DRAPER, Oscar

DRAPER, PALMER, BITTINGER, KAHL

Posted By: Nettie Mae
Date: 1/18/2003 at 13:27:43

SOURCE: "Biographical history of Crawford, Ida and Sac Counties, Iowa" Lewis Pub. Co., Chicago, 1893

OSCAR DRAPER, one of the prominent early settlers of Clinton township, Sac county,
Iowa, resides on a farm of 160 acres near Odebolt.

He dates his birth in Essex county, New York, in 1843, and is a son of Henry and
Emily (Palmer) Draper, both natives of Essex county. His grandfather, Timothy Draper,
was of Scotch-Irish descent. Henry Draper emigrated with his family to Scott county,
Iowa, in 1859, and located near Le Claire, where his wife died in 1861. He, too, died in
Sac county, aged sixty-six years. He was liberal in his religious views, and in politics was
a Republican. Mrs. Draper was a Baptist. They had eight children, five sons and three
daughters. Three of their sons served in the late war. William H., who was a member of
the Twentieth Iowa Infantry is now a resident of Clinton county Iowa. John, who served
in the Sixty-sixth Illinois Infantry, lives in Seattle, Washington. August 22, 1862, Oscar
enlisted in the Twentieth Iowa Infantry, and during his service participated in the battles
of Prairie Grove, Arkansas and Vicksburg, and was through the siege of Fort Morgan and
Fort Blakely, besides being in numerous skirmishes. He was honorably discharged at
Mobile, Alabama, July 8, 1865.

Returning to Iowa after the war, the subject of our sketch located east of DeWitt, in
Clinton county where he was engaged in farming until 1874. Since that year he has been
identified with the interests of Clinton township, Sac county. Here he purchased 160
acres of land, has improved it with good buildings, etc, and is devoting his time chiefly to stock-raising. He keeps a dairy of about fifteen cows. His residence is a story and a half, and is 18x24 feet, and his barn is 48x60 feet. A nice grove and orchard of two acres is
among other improvements Mr. Draper has placed upon his land.

March 12, 1868, he married Sarah J. Bittinger, in Clinton county, Iowa. She was
born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, daughter of John and Rebecca (Kahl) Bittinger.
The Bittinger family came West from Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1850, and two years later
to Clinton county, Iowa. Their family was composed of seven sons and two daughters.
The mother died in November 1887, and the father is now a resident of York county,
Nebraska. He is a farmer, a Republican and Lutheran. Mr, and Mrs. Draper have four
children: Jessie R., Emily E., Homer J. and Asa L.

Mr. Draper's political views are in harmony with Republican principles. He is a
member of Goodrich Post, No. 117, Odebolt, and he and his wife both belong to the
Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a Trustee of the church and also takes an active
interest in Sabbath-school work.