Biographical Sketch of

Myron Gage

Transcribed by Barbara Voss for the Marquette Co WI Pages



Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Green Lake, Marquette and Waushara Counties, Wisconsin, 
published 1890 by Acme Publishing Co., Chicago, Pages 706 - 707

Myron Gage is one of the well known citizens of Marquette County and owns and conducts the livery stable of Montello. 
He is also mail contractor, a business in which he has had extensive experience. His first mail route was between 
Montello and Portage, and in connection with that line of business he owns the steamer �Hunter�, which transports 
passengers and mail between Montello and Packwaukee.

Mr. Gage is a native of Crawford County, Pa., having been born in the town of Harrisburg, August 7, 1838. His father 
Stephen P. Gage, accompanied by his family, emigrated from the Keystone State to Wisconsin in November 1844, settling 
in what was then Hanchettville (now Marshall), Dane County. Four years were there spent, and he then removed to Beaver 
Dam, Dodge County, where he engaged in keeping hotel for about two years. His next place of residence was in the town 
of Scott, Columbia County. Were for a number of years he again operated a hotel, which was familiarly known as the 
�Blue Tavern�. At length the LaCrosse line of railroad was constructed and in consequence Mr. Gage�s business declined 
as the travel was taken from that road. So he returned to his farm in Dane County and devoted his time and attention 
to its cultivation for several years when he sold out. He had owned an interest in the city hotel at Portage for some 
time, and becoming sole proprietor he returned to the hotel business, which he carried on until his death in August 
1876. His wife still survives him and is living in Portage at the ripe old age of seventy-eight years. Stephen Gage 
was an enterprising and respected citizen, and made friends wherever he went. He was sixty six years of age at the 
time of his decease. The children of the family are Wheeler, Myron, Richard, William, Julia, Peter, Oliver, Lavina 
and Stephen, and with the exception of Julia all are yet living.

The subject of this sketch grew to manhood upon his father�s farm, remaining under the parental roof until twenty 
three years of age. He was but six years old at the time of the emigration of the family to Wisconsin, and has 
witnessed much of the growth and progress of the State. The work of development had been carried forward to such a 
limited degree that it was hardly transformed from its primitive condition. The journey from Pennsylvania was made 
in wagons and consumed about three weeks. The party passed through Chicago, then but a town of about 4,000 inhabitants, 
giving little or no promise of its present greatness. Mr. Gage remained at home assisting in the arduous task of 
developing the wild lands until after attaining his majority, when he engaged in farming for himself in the town of 
Leeds for a number of years. When his father became owner of a hotel in Portage he became associated with him, but in 
connection with that business engaged in staging and mail contracting for many years. His first contract of that 
character was to deliver mail between Portage and Lodi in the year 1864. But after operating that route for three 
years he sold out to his brother William and engaged with John Gates a liveryman of Portage, with who he remained for 
about three years, when he took the contract of the mail route between Montello and Portage. He made the round trip 
between those two places daily, Sunday excepted, for three years or until the extension of the railroad to Packwaukee, 
since which time the route extends only from that place to Montello. He has also had charge of the mail between Montello 
and Preston and Pardeeville for a number of years.

Mr. Gage was twice married, his first union being with Miss Sarah Ann Lang a native of Canada who removed to Columbia 
County, Wis., with her parents when a child. Unto them was born one child, a son Frank, born in the town of Scott, 
Columbia County, in April 1863. His present wife was formerly Miss Ellen Powderly, and a daughter graces their union, 
Mary, who was born in Montello.

Mr. Gage is the owner of the only livery stable in Montello. He is fair and honorable in all his business dealings and 
has made many warm friends in the county, by all of whom he is held in high regard.






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