev. J. W.
Fitch, of Winchester, Ky., a well-known and able minister in the Kentucky
Conference M. E. Church, South.  They had seven children, four of whom are
living, viz: Mrs. Sallie Woodly, and Mrs. Nora Stroboke, of Huntington,
W. Va.; Mrs. Lena Ruhall, of Mason, and Tom who still lives with his
parents.
     He has always been a farmer, and stock raiser, and has been one of
the most successful farmers in his part of the county.  His farm, on which
he now resides, is one of the best and largest in his neighborhood,
containing about 300 acres, on which he has a large country house, and
ample barn accommodations.  He and his good wife are hospitable people and
are never happier than when their big house is filled by children,
grandchildren, neighbors and friends.
     In politics he has always been a Democrat, and is most enthusiastic
when the party sky is most overcast and has never "soured" when defeated,
or "kicked" when his choice was not nominated.  His party loyalty has
received some pretty sore test, but he never faltered.  He had an
ambition for several years to represent the county in the legislature,
and has on several occasions been a candidate, and once, more than twenty
years ago, received the party nomination, but for certain party reasons
or otherwise, he was supplanted on the ticket by another, who was elected
in his stead.  He served his district and county though four years as
magistrate and made a good one.  His home is in Cordova precinct, the
Republican Gibraltar of Grant, and he has always been one of the leaders
of the Democratic contingent there against great odds.
     He has been a member of the Old Baptist Church, in this place, joining
under the ministry of Rev. William Conrad, when they were both younger and
Uncle Billy was in his prime.  Uncle Jeff is not the only old and sturdily
reliable citizen on whose younger life and forming character this mighty
minister of God exercised a powerful and permanent influence for good.  His
impress is yet plainly discernible in many noble lives.
     Of all his brothers and sisters only one remains, Lafayette, who,
like Uncle Jeff, settled in Grant, and still lives on a farm almost
adjoining their birthplace.

Gouge Threlkeld Clark Littrell Fitch Woodly Stroboke Ruhall Conrad
=
Winchester-Clark-KY WV IN

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/grant/gouge.tj.txt