Page 1244. John Gage, farmer, Watopa, is one of those men who were born to lead. His paternal grandparents were Benjamin Gage and Susannah Johnson, of old New England families. His father was christened James Shepard, and married Nancy Currier, of similar lineage. While the latter couple was living at Enfield, New Hampshire, on February 10, 1825, John Gage was born to them. They subsequently removed to Waterloo, New York, where James Gage
Page 1245. still lives, aged eighty-six years. The latter was a farmer, and also a heavy railroad contractor. Finding that his son – the subject of this paragraph – had no taste for school, he placed him at the early age of twelve years in charge of a gang of ten men on railroad construction. He was found equal to this task, and became his father’s most valuable assistant. After attaining his majority young Gage went into the Alleghany mountains, and spent six years in lumbering operations. Here his all was swept away by fire, and he decided to go west. In the summer of 1855 he came to Minnesota, and located in the fall of that year on the site of his present home in the beautiful Whitewater River valley, on section 36, Watopa. Since his residence here he has carried through some heavy railroad work. One piece, a short distance above La Crosse, contains some of the most difficult work expended in the construction of the Chicago & St. Paul railroad. Another severe piece of work carried through by Mr. Gage on this line is a short distance below Lake City. When the narrow-gauge railway, following the Zumbro valley, was built in 1877-8, Mr. Gage fulfilled some large contracts in its construction, and suffered heavy losses thereby.
He has about one thousand acres lying along the Whitewater river, and is now giving his attention to farming and stock-raising. In 1883 he produced three thousand bushels of wheat and four hundred tons of hay. In 1873 he manufactured brick for the construction of his elegant residence, and next year erected it, personally supervising the laying of every brick. It has hollow brick walls, including the partitions, from cellar floor to garret. Every room, from cellar to garret, has communication with a chimney. In completing the cellar floor thirty barrels of cement were used, with two feet in depth of cobblestones. The walls of the cellars are lined with brick, and the whole edifice contains one hundred and thirty-two thousand five hundred of these cubes. They are of superior quality, and the massive walls of the mansion present a fine appearance. Mr. Gage has been active in political affairs, and his power is still strongly felt among his fellow-citizens, although approaching age has compelled him to retire. In the fall of 1869 he was elected by the republicans to the state legislature, and served with dignity and discretion through the following winter session. In the spring of 1860 a malicious charge of theft was brought against him by enemies, but his vindication on trial was complete. While his case was pending the spring election came on, and he was elected justice of the peace by thirty-four out of
Page 1246. forty-four votes. The case was therefore taken to Minneiska for trial, with the result above noted. Mr. Gage has been several times chosen a member of the town board of supervisors, and has served in various town offices. In religious matters his sympathies are with Universalism. On November 5, 1846, he was wedded to Miss Eleanor Probasco, who is still his intelligent helpmeet and advisor. Mrs. Gage was born January 15, 1826, in Sanderston, New Jersey. Her parents, Joseph and Maria (Quick) Probasco, were also natives of that state. Three sons, Warren Claude, Wells Eugene and Albert Guy, the youngest of the family, still dwell with their parents; Eleanor Amanda, the eldest, now Mrs. John Mannings, lives in Chicago; Edward is in Fargo, and Charles A. and Hattie Maria (Mrs. Frank Towne) are in Elsbury, Dakota. (History of Wabasha County, Together with Biographical Matter, Statistics, Etc., H. H. Hill & Company, Publishers, Chicago, 1884)