David Aaron Gage

GAGE, DAVID (1796–1854). David Gage, early settler and legislator, was born in Kentucky (or White County, TN according to enlistment records for War of 1812) in 1796. He moved to Texas from Alabama in 1839 and, on May 21, purchased a fourth of the Leonard Williams league; he settled in the Williams Settlement in southern Rusk County, near Mount Enterprise. A few months later he organized and was made captain of a company of minutemen for protection against the Indians. He served with the company during 1840 and 1841. Gage was elected representative to the Eighth and Ninth congresses of the republic, December 4, 1843, to June 28, 1845, and in 1845 was elected senator for the Fourth District and delegate to the Convention of 1845. After annexation he served three terms in the Texas legislature. He died at his home near Mount Enterprise in 1854.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF DAVID GAGE' The homesite of David Gage is located in the southern part of Rusk County, in the John Rutland survey, approximately five miles north of Mt. Enterprise and approximately two miles southwest of the community of Minden. This location is just north of what is now the ASH Griffin farm. His homesite is described by the Handbook of Texas as being one-fourth of the Leonard Williams league in Southern Rusk County, near Mt. Enterprise, Texas.

He was granted a 3rd class certificate for 320 acres of land as an immigrant after October 1, 1837, and prior to January 1, 1842. The Certificate is dated December 31, 1839.

At the time of his death he owned approximately 12,000 acres of land in the southern part of Rusk County.

He immigrated to Texas in May 1839, from Arkansas. The Handbook of Texas states (in error) he came to Texas from Alabama.

He was a veteran of the War of 1812. He enlisted 10 July, 1814, and was discharged 9 July, 1819, at Ft. Scott, Ga. He was a corporal in Capt. Thomas Blackstone's Company, Seventh Regiment of Infantry.

From 1840-1841, David Gage served as Captain of a company of minute men in Rusk County. These minute men were organized for protection against the Indians.

He was elected Representative to the Eight and Ninth Congresses of the Republic of Texas December 4, 1843, to June 28, 1845. In 1845, he was also elected a delegate to the Annexation convention. He was a signer of The Joint Resolution for annexing the Republic of Texas to the United States. He was also a signer of the Constitution of the State of Texas adopted in convention at the City of Austin, August 27, 1845. After Annexation, he was elected to serve three terms in the State Legislature: the 2nd, 1847-48; the 3rd, 1848-1850; and the 5th, 1853-54. His name appears along with the other sixty signers of the Resolution and Constitution on the west wall of The Memorial Museum, Univ. of Texas Campus, Austin, Texas.

On February 5, 1847, a Post Office was established at Gage's with David Gage appointed Post Master. It was discontinued on October 21, 1847. (See letter, Gen. Service Administration, dated May 14, 1962.)

David Gage married Elizabeth Austin in Madison County, Alabama, February 28, 1820. He had one known child, William Patterson Gage, born 1821. (1860 Census, Rusk County gave his age as 39.) Record is lacking of dissolution of this union by death or otherwise.

The next record we have of David Gage is in Cherokee Country in Northeastern Alabama, where he was elected Constable of Turkey Town, St. Clair County, on January 13, 1833. He was one of seven captains presiding over the St. Clair County Beats, his beat being Turkey Town.

David Gage's second wife was Lucy Fish, a full-blooded Cherokee Indian. Their marriage was about 1832 or 1833, as Rusk County 1850 Census shows the age of their oldest child, Mary Ann, as being 16. Their second child, Eliza Jane, age 12, (married James A. Bane, Laneville) was shown as being born in Arkansas. David Gage had five farms in DeKalb County, Alabama. I have a list of property for which the U.S. paid him when the Indians were removed from Alabama to Indian Territory, Oklahoma. He lived on Little Wills Creek, DeKalb County, Alabama. This inventory was dated September 29, 1836, and valued at $3,843.54.

David Gage died April 26, 1854 at his home near Minden, Texas. His place of burial is on the west side of Highway #259, on the first little hill across the stream, south of the farm of the late W.G. Hodges. The burial place is located on the farm known in the 1920's as the Bill Shadden farm.

(The following record furnished by Thomas Clyde Gage, prepared by Carey O'Lee Brazil, Alvin, TX. who did considerable research on the Gage family.) According to the 'Handbook of Texas' David Gage of Rusk County, Texas was born in Ky. In 1796. Thomas Clyde Gage stated that David's War of 1812 record shows he was born in White County, TN. David had considerable property in Wills Valley, Alabama (extreme northeast corner). He was paid for this land by the United States Government when the Indians were removed in 1836-1838. He came to Texas from Alabama in 1839 and on May 21, 1839 bought one quarter of the Leonard Williams league and settled in Williams settlement, in southern Rusk County, near Mount Enterprise. A few months later, he organized a company of Minute Men for protection against the Indians. He served with the company during 1840-1841. He was elected representative to the 8th and 9th congresses of the Republic of Texas Dec 4, 1843, June 28, 1845, and in 1845 was elected senator of the 4th district and delegate to the convention of 1845. After the annexation of Texas, he served three terms in the Texas Legislature 1847, 1848, 1849, and 1850, and 1853, and 1854. He died at his home near Mount Enterprise.

