William C. Gage

William C. Gage is a little-known American travel writer whose work survives mainly through "Chicago to the Sea" (1883), a guide for travelers heading from Chicago to eastern vacation destinations such as Niagara Falls, the White Mountains, the St. Lawrence region, Montreal, Quebec, and New England seaside resorts.

The book itself presents him as the author of several other travel and etiquette-related works, including "The Switzerland of America," "Hand-Book of Travel," "Pleasure Resorts of the Great Northwest," and "Good Behavior at Home and Abroad." That suggests he wrote for readers who wanted practical guidance as travel became more common and more organized in the late 1800s.

Reliable biographical details about his personal life are hard to confirm, so it is safest to remember him through his writing: clear, serviceable, and aimed at helping ordinary travelers make the most of their trip. For modern readers, his work doubles as both a guidebook and a time capsule from an era of expanding rail travel and summer tourism.