author

William C. Gage

A 19th-century travel writer with a knack for practical detail, he guided readers to Niagara Falls, the White Mountains, the St. Lawrence, and other popular eastern destinations. His books capture an era when rail travel and summer excursions were opening new corners of North America to curious tourists.

1 Audiobook

"Chicago to the Sea." Eastern Excursionist A complete guide to the principal eastern summer resorts, including: Niagara Falls, the White Mountains, Saint Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers, Montreal and Quebec, the New England sea beaches, etc., and how and when to enjoy them.

"Chicago to the Sea." Eastern Excursionist A complete guide to the principal eastern summer resorts, including: Niagara Falls, the White Mountains, Saint Lawrence and Saguenay Rivers, Montreal and Quebec, the New England sea beaches, etc., and how and when to enjoy them.

by William C. Gage

About the author

William C. Gage was an American author best known for travel guidebooks in the late 1800s. Surviving bibliographic records credit him with works including The Switzerland of America, a guide to New Hampshire, and Chicago to the Sea, a handbook to eastern summer resorts that covered places such as Niagara Falls, the White Mountains, Montreal, Quebec, and the New England coast.

His writing appears to have blended description with practical advice, aiming to help ordinary travelers plan routes and make the most of popular vacation destinations. That makes his work a useful window into the growth of leisure travel in the 19th century, especially in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada.

Some historical sources identify him as Captain William C. Gage and give his lifespan as 1813–1878. Because easily confirmed biographical details are limited, he is remembered today mainly through the guidebooks that preserve his view of travel in that period.