E. A. DRAKE

DRAKE, MILLER

Posted By: Mona Sarratt Knight (email)
Date: 5/24/2009 at 08:52:26

Source: The History of Appanoose County, Iowa, Containing A History of the County, its Cities, Towns, etc., A Biographical Directory of Citizens, War Records of its Volunteers in the late Rebellion, General and Local Statistics, Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men, History of the Northwest, History of Iowa, Map of Appanoose County, Constitution of the United States, Miscellaneous Matters, etc.; illustrated; Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1878.

E. A. DRAKE, farmer; P.O. Moulton; residence, First st.; born in Marshall Co., Tenn, December 1828; removed to this county in 1847; owns eighty acres at and adjoining Moulton, costing $14,000; two town lots, with 240 acres in this (Wells Tp.); 60 acres in Union Tp., with 160 acres in Taylor Co., and 120 acres in Page Co. Married Miss M. E. Miller in 1846; she was born in Marshall Co., Tenn., in 1823; they have seven children - William D.W., John N., Mary A., Harbard B., Ettie, Hattie, and Romeo B. Democratic; he is a member of the M.E. Church; she is Presbyterian. Belongs to A.F.&A.M., No. 119, Unionville. Mr. D. was among the early settlers, purchasing his first land from the Government; made farming his sole business until 1860, when he commenced handling stock, to which he soon added merchandising, opening a store at Unionville, then at Albia, and soon after, one here (Moulton) still dealing heavily in stock. When Mr. Drake came to this county, a wife and baby, with $300 in money were his sole possessions, and he was but a few months past 18 years of age, and, up to the spring of 1868, had accumulated 1,300 acres of land, which, at the census of 1870, was appraised at $40,000. At the time of entering into business at Albia, he had $15,000 in good paper and did not owe one dollar in the world. In 1872, commenced banking at Moulton. During 1868-69, he furnished money for handling over $100,000 of stock. In the summer of 1873, he failed, his indebtedness being $25,000, caused by the financial irregularity of a partner, and by the strictest economy and close attention to business, has paid 100 cents on the dollar on all except $4,000, which he hopes to soon pay as well.