Alvarus Gage House
CITY:
Somonauk
COUNTY:
DeKalb
DEDICATED BY:
The DeKalb County Historical Association and the Illinois State Historical Society
DEDICATION DATE:
October 17, 2020 at 12:00:00 AM
The marker is located near the intersection of 100 Sycamore Street and Rt. 34 in Somonauk.
Alvarus Gage came to the frontier of Illinois with his twin brother Almon Gage in 1843 and built this house soon after. The two entrepreneurs intended to buy homestead land at $1.25 per acre and sell the lots to attract the construction of a railroad and town. Alvarus Gage amassed 240 acres for this plan 10 years before the railroad started to build in 1853. He then negotiated a deal with the new CB&Q railroad to build rails, a depot, and a granary. His foresight, success as a farmer, land manager, and Justice of the Peace earned him the title of “Founder of Somonauk.”