(The following from The North Carolina Gage family by John A. Gage, pub 2001) David Gage, the oldest of the Rutherford County, NC Gage sons, is more likely to be the father of David Gage of Rusk County, Texas. David did not appear in the 1800 census of Rutherford County, and it is believed he went to Alabama. David Gage of Rusk County, Texas owned land in Alabama, and had a brother Samuel Patterson Gage born 1801 in Tennessee. Samuel Patterson Gage had a son Columbus who had a son Edward Paterson Gage. Now refer to Aaron Paterson Gage, son of Samuel Gage, who was the son of Aaron D. Gage. Aaron and David were brothers. Aaron Paterson Gage also had a grandson named Columbus. Although there is no documentation to prove this theory the common names appearing throughout this family seem more than coincidence. In view of these facts the record of David Gage (of Rusk County, Texas) will be included in the North Carolina Gage family with these explanations.

(The following from The New Handbook of Texas Online) GAGE, DAVID (1796-1854). David Gage, early settler and legislator, was born in Kentucky in 1796. He moved to Texas from Alabama in 1839 and, on May 21, purchased a fourth of the Leonard Williams league; he settled in the Williams Settlement in southern Rusk County, near Mount Enterprise. A few months later he organized and was made captain of a company of minutemen for protection against the Indians. He served with the company during 1840 and 1841. Gage was elected representative to the Eighth and Ninth congresses of the republic, December 4, 1843, to June 28, 1845, and in 1845 was elected senator for the Fourth District and delegate to the Convention of 1845. After annexation he served three terms in the Texas legislature. He died at his home near Mount Enterprise in 1854.

(from Rusk County History, Texas 1982) Among the first families of Rusk County was that of David Gage. He emigrated to Texas in 1839, by way of Arkansas. David Gage was born in Kentucky in 1796 according to the Handbook of Texas, and the 1850 Rusk County, Texas census. He died April 25, 1854 in Rusk County. David Gage was a veteran of the War of 1812. He enlisted July 10, 1814, and was discharged at Fort Scott, Georgia. He was a corporal in Captain Thomas Blackstone's Company, Seventh Regiment of Infantry. His enlistment shows his birthplace as White County, Tennessee. After coming to Texas, David Gage served in Captain Alexander Jordan's Company of Mounted Rangers, as quartermaster, from June 21, 1839 to August 5, 1839. Then from 1840-41, he served as Captain of a company of Minute Men in Rusk County (then Nacagdoches County). He was elected Representative to the Eighth and Ninth Congresses of the Republic of Texas, December 4, 1843 to June 28, 1845. In 1845, he was also elected a delegate to the Annexation Convention. He was a signer of the Joint Resolution for annexing the Republic of Texas to the United States. He was also a signer of the Constitution of the State of Texas adopted in convention at the city of Austin, August 27, 1845. After annexation, he was elected to serve three terms in the State Legislature; the second, 1847-48; the third 1849-50; and the fifth, 1853-54. Hi name appears along with the other sixty signers of the Resolution and Constitution, on the west wall of the Memorial Museum, University of Texas Campus, Austin, Texas. On February 5, 1847, a post office was established at Gage's, with David Gage as Post Master. It was discontinued on October 21, 1847. This was located at his home between Minden and Mount Enterprise. The present site of the Church of Christ, 402 South Main, Henderson, Texas was once the home site of David Gage and family. He had bought one of the original city lots in 1844. The house was built in 1845. The very thick log building was later boarded over.

David Aaron Gage, veteran, early Texas settler, and legislator, was born to Daniel Gage and Abigail Burleson in Warren County, Kentucky, on August 2, 1796. The Gage family relocated to White County, Tennessee, by 1800. During the War of 1812 he enlisted as a private in Capt. L. Bradford’s Company of the Twenty-Fourth United States Infantry on July 10, 1814. His regiment consolidated into the Seventh United States Infantry and he was promoted to corporal in Capt. Thomas Blackstone’s Company before being discharged on July 9, 1819, at Fort Scott in Decatur County, Georgia.

He married Elizabeth Austin in Madison County, Alabama, on February 28, 1820, and the family expanded to include one son. The cause of the dissolution of his first marriage is unknown, but he married Lucy Fish in Alabama by 1833.

Gage was elected constable of Turkey Town in St. Clair County, Alabama, on January 13, 1833. Gage owned five farms in DeKalb County, Alabama, and lived on property along Little Wills Creek. On September 29, 1836, the United States paid Gage $3,843.54 for land in northeast Alabama as a result of relocating Native Americans to Indian Territory, Oklahoma. The family relocated to Arkansas, where a second daughter was born in 1838.

Gage moved to Texas in 1839, where the family expanded to include two more daughters and three more sons. On May 21, 1839, he purchased a fourth of the Leonard Williams league and settled in the Williams Settlement in southern Rusk County, near Mount Enterprise. A few months later he organized and was made captain of a company of minutemen for protection against the Indians. He served with the company during 1840 and 1841. Gage was elected representative to the Eighth and Ninth congresses of the republic, December 4, 1843, to June 28, 1845, and in 1845 was elected senator for the Fourth District and delegate to the Convention of 1845. He was among sixty-one men who signed the Ordinance of Annexation approved by the Texas Convention on July 4, 1845. Gage operated a post office at an establishment known as “Gage’s” near Mount Enterprise and was appointed postmaster on February 5, 1847, but later sold the property to Charles and Edward Vinzent. After annexation he served three terms in the Texas legislature. He died on April 26, 1854, at his home near Minden and was buried at the Gage Family Cemetery.