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GAGE, Cranmore Wallace - 1890 Bio (1828-1927)

GAGE, WALLACE, BLACK, GLASGOW

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 8/6/2007 at 21:53:36

Portrait and Biographical Album of Jefferson and Van Buren Counties, Iowa, Printed 1890 by Lake City Publishing Co., Chicago
Pages 346-347

Cranmore W. GAGE, the oldest early settler of Fairfield now living, is a native of the Green Mountain State. He was born in Hartford, Vt., on the 29th of May, 1828, and is a son of Ebenezer S. and Electa (WALLACE) GAGE. His father was born May 5, 1803, in Bangor, Me., and when six years of age went to live with an uncle, his father having been drowned. In early life he went to Vermont and learned the shoe maker's trade, which he there followed for five years and afterwards engaged in the same line of business in Acworth, N. H. On the 30th of May, 1827, he married Miss WALLACE, who was born in New Hampshire, February 2, 1807. In 1838, they removed to Alton, Ill., where for a short time Mr. GAGE was engaged as a superintendent in purchasing supplies for a seminary near that place, but in December, 1839, he brought a stock of dry goods to Fairfield and began operations merchandizing in this city. The following year, while on his way to St. Louis to buy goods, he was robbed of $600 which crippled him in business and he turned his attention to other interests, purchasing a claim of one hundred and sixty acres on which his son now lives and thirty of which is now included within the city limits. He was a man of good education and did much toward the settling up of the State. He served as Deputy County Treasurer of Jefferson County and from 1844 until 1848 was Postmaster of Fairfield. In political sentiment he was a supporter of the Democratic party and socially was a member of the Masonic fraternity. He took a deep interest in all public enterprises, gave liberally toward the support of such interests as he believed would benefit the community, and was regarded by all as a worthy citizen. Both he and his wife were members of the Congregational Church. His death occurred May 29, 1859, and his wife still survives him and yet enjoys a tolerable degree of health. There were only two children of the family -- Theodore S. who was born in Fairfield, August 30, 1844, and Cranmore W.

Since eleven years of age our subject has been a resident of Jefferson County, and when a lad of fourteen years he took charge of the farm which his father had entered and which he has operated continuously since. At the age of sixteen, in company with others, he took a number of horses to Des Moines and sold them to the Indians. The now beautiful capital city was then a mere collection of soldier's cabins and gave no promise of becoming of much importance. Mr. GAGE is accounted a first class farmer and stock-raiser as can be seen from a glance as his place. Everything is in excellent order and the entire surroundings indicate thrift and enterprise. In his business he is associated with his brother and together they own one hundred and fifteen acres of highly improved land which is well stocked and furnished with every thing necessary to a model farm.

In Jefferson County, Mr. GAGE was joined in wedlock with Sarah J. BLACK, the marriage ceremony being performed on the 12th of September, 1855. The lady was born in Adams County, Ohio, November 6, 1828, and is a daughter of Moses and Nancy (GLASGOW) BLACK, who were also natives of Adams County, and of the old Covenanter stock. In 1841, they removed to Brown County, Ill., and in 1844 to Jefferson County, Iowa, locating in Des Moines Township. Mr. BLACK was the first County Judge of this county and in politics he was first a Whig, afterwards an Abolitionist and later a Republican. He died in 1867, at the age of sixty-six years, and his wife, who was born in 1809, died in 1883. Both were members of the Presbyterian Church and lived consistent Christian lives. In their family were six children, three sons and three daughters, of whom Mrs. GAGE is the eldest. Mr. and Mrs. GAGE are the parents of four children -- Frank S., who is employed as station agent at Beard, Tex.; Edward M., a lumber dealer of Chicago; Fred W., a lumber dealer of Hiawatha, Kan.; and Charles H., who is engaged in the dairy business in Fairfield.

Both Mr. GAGE and his wife are members of the Congregational Church and in the social world are held in high regard. He has served as Marshal, Vice President and is now President of the Old Settlers Association. His residence in this county covers more than half a century and embraces seven years of territorial rule as well as the entire State government. He has seen the county transformed from a vast and unbroken prairie, inhabited mostly by red men, into homes of civilized people, whose farms are equal in fertility and improvement to any and whose towns are characterized by an energy and enterprise unknown to the older cities of the East. Mr. GAGE has shared in the hardships and trials of pioneer life, but time and industry have overcome those difficulties and he now ranks among the substantial citizens of the community. In the early days they had to live principally upon corn bread and wild game which was then plentiful, and had to go thirty miles to mill.

In political sentiment Mr. GAGE is a Republican, and though he has always felt a lively interest in the success of that party he has never aspired to any public office. In agriculture he has always taken a deep interest and served for four years as a director of the County Agricultural Association, and for three years was superintendent of the grounds when important improvements were made.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.


 

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