Joseph Samuel Drew |
| Posted 2018-07-08 by Pat R |
| Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ) Monday, October 25, 1915, p. 6 J. A. Drew Dies--John A. Drew, formerly employed at the Ryder planing mill, died late last evening at the family residence, 727 East Portland street, after an illness extending over a considerable period. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Arizona Republic (Phoenix, AZ) Friday, October 29, 1915, p. 8 Long Career Here Of Pioneer Joseph Drew He Was One Who Helped Make Arizona a Place Fit to Call Home In the passing of Joseph S. Drew in Phoenix, on October 24, Arizona loses one of the pioneer citizens that made this country a fit place to call home. The mention in these columns at the time was brief and involved a typographical error in the name wherefore many readers outside of Phoenix who might otherwise be interested, may not have associated the item with its subject, which warranted this biographical mention. Mr. Drew was born in New York, Sept. 14, 1845, and had therefore reached the mature age of 70. Always active, however, and usually vigorous until recent months, in appearance time had not told upon him as might have been supposed. His final illness was of but short duration. The youngest of seven children, he emigrated to Kansas in ante-bellum days with the family of his father, John Drew, who was well known in the pioneer annals of that state, and who lived almost to the rounding out of a century. His four brothers all served with distinction in the ranks of the Union army, the only one now surviving holding the rank of adjutant general in the Kansas state militia, Chas. P. Drew of Topeka. Approaching maturity at the close of the war, Joseph Drew engaged in mercantile pursuits in various Kansas towns, latterly at Fort Dodge, whence he came to Arizona in 1875, stopping first at Prescott. Later, when the mining camp of Tip Top was at its zenith he became its leading merchant and prospered exceedingly, though before he left the camp he suffered expensive reverses. He next engaged in mining and stock raising at Culling's Wells, a well known station on the old road from the Colorado river to Prescott, and was prosperous until a season of severe drouth swept his range and with it the most of his accumulations. He then moved to Phoenix that his children might have school advantages, and was thereafter a resident of this city, being also engaged in farming enterprises. Always a consistent republican in his political convictions, he was universally liked by all who knew him and on the two occasions when he sought office at the hands of the republican party against overwhelming political odds he barely failed of election. In the first instance he was a candidate for sheriff in Yavapai county and in the second instance he sought the same office in Maricopa county, that being in the later 80's, and failing by less than ten votes. And in those days to be sheriff was greater than to be king. Shortly thereafter Mr. Drew brought to Phoenix the first well drilling outfit that ever came to the Salt River Valley, having a contract with the county to sink a well on the court house plaza in the hope of developing artesian water. The hole was driven several hundred feet, when the county decided to pursue the enterprise no father. As years accumulated he became quite deaf, unfitting him for business life that involved intimate contact with the people and his energies were devoted to agricultural and other undertakings suitable to habits of a retired life. In an acquaintance covering the greater part of his life the writer never heard any man speak ill of Joe Drew, an indulgent husband and father and representative of the highest type of manhood. He was married many years ago to the widow of Daniel Cullings, who preceded him to the grave two or three years ago. Of relatives in Arizona he is survived by three daughters and two sons, Miss Addie, Mrs. Louis Quiros, Mrs. Roy Beck, and John and Sam Drew, two well known young men. There are also two step children, Daniel and Charles Cullings. See Also: Find A Grave |
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