Carroll-Clinton County IN Archives Biographies.....Draper, William H. 1857 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/in/infiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 27, 2006, 11:00 pm Author: John C. Odell (1916) WILLIAM H. DRAPER. Prominent in the agricultural life of Democrat township, where he has made a very large success of farming, owning now five hundred and ninety-one acres of land, all of which he has accumulated by dint of his own personal efforts, William H. Draper is a well-known and highly-respected citizen. He lives on a farm of two hundred and fifty-one acres at the edge of Cutler, in Democrat township, the farm he purchased some years ago while in partnership with his brother, John J. Mr. Draper is a native of Clinton county, Indiana, born near Michigan Town, December 11, 1857. He is the son of Stephen and Mary Jane (Floyd) Draper, the former of whom was the son of Jerry and Nancy Anne Draper, and was born in the state of Ohio. The Drapers are of Irish descent. Mary Jane Floyd, daughter of John and Nancy Anne Floyd, who are of Dutch descent, came with her parents from Pennsylvania to Ohio, and was married to Stephen Draper in that state. One child was born to them in Ohio, Nancy Anne. Later they moved to Iowa and there a second child was born, Sarah Katherine. Subsequently they moved to Indiana. At one time Stephen Draper owned eighty acres of land in Miami county. To Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Draper were born seven children, of whom three, Mrs. Sarah Jackson, Mrs. Harriett Ruse and Charles I., are deceased. The living children are Nancy Anne, who is the wife of John Shonk, of Democrat township; John J., who is a well-known and prosperous farmer of Democrat township; William H., who is the subject of this sketch, and Ellen, who is the wife of Oscar Ransopher, of Clinton county. After having lived at home with his parents until twenty-one years old, William H. Draper started in life for himself. Without influential friends or resources, he began working by the month at fifteen dollars a month and continued work until twenty-six years old, or until he was married. William H. Draper was married on June 26, 1883, to Ida Adams, daughter of Warren Adams, a prominent citizen of Democrat township, and the owner of the Adams mill. To this union two children were born, Bertha B., the wife of Morris Ayres, of Monroe township, and William V., at home. Mrs. Ida Draper died on March 27, 1887. The father kept the children together, and on March 2, 1890, was married to Mary Elizabeth Clem, daughter of Paul and Catherine Clem. Paul Clem was born in Koenigsbach, Germany, on March 13, 1828, and his wife was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, on November 1, 1829. They came to America and settled in Pennsylvania in 1853 and were married on March 14, 1854. To them were born seven children. Mary Elizabeth, wife of William H. Draper, was born in Pennsylvania and came with her parents to Indiana in 1865. To Mr. and Mrs. William H. Draper were born four children, of whom two are living and two are deceased. Bruce and Ruth, twins, are at home. Basil Elwood died on August 4, 1894, at the age of three years, and Radiance Alena died on November 30, 1915, being twenty-two years old. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Draper operated the James Ayres farm for two years. Then, in partnership with his brother, John J., Mr. Draper purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Democrat township. Subsequently they increased the area of this farm to two hundred and forty acres, then bought an additional two hundred and forty acres, where William H. Draper now lives. William H. and John J. Draper were in partnership for about eighteen years and enjoyed a large success in farming and stock raising during that period. Mr. and Mrs. Draper and family have lived on their present farm sixteen years, and have lived for about forty years in Democrat township. William H. Draper votes the Democratic ticket, but takes no very great interest in politics, having given his whole life to the vocation of farming. His career is a very excellent example of what a man may accomplish if he-centers his energies on a given course of action and sticks to it, avoiding all diversions and unmoved by all other attractions. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY INDIANA ITS PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS BY JOHN C ODELL With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families ILLUSTRATED 1916 B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/in/carroll/bios/draper133bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/infiles/ File size: 5.0 Kb