John Burns GATES

1831 - 1905  (73 years)

• Name	John Burns GATES  [1]
  	Much that recalls times of trouble for the American Union is suggested by the life of the late John B. Gates, one of the pioneers of Skagit county and Whidby island, who died January 12, 1905, after a career full of years of activity and of good deeds. At the time of his death Mr. Gates resided on the place he had cleared of the virgin forest and that is now the home of his widow and those of his children who still surround her. Mr. Gates was a native of Missouri, born in Pike county on October 6, 1831. His father was Abel Gates, a native of Massachusetts and son of Colonel Gates of Revolutionary fame. It was in the schools of Missouri that John B. Gates gained his education, and it was there also that he imbibed the spirit of loyalty to the cause of the Southern states in their great conflict with the American Union. the year 1862 found him enlisted in the Confederate army, in which he served throughout the war, rising to a sergeancy in his company. At the close of the conflict he returned to his native state, bringing with him a bride of South Carolina, Sarah Turner, whom he had married at hamburg in the Palmetto state in the closing days of the Lost Cause. Mr. and Mrs. Gates resided in Missouri until 1871, when they came to Washington and took up a homestead near Mount Vernon, the place now sheltering Mrs. Gates and on which she has had many unusual experiences incident to pioneer life in a new country. For five years much of Mr. Gates' time was spent on Whidby island, working for others, but during that time he cleared twenty-three acres and commenced the orchard and meadow land home which was his until death. Robert Turner, the father of Mrs. Gates, was a native of Dublin, Ireland, coming to the United States with his parents when eighteen years of age. the Turners settled in Edgefield county, South Carolina, and resided there until his death. At the outbreak of the Civil war Mr. Turner cast his fortunes with those of the Confederacy and during the engagement resulting in the fall of Fort Sumter, received a wound from the effects of which he died. Mrs. Turner, the mother of Mrs. Gates, was a native of Wales, but came to South Carolina with her parents when a child. Mrs. Gates was born in South Carolina and received her education there. She was twenty-four years of age when she married. To the union ten children were born: John, Robert, Edwin, Lamora, Adaline and Dortha, all deceased; David and Henry A., at home, and two married daughters, Mrs. Mary L. Moore and Lillian M. Slosson, having homes, respectively, near Mount Vernon and on Whidby island. the family generally are Methodists, though David has embraced the Catholic faith. John B. Gates' widow is still living on the land which her husband wrested from its native state to become one of the farm homes of the Puget sound country. She vividly remembers her early days on that ground, the woods alive with wild beasts and recalls with distinctness the circumstances under which many of her domestic animals were carried off under her very eyes by the bears. She has lived to see the wilderness of trees turned into human habitations, the wild creatures disappear, and to note the work done by herself and her husband in effecting the transformation from forest to family fireside. [1]
  Birth	6 Oct 1831	Pike Co., Missouri   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Census	1870	Living in Bee Branch, Chariton Co., Missouri   [2]
  Census	1880	Living in Mt. Vernon, Whatcom Co., Washington   [3]
  Census	1885	Living in Skagit Co., Washington   [4]
  Census	1887	Living in Skagit Co., Washington   [5]
  Census	1900	Living in Mt. Vernon, Skagit Co., Washington   [6]
  Death	12 Jan 1905	Skagit County, Washington   [1]
  Burial	Mount Vernon Cemetery, Mount Vernon, Skagit Co., Washington   [7]
  Person ID	I90902	Main Tree
  Last Modified	8 Jun 2018

  
  

  Father	Abraham Abel GATES,   b. 10 Jul 1793, Gardner, Worcester Co., Massachusetts d. 2 Nov 1870, Novinger, Adair Co., Missouri (Age 77 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Mother	Mary Jane BURNS,   b. 5 Jun 1807, Ireland d. 1888, Novinger, Adair Co., Missouri (Age 80 years)
  Relationship	Birth
  Family ID	F37937	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Sarah A. TURNER,   b. 26 Nov 1838, Edgefield Co., South Carolina d. 27 Mar 1909, Mount Vernon, Skagit Co., Washington (Age 70 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1865  [6]
  Children	+ 1. Mary Louise GATES,   b. 30 Sep 1869, Missouri d. 28 Sep 1951, Sedro Woolley, Skagit Co., Washington (Age 81 years)  [Birth] + 2. Lillian May GATES,   b. Abt 1872, Washington  [Birth]   3. Narcissa L. GATES,   b. Abt 1874, Washington  [Birth]   4. David E. GATES,   b. abt. 1876, Washington d. 10 Apr 1924, Anacortes, Skagit Co., Washington (Age 48 years)  [Birth] + 5. Margaret Adelain GATES,   b. Abt 1878, Washington d. 27 Feb 1903, Skagit County, Washington (Age 25 years)  [Birth]   6. Henry Asa GATES,   b. Nov 1879, Washington d. 4 May 1919, Mount Vernon, Skagit County, Washington (Age 39 years)  [Birth]   7. Dorothy Ann Rebecca GATES,   b. Mar 1882, Washington d. 19 Feb 1892, Skagit County, Washington (Age 9 years)  [Birth]
  Family ID	F37936	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	10 Jun 2018

  
  

• Event Map

  Census - 1870 - Living in Bee Branch, Chariton Co., Missouri Census - 1880 - Living in Mt. Vernon, Whatcom Co., Washington Census - 1900 - Living in Mt. Vernon, Skagit Co., Washington Burial - - Mount Vernon Cemetery, Mount Vernon, Skagit Co., Washington  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos

  John Burns Gates John Burns Gates is the son of Abraham Abel Gates and Mary Burns. His wife if Sara A. Turner. Photo added on Find A Grave by Jackie Ableman Lara

  
  

• Sources

  [S9620] An Illustrated History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties their People, their Commerce and their Resources; With an Outline of the Early History of hte State of Washington. [S9622] 1870 Census Bee Branch, Chariton County, Missouri. [S9621] 1880 Census Mt. Vernon, Whatcom County, Washington. [S9641] 1885 Census Skagit County, Washington. [S9586] 1887 Census Skagit County, Washington. [S9554] 1900 Census Mt. Vernon, Skagit County, Washington. [S02329] Find A Grave Website.