The Gage Family of Jackson County, Minnesota

CHARLES M. GAGE (1885). deceased, the oldest son of Solomon Gage, was born on his father's farm in Kane county. Illinois, on the 25th day of December, in the year 18t)2. He attended a country school that was located near his home and finished his education at a seminary at Elgin, Illinois.

He was a very industrious and model young man and the old farm remained his home until 1885, when be married Eslella MiCl.land and moved to Jackson county, Minnesota, where he purchased the south half of section 31 in the township of Belmont and developed it into one of the best stock farms in the covinfy. While living in Belmont township he served several terms as chairman of the town board and clerk of his school district.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ERNEST A. GAGE (1884), ex-president of the First National Bank of Lakefield, is engaged in the insurance business in that village. He is the son of the late Solomon and Marion (King) Gage and descends from colonial stock, one distinguished member of the family being Lyman J. Gage, former secretary of the Uruted States treasury.

Our subject's grandfather, Solomon Gage, Sr., was born in New Hampshire in 1788 and immigrated to Kane county, Illinois, in 1846. Our subject's father, Solomon Gage, Jr., was born in Arcade, New York, June 15, 1827, and accompanied his father to Rutland township, Kane county, in 1846. There he grew to manhood, bought property and spent practically all the rest of his life. In the fifties he made two trips overland to California, driving ox teams. From the first trip he returned in 1852 by way of Cape Horn; the second return trip was made by way of the Isthmus of Panama. He came to Jackson county in 1884, bought a section of land in Belmont and Hunter townships, but did not make his home here. Solomon Gage was married three times. His first wife, Susan Hogeboom, died in California March 15, 1857. His second wife and the mother of our subject was Mary E. King, whom he married July 1, 1858. She was born in New Haven, Connecticut, October 4, 1840, and died January 4, 1871. She was the daughter of Madison King and was of English descent. Nine children were born to them, of whom the subject of this biography and John G. Gage, of Lakefield, are the only surviving ones. Solomon Gage was married the third time in 1872 to Mrs. Sylvia Brisbin, a native of Canada. Mr. Gage died in Kane county, Illinois, November 7, 1886.

Ernest A. Gage was born in Rutland township, Kane county, Illinois, February 1, 1866, and grew to young manhood there, attending the district schools and working on his fathers farm. His education was completed with one term in the preparatory department of Beloit college in 1888. As before mentioned, the elder Gage came to Jackson county in 1884 and purchased land. One of these tracts was the south half of section 31, Belmont township, and upon that farm our subject located in January, 1884. He conducted the farm two years and then returned to his old home. He bought the old homestead and engaged in farming until the year 1901. Then he sold out and again came to Jackson county. Locating in Lakefield, he engaged in the implement business four years, selling out March 6, 1905, to his brother, John G. Gage. On the first day of the year 1905 he bought out the interests of N. J. Scott in the First National Bank of Lakefield, became president of the bank, conducted it until the next year, and then sold out to J. W. Daubney. After his retirement from the bank Mr. Gage lived a retired life until January, 1908; then he opened an insurance business, in wliich he has since been engaged. He writes policies in the New York Life, the Connecticut and the Williamsburg City Insurance company.

Mr. Gage owns a half interest in the implement buildings occupied by his brother and has his own home in the village. He takes an active interest in lodge matters and holds membership in many worthy orders. Of the Masonic orders he is a charter member of Lakefield Lodge No. 250, A. F. & A. M., and was master in 1905; he is a charter member of lodge No. 73, R. A. M., of Jackson; of the Fairmont Commandry No. 27; and of Osman Temple of St. Paul. He holds membership in the Lakefield lodge No. 178 I. O. O. F.; in the Lakefield chapter No. 185, O. E. S., and in the Knights of the Globe at Hampshire, Illinois.

Mr. Gage was married March 31, 1890, to Emma C. Hemrick, a native of Kane county, Illinois, and a daughter of Philip H. and Caroline M. (Maupton) Hemrick, both born in Kane county, Hlinois. The former was born September 25, 1848, and now resides in Flagler, Colorado; the latter was born July 3*2, 1850, and died January 8, 1898.

fury. He devotes his time principally to the management of his farms and city property, but is also engaged in buying and shipping furs. He owns 148 acres of land in section 3, Hunter township, a half section in Ransom county, North Dakota, a drug store building in Lakefield, a residence and other property in that village.

L. J. Britsch was born May 26, 1858, in Niles, Trumbull county, Ohio, the son of Christian and Catherine (Schofer) Britsch. His father was born in Bretten Bathen, Germany, and his mother at Hessen, in the same country. They came to America when young and were married in Ohio. For many years the family lived at Niles, where Mr. Britsch was engaged as a puddler In the iron mills. Later he engaged in farming \a Winneshiek county, Iowa, and later still farmer near Spirit Lake, Iowa, where he died October 23, 1886, aged 56 years. Mrs. Britsch is 77 years of age and resides in Lakefield. Louis is one of a family of ten children, of whom seven are living.

