DUANE
Duane's take
The marker's got the word on this one, and here's how I tell it. Now, Texas has given us some larger-than-life figures over the years, but every now and then you come across a man whose life sounds like somebody already stretched it for you — and Dr. Peter Gunsolus is exactly that kind of man.
Born on March 18, 1801, out of Chicago, Gunsolus made his way down to this part of Texas in the 1850s, setting up as a physician and working his trade across Shackelford, Parker, and Stephens Counties. That's a wide swath of country for one doctor to cover, but apparently the man was not shy about getting around. He eventually settled right here on Duck Creek, and the community thought well enough of him that the creek was later renamed in his honor.
Gunsolus Creek, running right through the heart of what would become Breckenridge history — a gathering place for social, religious, and civic life over the years. Now. Here is where the story takes a turn that'll make you set down your coffee.
Some accounts hold that Dr. Peter Gunsolus fathered fifty-three children. Across seven marriages.
The marker, to its credit, is careful to note that many of those may have been step-children. But still. Seven marriages.
The man was born March 18, 1801, and he didn't leave this world until May 23, 1886 — and it sounds like he kept himself busy every year in between. He was, the marker says plainly, a valued member of the community. And you know what?
With fifty-three children, step or otherwise, he had a community of his own just to start with. Dr. Peter Gunsolus — doctor, settler, husband, and by any count, a man who left his mark on this land in more ways than one.
What the marker says
(March 18, 1801-May 23, 1886) A native of Chicago, Dr. Peter Gunsolus came to this area in the 1850s. He lived and practiced medicine in Shackelford, Parker, and Stephens Counties. Gunsolus eventually settled here on Duck Creek, which was later renamed in his honor, and was a valued member of the community. Although some accounts state he was the father of 53 children from his seven marriages, many of those may have been step-children. Gunsolus Creek has played an important role in Breckenridge history as the site of social, religious, and civic activities.