ELVERDO DRAPER. – To the leading and prominent citizen, whose name initiates this paragraph, we are pleased to accord a representation in this volume because he has manifested during the years in which he has been domiciled in Union county ability of a fine order, and because he has materially assisted in the progress of the county and substantially aided in its upbuilding, while he has developed its resources and augmented its wealth by his enterprising endeavors in his private business; and during all this commendable course there has not only been displayed a praiseworthy sagacity and integrity but a meritorious conduct and morality and uprightness that have marked Mr. Draper as a light in the community, to which one is pleased to refer.
He was born in Essex county, New York, on August 28, 1848, to Henry and Emily (Palmer) Draper, and with his parents ten years later came to Scott county, Iowa, where they rented land. Here and at his native place he received his schooling and worked on the farm in Iowa until he was twenty years of age. At that time he was married to Miss Adeline, daughter of Cyrenus and Melinda Pelham, natives of New York state. To them were born the following children: Maryette, wife of G.S. Johnson, of Union; Lula, wife of William M. Cockrell; Maude Ethel, wife of Albert Logan, of Union; and on July 11, 1888, their only son, Dick, was born to them. For two years subsequent to his marriage he farmed with his father-in-law and then rented a quarter section for himself which he operated until 1871, when he started for the state of Oregon, coming to Keiton via rail and from there by horse teams, arriving in the Grande Ronde valley on October 26, 1871. He first worked by the month for Mr. Ames, who was running a dairy and then he bought the place which is eight miles from Union on the Cove and Big Creek road, and he lives there at the present time. He has steadily added by purchase to the original grant until he has a magnificent domain of fourteen hundred and eighty acres, all lying contiguous. He operated a dairy for three years and then turned his attention to raising sheep. While running the dairy he shipped butter and his other products to the mining centers and received his groceries from Umatilla Landing. In the sheep industry he was eminently successful, handling the Merinos and crossing with the black faced Shropshires. In 1899 he sold his flocks and bought cattle, but at the present time he is considering the advisability of again buying sheep. He farms about three hundred acres and has in addition about one hundred and twenty which is sowed to grass from which he receives annually from one hundred and fifty to three hundred tons of good hay. In October, 1897, Mr. Draper was called to suffer the loss of his faithful companion who was summoned across the river of death.
On April 12, 1898, the marriage of Mr. Draper and Mary Kneeland, a native of Massachusetts, was solemnized, and on July 11, of the following year she died after a long and painful illness.,
On March 10, 1901, the marriage of Mr. Draper and Miss Rosana E., daughter of Albert T. and Eliza Doyle, natives of Canada was celebrated. Mr. draper is an elder in the Seventh Day Adventist church, where he is highly esteemed and is active in the interests of his faith.