Louis Britsch resided with his parents in Niles, Ohio, until six years old, and then accompanied them to Winneshiek county, Iowa. It was seven years later when the family moved to Spirit Lake. Louis was educated in the district schools, and after securing his education learned the harnessmaker's trade at Spencer, Iowa. Later he worked at his trade in Chicago, Youngstown, Ohio, New Castle, Pennsylvania, and at Spirit Lake. He located in Lakefield in 1885 and opened a harness shop, which he conducted nine years. Selling out then he has since devoted his time as mentioned above.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JOHN G. GAGE (1905), dealer in implements and heavy hardware in the village of Lakefield, is a native of Kane county, Hlinois, where he was born February 2fi, 1870. His parents were Solomon and Marion (King) Gage, descendants of colonial stock, and natives of New York and Connecticut, respectively. His father was born June 15, 1827, and died November 7, 1886. His mother was born October 4, 1840, and died January 4, 1871.

Our subject's younger days were spent on his father's farm in Kane county, Illinois, where he received his primary education in the district schools. At the age of seventeen he became a student at the Elgin academy, Elgin, Illinois, and later was a student at Drew's Business college of Elgin and the Parker college of Winnebago City, Minnesota. In 1890 he took up the study of pharmacy in the Northwestern School of Pharmacy, of Chicago. Later he entered the Chicago College of Pharmacy, from which he was graduated in 1893. From the date of his graduation until 1897 Mr. Gage was employed as a pharmacist in Chicago. He then embarked in the drug business at Hamshire, Illinois. Selling out two years later, he moved to Chicago and worked as a pharmacist and prescription clerk until 1901. That year he was appointed an instructor of dispensing in the Northwestern Medical school. Iater he became a salesman and prescription clerk, and was so employed until 1905.

When a boy fifteen years of age, Mr. Gage first came to Jackson county and resided for a period of six months on his father's farm four miles east of Lakefield. In 1905, on account of ill health, he was obliged to give up his profession, and then it was he came to Jackson county to reside permanently. He located in Lakefield and entered into the implement and heavy hardware business in partnership with his brother, C. M. Gage, and Lakefield has since been his home. Mr. Gage owns the southeast quarter of section 1, Hunter township, and residence property in Lakefield. He is a member of the Methodist church and a prominent lodge man, holding* membership in the A. F. & A. M., at Lakefield, Chapter, at Jackson, Commandery, at Fairmont, Osman Temple, at St. Paul, Eastern Star and Odd Fellows, at Lakefield.

Mr. Gage was married in Chicago September 8, 1898, to Clara T. Burke, who was born In Nevada county, Ohio, November 8, 1873. She is the daughter of CJharles W. Burke, who died in Chicago in December, 1908, and Henrietta Burke, who now resides in Chicago. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gage, Bemice Marie Gage, born November 27, 1899.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

THEODORE E. GAGE (1884), one of the members of the firm of Gage Brothers, dealers in implements at Lakefield, has resided in Jackson county all his life. He is the son of the late Charles M. and Estella (McClellan) Gage.

Charles Gage, the father, was born in Elgin, Kane county, Illinois, in 1863, and he lived on his father's farm near that city until 1884. He then married and moved to Jackson county. He bought a farm in Belmont township, upon which he lived until 1897. He then moved to Lakefield and engaged in the implement business with John Frederickson. One year later Mr. Frederickson sold to E. A. Gage and the firm became Gage Brothers, which it still continues to be, although there have been changes in the ownership since the firm was named. In 1905 E. A. Gage sold his interests to his brother, John Gage. Charles Gage continued in the business until his death, which occurred July 19, 1908. Charles M. Gage was the father of five children, as follows: Theodore E., Florence M., Bertie M., Harold and Sylvia S.

Theodore E. Gage, the eldest of these children and the subject of this biography, was born on the farm in Belmont township November 3, 1884. He received his primary education in the district schools of Belmont township and then attended the graded and high schools of Lakefield, having been graduated from the latter institution in 1902. He completed his education in Hamline university. In the spring of 1905 Mr. Gage took a position as bookkeeper in the Jackson County State Bank, and in 1907 became assistant cashier. He held that position until his father's death in 1908, when he took his father's interest in the implement business, and he has since been an active member of the firm.

Mr. Gage was married in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, June 17, 1908, to Grace Belle Adair, who was born in Minneapolis May 20, 1884, and who is the daughter of F. D. Adair, a former merchant of Lakefield. They are the parents of a son, Charles Adair, bom April 6, 1909. Mr. and Mrs.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.