Gage, Horatio Nelson

Birth Name Gage, Horatio Nelson
Call Name Nelson
Gender male
Age at Death 54 years, 16 days

Narrative

[viea.ged]
[Rayburn, Duran.GED]
Raised horses for the Civil War in Colorado. Left for Montana in 1875, during the Indian uprising. They thought too many white men were taking over the land. History of Montana says they arrived in Yellowstone Country near Fort Ellis in 1874. The family says 1876. They had stopped off in Wyoming or Idaho for the birth of Monte and had to wait for another wagon train going to Montana.
He built a cabin to live in, and because of the Indians they had to build a "fort" which the family went to when the Indians came around. They put the cattle in too because the Indians stole them otherwise. The stage coach stopped there for fresh horses, and a meal which Eliza prepared. The Pony Express also stopped there. It was a going concern when John B Morris came by - he knew a good thing when he saw it!
According to the obit, it says was 50 miles from the nearest Post Office, 10 miles to a white neighbor, and 550 miles to the nearest RR station, the only mark of civilization being the U.S. Government postage line which passed their ranch twice a day, carrying supplies to the Gov Soldiers who were holding the hostile Indians at bay near this point. He died of ulceration of the lungs, being sick but a short time. He had suffered from asthma most of his life.

Good story by daughter Josephine - http://www.ourancestry.org/Horatio_Nelson_Gage.htm

Events

Event Date Place Description Sources
Birth 1824-08-24 Cambridge Springs, Crawford Co, PA   1
Death 1878-09-09 Benson’s Landing, Gallatin Co, MT   1
Burial   Duck Creek, Gage Station, Sweetgrass, MT   1

Parents

Relation to main person Name Birth date Death date Relation within this family (if not by birth)
Father Gage, Richard1786-07-231870-03-25
Mother Alford, Clarissa1791-09-081865-04-07
    Brother     Gage, Peter Alford 1808-06-14 1894-10-17
    Sister     Gage, Aurelia 1810-02-09 1874-04-17
    Brother     Gage, Cyrus P 1812-01-15 1843-04-30
    Brother     Gage, Stephen P 1813-10-17 1873-05-31
    Sister     Gage, Carolyn L 1815-12-19 1888-07-10
    Brother     Gage, Walter Roberts 1818-05-23 1869-08-19
    Brother     Gage, Oliver Alford 1819-11-01 1892-05-08
    Sister     Gage, Harriet 1821-04-06 1857-11-28
    Sister     Gage, Rebecca 1823-03-17 1828-09-05
         Gage, Horatio Nelson 1824-08-24 1878-09-09
    Sister     Gage, Julia Ann 1827-09-27 1900-01-18
    Brother     Gage, Orange Montgomery 1831-11-18 1914-10-06

Families

Family of Gage, Horatio Nelson and Blood, Eliza

Married Wife Blood, Eliza ( * 1833-12-19 + 1883 )
   
Event Date Place Description Sources
Marriage 1855 Wisconsin, USA Marriage of Gage, Horatio Nelson 1
  Narrative

Home in 1859, Capioma, Nemaha Co, KS (KS State Census as "Nelson Gage")

Provided by Al Rich:

Horatio Nelson Gage and his wife Eliza 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 Eliza 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 brother Horatio in the stomach; he died a few minutes later. Grief stricken, John died within a few months.
Eliza 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.

  Children
Name Birth Date Death Date
Gage, Stephen P18571879-07-18
Gage, Dora Mae1860-03-04
Gage, Josephine A1863
Gage, Clarissa1866
Gage, Edna1869
Gage, Horatio Nelson Jr1870
Gage, John1874
Gage, Montgomery1876

Source References

  1. viea.ged