Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-12-09
EARLY RIVER PIONEER
Acquaintance of Dan1 Caoen
Recalls Events AS Narrated
By Him Of the Early Days.

leSeHl ISSUE u the -NOS1nee LINES
and relates to early history in
this section, Daniel Gagen being
the subject of the narration:
There are many in this imme.
date vicinity who will readily
recognize and associate the name
of Daniel Gagen with nearly all
of the principle events in the
early history of the upper Wis
consin river valley. Perhaps
none of those early day charac-
tiers are more widely known than
Mr.. Gagen. An Englishman bv
birth ard a sailor by occupation,
he drifted into Ontonagon, Mich,
then a port of the Hudson Bav
company, some time about the
year 1850. There he met some
voyageurs who had recently ar
rived from the Mississippi valley
and their description of that
country SO interested Gagen that
he determined to give up sailing
and visit thatregion. He started
over the old government mail
trail from Ontonagon. with St.
Louis as his objective point. At
what is since known as the Eagle
waters he met q man by thename
of Poler. living with the Indians,
with whom he stopped for a few
days. A war m friendship sprung
up between these two characters
that existed as long as they lived.
Gagen embarked with Poler in
the fur trade and followed this
line for several years. Later he
entered the employment Of the
government as mail carrier from
Halls place north to Ontonagon.
1t was while thus employed he
took an Indian wife. He soon
decided that there was more
money in trading with Indians,
and establishing his headquarters
on Birch lake, about a mile west
of what was known as Halls
place on Eagle lake. and which
was later the location of the
famous wildcat bank of Nemicon
he entered into this business. He
soon built up a lucrative trade in
bartering with the Indians for
their iurs. which he run down
the river and disposed OF.
With the invasion OF the lum-
berlnen the fur business lost its
prestige, and after following lum-
bering for few years he moved
over on Pine lake in Forest
county, where he ran sort OF
road house and tavern during
the time that traffic to the north
was over the old military road.
OF late years he has resided at
Three Lakes, where he has lived
with his Indian wife valued
citizen for the past fifteen years
Mr. Gagen was peculfarnan.
His long residence with the In
dians had instilled in him much
of their stoicism and retlcence,
and it was only after a long &C.
quaintance that he would ever
mention incidents in his early
life in Wisconsin. He was one OF.
the very first white men to pene-
trate into the northern woods OF
the Wisconse valley and OF all the
men who amassed a fortune IN
that region he had the best
chance of them all, but did not
take advantageof it. Heseemed
content with enough to supply
his and his fanily's needs and
they were the one cherished ideal
Of his life. He wanted to see ms
bows make a mark in the world.
He was proud of them; proud OF
the Indian blood in their VEINS.
His Youngest son, James is an
attorney living at Amigo, and
has been very successful in his
practice
The scenes OF Mr.. Gagen oper-
atoms on Birch lake were ABOUT :
a mile northeast of the village OF
Eagle River. Here he had gotten
together quite a settlement OF
Indians. Later on several wnits
men Joined the settlement ana
this place was the objective point
of ali who entered the WOODS
north of Pelican Rapids tnow
Rhinelaader. This place mas
long been known by the name OF
Gagen hill.
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