St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-16
IN BIOGRAPHICAL KEY.
Mr.. brakes Ancestors Of Revolu-
tiOnary Stock

Elias Franklin Drake was born in Urbana,
O., Dec. 81. 1913. His ancestors were of Rev
olutionary stock, his maternal grandfather,
Matthias Spinning, having served in that war
in the New Jersey militia, fol which service
he received section OF land in Warren
county, Ohio. to which he removed while
Ohio was still part OF the Northwestern ter
ritory. Mr.. BRAKES grandfather. Ithamar
the beginning of the present century
Mr.. Brakes father, Henry, was
reared on farm. but received a
classical education, and became q regular
physician. He, died in his early manhood,
leaving widow and four children. all now
dead. Mr.. Brakes education was superin-
tended by his mother whose maiden name
was Hannah Spinning, and was acquired at
common schools and under private. tutors.
Mr.. Brakes boyhood days were passed upon
the farm. From the farm he entered the
Office of the Western Star, at Lebanon O.,
to learn the printing business, but the work
proving injurious TO his health he returned
to the farm. Before he was twenty-ope years
old he entered a store at Lebanon. where he
remained tor some tiye years, part of the
time
Owning the Business. @,A
He removed to Columbus. o., III 1885, to
become chief clerk and cashier of Joseph
Whitehill. the state treasurer. He spent two
years in this position, during which time he
read law under the direction of Noah H.
Swayne; passed creditable examination,
courts ana subsequently, in the circuit and
district UnitedStates courts.
Mr. Draks WAS appointed cashier OF the
Bank of Xenia, Greene county. O., in 1887,
position he filled for nearly thirteen years,
when he resigned, leaving the bank in high
creditand prosperous condition. and resumed
the practice of law in that city until 1852,
when he embarked in the business of rail-
road building. the pursuit of which brought
about his removal to Minnesota in 1862.
Prior to removing from Ohio Mr. Drake was
president of two railroads and two turnpike
roads.
1t was in 1862 that Mr.. Drake brought to
Minnesota the first ears, locomotives and
rails that came to the state, and in connec-
ton with the late Hon. Edmund Rice. F. R.
Delano and others put III operation ten miles
of road between st. Paul and St Anthony,
the first line of railroad built in the state of
Minnesota. He became interested in the st.
Paul d Sioux City railroad. now the st. Paul
Il Omaha division of the Northwestern road,
in 1864, OF which company he was made pres
ld isltr which VIII position he retained
aud for some sixteen years, I'M
til its absorption into the Northwestern
system, with which he
Became the President
and controlling spirit of the St. Paul & Sioux
City Land company. Under his supervision
as contractor and president some 600 miles of
railroad and 200 miles of turnpike road were
constructed.
With Mr.. Brakes retirement from active
railroad operations, he has been connected
with numerous business enterprises. For
time he was largely interested in numbering
i'll Wisconsin, was interested in extensive
stone quarrleS in this state and in Wisconsin
owned and operated a large farm in South
western Minnesota, upon which he bred
blooded horses, cattle and swine.
At the same time Mr.. Drake also acquired
large property interests in ST. Paul, among
his best holdings being the Drake block, on
the south side of East Third street, between
jackson and Sibley streets, and the extensive
building occupied by the wholesale firm of
Finch, Van Slyke Young & Co. He has been
a member of the st. Paul chamber of COM
merce since its organization; was also a
member and Tor term president Of the Min
neSota State Historical society; was q di-
rector in one of the leading banks Of the
city, of the st. Paul Fire and Marine Insur-
8nce company. of the st. Paul Trust COM
pany, as also of several other corporations; a
representatives in 1S44-45. and state senator
for one term, both of which positions he filed
with marked ability, and to the credit of his
city, state and himself.
In Politics.
In politics, Mr.. Drake was a Wing until
that organization was succeeded by the Re-
publican party. He voted for Gen. Harr ison
grandfather OF the present incumbent of the
presidential Office, in 1886 and 1S40 for
Henry Clay in 1874, and has supported every
Wing and Republican presidential candidate
since. His personal acquaintance with the
prominent political leaders of the last half
century was large including such names as
John Quincy Adams, Gen. Jackson, Van
Buren,, Polk and others of equal
note. He was delegate to the
Baltimore convention which NOM
mated Abraham Lincoln for his second term,
and 10 the Chicago convention of 1880 which
nominated Gen. Garfield. 1t was in this lat
ter convention that he introduced and sue
ceeded in getting adopted a resolution that
broke the unit rule, - which resulted in Gen.
Gartield's nomination. Before coming to
Minnesota Mr.. Drake also served for three
terms as member of the Ohio legislature.
Mr.. Drake has been twice married. His
first wife was Miss Frances May Galloway,
daughter of Maj. James Galloway, of Xenia,
o. She died in 1914. leaving daughter, now
Mrs. Charles S. Rogers. of this city. His
present wife, formerly Caroline M. McClurg,
to whom he was married in 1856 was native
of Philadelphia, and was a daughter of Alex
ander McClurg. She is the mother Of four
children, Harry T. Drake. Alex M. Drake,
Mrs Mary d. Tompkins and Mrs. Carrie ID.
Lightner, all of whom, with their mother,
survive Mr.. Drake aud reside in this city.
Gregg Released.