John Mellick Drake was born on 22. Jul. 1827 at Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of
Ralph Drake and
Catherine Husselton. John Mellick Drake married
Susanna Storts on 16. Apr. 1850 at Perry County, Ohio.
John Mellick Drake was shown in the census on 6. Nov. 1850 as a carpenter.
John Mellick Drake and
Susanna Storts appeared on the census of 6. Nov. 1850 at with John Storts, Bearfield Twp., Perry County, Ohio.
John Mellick Drake was shown in the census on 12. Jul. 1860 as a farm laborer.
John Mellick Drake and
Susanna Storts appeared on the census of 12. Jul. 1860 at Clay Twp., Adair County, Missouri,
; personal property 80.00.
John Mellick Drake was shown in the census on 6. Jul. 1870 as a farmer.
John Mellick Drake and
Susanna Storts appeared on the census of 6. Jul. 1870 at next to their daughter Barbara, Marietta, Crawford County, Wisconsin,
; real estate value 1,000.00, personal property 500.00.
John Mellick Drake was shown in the census on 11. Jun. 1880 as a farmer.
John Mellick Drake and
Susanna Storts appeared on the census of 11. Jun. 1880 at Marietta, Crawford County, Wisconsin.
John Mellick Drake was shown in the census on 4. Jun. 1900 as a farmer.
John Mellick Drake and
Susanna Storts appeared on the census of 4. Jun. 1900 at Marietta, Crawford County, Wisconsin,
; 8 children, 6 living. John Mellick Drake died on 1. Nov. 1907 at Marietta, Crawford County, Wisconsin, at age 80. He was buried at Christ now Pleasant Mound Cemetery, Crawford County, Wisconsin.
When John and Susannah were living in Adair County, Missouri (in the late 1850's and early 1860's) there was an unlawful gang called "Quantrill and his Raiders" terrorizing local people and forcing young men to join their gang. The Drake family was on the watch for this gang and made preparations ahead of time, hiding a packed wagon in the woods, in case the gang came in their direction. One evening as they sat down to supper, word came that the gang was approaching. Without stopping to eat, they got in the wagon and left, traveling all night so they wouldn't be followed. They had a long, slow journey through Illinois to finally settle in the Boscobel area of Wisconsin.
Excerpted from: "The Reynolds Family History" by Deborah J. Reynolds Biesemeier page 71.