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         JOHN DRAKE, deceased, a well-known and prominent pioneer of Wapello, was born in Butler County, Ohio, July 3, 1800, and was a son of James and Sarah (Paddock) Drake. Our subject removed with his parents to Sullivan County, Ind., when seventeen years of age, received a common-school education, and was reared on a farm. When twenty-one years of age he returned to his old home in Ohio, where he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Clark, daughter of Jonathan and Catherine (Jonas) Clark. Mrs. Drake was a native of Maryland. Nine children were born of their union, two sons and seven daughters. At this writing the two sons and two of the daughters only are living: Jonathan C. wedded Mary Huffman, and is a farmer of Wapello Township, Louisa Co., Iowa; James, now residing at Sterling, Kan.; Sarah is now the wife of Aaron D. Hurley, and resides at Wapello; Eliza, Mahala and Catherine died in youth; Lucy A., the wife of Joseph Clements, died at Wapello, May 16, 1888; Mary died at the age . . .

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. . . of seventeen years; Clara is the wife of Cyrus Morgan, a hardware merchant of Wapello.

Mr. Drake emigrated westward in 1835, intending to come to Iowa, but his wife objecting on account of the Indians still being numerous in the country, they located in Warren County, Ill. In 1836 Mr. Drake came to Louisa County on a tour of observation, and being pleased with the country purchased a claim, which he afterward sold. In February, 1838, he brought his family to Wapello, and established his home here. He built a house on Second street, nearly due west of the present flouring-mill, where he opened a public house, the second in the place. He also purchased a claim and carried on farming. With the exception of a few years passed on his farm, Mr. Drake was a resident of Wapello, and an active and prominent citizen of the early times. His death occurred Sept. 3, 1878, in the seventy-ninth year of his age. Mrs. Drake, an estimable Christian lady, died Sept. 16, 1866. Both were consistent members of the Baptist church, and Mr. Drake was a Democrat in politics.