GAGE, Horatio Nelson

1824 - 1878  (54 years)

• Name	GAGE, Horatio Nelson
  Born	24 Aug 1824	Cambridge Springs, Crawford, Pennsylvania, United States
  Gender	Male
  Biography	BIOGRAPHY: Horatio Nelson Gage and his wife Elizabeth established a ranch in 1873, near the mouth of Duck Creek on the north side of Yellowstone, near the hot springs. Since the area was often subject to Indian attack, Gage dug a series of four tunnels leading out in different directions from his cabin. At the end of each tunnel, he constructed a porthole from which he could check the approach of a potential enemy. Evidently, the scheme worked. In 1877, he built a stage stop to accommodate stagecoach passengers on the line from Miles City to Bozeman, complete with saloon and restaurant, the first in the region. The following year, however, Nelson Gage had a fatal heart attack, leaving Elizabeth with seven children to rear. The widow took over Gage Station and began to farm the homestead as well as invest in cattle. Another family tragedy occurred the year after Nelson Gage died; their son Stephen drowned in the Yellowstone trying to save Nelson Story's foreman and a colt; all perished. Their bodies were not found for five months. The Gages had more troubles; son John accidentally shot brother Horatio in the stomach; he died a few minutes later. Grief stricken, John died within a few months. Elizabeth Gage also lost two daughters who died in Helena. The two surviving children, Josephine and Dora, both married and lived nearby. In January 1882, high winds caused flying sparks to burn down the Gage establishment. Knowing that construction of the railroad was imminent, the Gages rebuilt some of the buildings and opened a road house.
  Biography	Leeson’s History of Montana 1735-1885 published in 1885, Page 1123 GALLATIN COUNTY – Horatio Nelson Gage H. N. GAGE was born near Isherwood’s Corners, August 18, 1825, and lived in Cambridge township until 1854, at which time he accompanied his brother, Walter R., and his brother-in-law, Daniel Smith, who were then emigrating with their families to Wisconsin. Here he became acquainted with Miss Eliza Blood, a native of Pennsylvania, daughter of John Blood, of Cornplanter, Venango Co., Pa., to whom he was married in the fall of 1855. Two years later the three families again took an overland route, and pitched their tents in the then “bleeding Kansas.” After having lived in Kansas a few years, in the spring of 1860 Mr. Gage again moved with his family, and located near Denver, Col., there engaging in stock business for some years. He thought it was getting too thickly settled in Colorado, and rounding up his herd he started for the Yellowstone country, locating in that valley in 1874. At that time it was a wild country. Mr. Gage feared encounters with the Indians, and to protect his family he built his houses so he could go under the ground in four different places where he had port holes at the top of the ground some distance from the house. For twelve months they never saw a white woman, and very seldom saw a white man. The next fall old Fort Pease was established, and there was a little travel with hunters and trappers, and mail was carried once a week by soldiers. Gage’s Station was the first home station from Fort Ellis. The soldiers of Ellis tried to induce Mr. Gage to move back to the settlements, but he replied that he came there to stay and make it his home, and he went to improving his ranch when he had to keep a man on guard on the hill back of their house while he was at work. Men were killed on both sides of him, and he had horses stolen and cattle killed immediately in front of him, but Mr. Gage being a very cool man stayed upon his ranch and kept on improving it. In 1875 the mail was carried by the government (P. P. Clark being contractor) by pony express three times a week, Gage’s Station being home station from Bozeman. The country from that time began to open up. Mr. Gage died in 1878, of ulceration of the lungs, leaving a widow and seven children to mourn his loss. Mrs. Gage still stays at their old location, Gage’s Station, where she is engaged in raising stock and farming. She lost a son, Stephen Gage, by drowning, in the Yellowstone river in 1879. Two daughters, Clara and Edena, are at St. Vincent’s Academy, Helena.
  Census (desc)	1850	Rockdale Township, Crawford, Pennsylvania, United States
  	living with his parents
  Census (desc)	1865	Capioma Township, Nemaha, Kansas, United States
  	working as a farmer
  	Address: state census
  Census (desc)	1870	Douglas, Colorado, United States
  	working as a farmer
  _UID	B4CB7291E9F4D44E895345C8472390B21696
  Buried	1878	Sweet Grass, Montana, United States
  Died	9 Sep 1878	Bensons Landing, Park Co., MT
  	Cause: of a heart attack
  Person ID	I5041	Our Ancestry
  Last Modified	6 Jun 2011

  
  

  Father	GAGE, Richard,   b. 23 Jul 1786, Ferrisburgh, Addison, Vermont, United States ,   d. 25 Mar 1870, Cambridge Springs, Crawford, Pennsylvania, United States  (Age 83 years)
  Mother	ALFORD, Clarissa,   b. 8 Sep 1791, Ferrisburgh, Addison, Vermont, United States ,   d. 7 Apr 1865, Cambridge Springs, Crawford, Pennsylvania, United States  (Age 73 years)
  Married	11 Jun 1807
  Family ID	F1155	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	BLOOD, Elizabeth R.,   b. 19 Dec 1833, Oil City, Venango, Pennsylvania, United States ,   d. 1883, Big Timber, Sweet Grass, Montana, United States  (Age 49 years)
  Married	1855	Wisconsin, United States
  Children	1. GAGE, Stephen P.,   b. 1857, Wisconsin, United States ,   d. 18 Jul 1879, Gallatin, Montana, United States  (Age 22 years) + 2. GAGE, Dora Mae,   b. 4 Mar 1860, Nemaha Township, Nemaha, Kansas, United States ,   d. 1 Oct 1914, Big Timber, Sweet Grass, Montana, United States  (Age 54 years) + 3. GAGE, Josephine,   b. 20 May 1864, Douglas, Colorado, United States ,   d. Rexburg, Madison, Idaho, United States   4. GAGE, Clarissa,   b. 1866, Douglas, Colorado, United States ,   d. 4 Feb 1881, Helena, Lewis and Clark, Montana, United States  (Age 15 years)   5. GAGE, Edna,   b. 1869, Douglas, Colorado, United States ,   d. 1882, Billings, Yellowstone, Montana, United States  (Age 13 years)   6. GAGE, Horatio Nelson Jr.,   b. 1870, Douglas, Colorado, United States ,   d. 1891  (Age 21 years)   7. GAGE, John,   b. 1874, Douglas, Colorado, United States ,   d. 1892, Big Timber, Sweet Grass, Montana, United States  (Age 18 years)   8. GAGE, Montgomery,   b. 1876,   d. 1876  (Age 0 years)
  Last Modified	17 Jan 2021
  Family ID	F1574	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  Horatio_Nelson_Gage.jpg

  
  

• Sources

  [S1054] Al Rich / Ancestry.com.