William W. Gideon son of Isham Gideon and Nancy Miller, was born in Hawkins or Grainger Co, TN in 1824. He married Mrs. Hiley Watkins Cottingim widow of Dill Cottingim. She was born in Laurel Co, KY.

William W. Gideon served in the Mexican War with the Ky. Volunteers. One night after a long hard march, William rolled in his blanket too close to the campfire and his boots and feet were badly burned. His feet were injured so badly that he was sent home and was slightly crippled the remainder of his life.

William came to Missouri with his father's family and took up land in Gideon Valley, 12 miles north of Hartville. In the 1850's he joined a group of men driving cattle to the San Francisco market. There were several thousand cattle in the herd, 150 men and several covered wagons. Grazing the cattle as they travelled, it took all summer to make the trip. They were attacked by Indians twice and lost a number of cattle but only two men were killed. William sold his cattle and returned by way of south America and up the Mississippi River to St. Louis. There he bought a horse and rode home. A few days after his return, he made a trip to Douglas Co. on a cattle buying trip. While there he was fatally shot.

This left Hiley a widow for the second time with four children under 10 years of age, and three older sons who joined the Union Army when the war broke out. Two of these sons died in the army. She went to Franklin Co with her brother-in-law's family for safety. When she returned after the war, her buildings and fences were in ruins, but with the help of her one survivng son, age 20, they began all over again.