Joseph L. Gant, son of Richard V. and Sarah Virginia (Boley) Gant, was
  born in 1871, at Nashville, Illinois. In 1875 they moved to Cherokee County,
  Kansas, and lived briefly before moving to Barton County, Missouri.
     July 28, 1880, the parents, Joe, a brother Walter, and sister Minnie
  moved to a ranch in Mingona Township, Barber County, where Joe grew to 
  manhood.
     In their early days here, Joe accompanied his father in government
  freighting from Wellington, Newton, and Hutchinson to Camp Supply; they
  also hauled corn to Hutchinson and traded for posts and wire used to fence
  the area which had been the Comanche Pool.
     In 1890 Joe began to buy land. Later Joe recalled, "Land could be
  bought and fenced, and the owner would have less than a dollar an acre
  invested in it." Before his death, he had amassed 8,000 acres of which 1,000
  acres were under cultivation. In 1890 he began his cattle ranching, raising
  Shorthorn and Hereford breeding cattle, usually maintaining about 200 head
  of each breed.
     In 1890 Joe married Hattie Orrilla King. Hattie was born in Carl County,
  Missouri, July 28, 1868, to Alfred and Eleanor M. (Ferguson) King. She came
  to Barber County in 1889 with her father and step-mother, Beatrice.
     To Joe and Hattie were born eight children: Rosie (Kinsey), Jennie (Arndt),
  Bessie, Richard, Luther, Charley, Florence (Trulove)(Pratt), and Zella (Suhler).
     Hattie's days were busy with household tasks and cooking three meals a day
  for her own family plus one or two unmarried farm hands, who always lived with
  them. At harvest, round-up, etc., the hungry BORDERs increased. Regularly
  she canned 60 half-gallons each of plum butter and grape jelly - for sweets
  for the winter larder. Active in all church activities, she tended the sick,
  cleaned the church, organized the women's quilting project, etc. While Joe
  was up front in leadership, Hatting kept things going in the wings.
     They wer members of the Baptist, and then the Methodist, Church at Forest
  City. Joe was a piller of the church, generous in finances and service. For
  20 years he annually sponsered a Sunday School camp of three days, which the 
  entire community enjoyed, as they slept, ate, swam, visited, and had daily
  church services in the out-of-doors. Later the Gants transferred their
  membership to the Medicine Lodge Methodist Church.
     As a rancher, Joe was a member of the final Barber County Round Up in 1894;
  he was a member of the Salt Fork Live Stock Association, and the Anti-Thief
  Association ( a protective organization against cattle rustling).
     Joe was a member of the Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges and the Ancient
  Order of United Workmen. With his Prairie Schooner and its authentic accessories,
  Joe played an important role in the early Peace Treaty Pageants.
     In 1938 Gants built and moved into a modern brick home in Medicine Lodge.
  Joe continued daily pilgrimages to the ranch in his faithfull Dodge automobile
  until ill-health deterred him.
     Hattied died in May 1945, and Joe in June 1950.
                 
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 185 
     Submitted by: Charlene (Gant) Larson