My Genealogy Hound

G. W. DRAKE, ex-County Treasurer, Higginsport, is a son of Cornelius Drake, who was born in New Jersey in 1781, and a grandson of John Drake, who participated in the continental war, and assisted in liberating our country from English tyranny. Cornelius was raised to farming, which received his lifetime attention. He reached his majority in his native State, but early in the present century came to Mason County, Ky., where he married Frances (commonly called Fanny) Witherspoon, a native of Culpeper County, Va. She was born in 1785, and came to Kentucky in her teens, with her parents. Soon after Cornelius and Fanny were married, they settled in Pleasant Township, Brown County, Ohio, where they ever after remained; he died of cholera June 14, 1833, and Fanny remained his widow nearly forty years, when she, too, entered her final rest. They were the parents of fifteen children, ten boys and five girls. Of that number five sons and three daughters are now living. One of the deceased sons died of cholera in the same year as his father. Of those living, George W. is the second youngest, and was born April 8, 1826, in Pleasant Township, of which he has always been a resident. He was left fatherless at an early age, and was reared exclusively by his widowed mother, with whom he lived as long as she kept house. His life was devoted to farming, boating and carpentering, until 1873, when, in October of that year, he was elected to the office of County Treasurer. Two years later, he was re-elected to the same office, serving four consecutive years. While in office, he purchased a tract of 1,500 acres of timber land in Fleming County, Ky., where he engaged in saw-milling, soon after the expiration of his official term. He built a hut and remained two years, yet retained his citizenship in Ohio. During the year 1881, he was engaged in handling leaf tobacco. Mr. Drake started in life with no assistance, but with a capital of energy and determination, linked with judicious management, he rose to his present position.