Charles F. Drake Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Page 399

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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CHARLES F. DRAKE. The farming interests of Rome township, Davison 
county, have a worthy exponent in the person of the gentleman above 
named, who operates a farm in section 25. His skill and thorough 
practical knowledge of his calling have been potent factors in 
producing the present solid prosperity of the locality, and it is with 
pleasure that we present to the readers of this volume a short sketch 
of his career. 

The subject of our sketch is of English extraction, and of the lineage 
of the celebrated Sir Francis Drake. He was born in Jefferson county, 
New York, February 28, 1845, the fourth child and the oldest son of 
Alfred and Malinda (Clark) Drake, whose family numbered eight. In 1862, 
our subject enlisted in Company C, Tenth New York Artillery, and thus 
fell his lot to become a part of the Army of the Potomac, and he 
participated in many of the leading and hotly contested battles of the 
war, among them being the battles of the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, 
Petersburg, Gettysburg, etc. However, Mr. Drake was one of the very 
fortunate ones who escaped without a wound, although his hearing was 
badly injured by the firing of a salute when the Goddess of Liberty was 
uncovered at Fort Davis, and his deafness was made still worse while 
before Richmond. After three years of continuous service in the army, 
he was mustered out at Sacketts Harbor, July 7, 1865. The following 
year he went to Davis county, Missouri, and was there engaged in 
farming and stock raising until the fall of 1881,when he located on the 
farm he now owns, the southwest quarter of section 25, township 101, 
range 60, and developed it into a wheat and stock farm. He soon began 
to give special attention to his stock, and branched out more and more 
in that line of business until he has become one of the established, 
buyers and shippers of Davison county. making his headquarters at the 
village of Ethan, which is near his home. Mr. Drake is a men of 
excellent judgment and foresight, is endowed with activity, persistence 
and a good capacity for well-directed labor, which have placed him in 
the forefront among the farmers of his vicinity. Religiously he is 
connected with the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics he 
heartily endorses the policy of equal suffrage and also of the 
prohibition of the sale of liquor. Socially he affiliates with the 
Grand Army of the Republic, Ricketts Post, No, 6.3. He is also serving 
as county commissioner of the fourth district at the present time. 

In 1867, Mr. Drake was united in marriage to Miss Cynthia A. Moore, who 
was born in Missouri, in 1841, a daughter of Lytle and Cynthia (Wilcox) 
Moore. To this congenial union have been born a family of four 
children, three of whom are now living, whose names in the order of 
their birth are as follows: Eva, now Mrs. J. Toban; Arthur and Minnie.