William S. Draper
Descended from one of the earliest pioneer families of Fayette county, Ohio, William S. Draper has inherited all of those sterling characteristics which marked his forefathers. The name Draper has long been connected with the development and progress of this county, and for a hundred years it has been borne by men who have reflected credit upon their county and upon their state. The family has filled a large place in the history of this county and has been an important factor in the growth and development of its various industries and interests. In the course of a long and honorable career Mr. Draper has been successful in the manifold lines to which his efforts have been directed and, possessing in a marked degree those traits which command confidence and regard, he is today honored by all who know him and numbered among the representative men of his county.
William S. Draper, a prominent farmer and stock raiser of Paint township, was born September 30, 1868, in Union township, about twelve miles from Washington C. H. He is the son of John and Mary (Baughn) Draper, natives of this county. John Draper was born in Washington C. H. and was a son of Micajah Draper, one of the first commissioners of Fayette county. Micajah Draper was a native of Virginia and located in Fayette county in 1810, the same year in which the county was organized. John Draper and wife were the parents of six children, Mrs. Lucy Umpleby, Mrs. Margaret Hays, John M., Mrs. Ida Wade. Charles and William S. All of these children except Ida are still living. William S. Draper attended the schools of Union township for a time and then finished his education at the Hidy school in Paint township. His father died before he was grown and he then assisted his stepfather on the farm until he was twenty-one years of age. Upon reaching his majority he hired out to his stepfather, receiving fourteen dollars a month for his services. He married at the age of twenty-three and at once bought a farm of sixty acres, where he and his young bride began their married life. They worked side by side and much of the success which Mr. Draper has attained he attributes to his good wife. He has added to his land holdings from time to time and is now the owner of one hundred and twenty-five acres of fine land in this township, all of which is under a high state of cultivation.
Mr. Draper was married in 1891 to Anna Carper, the daughter of L. S. and Louisa (Brock) Carper, of Greene county, this state, and to this union have been born two children, an infant, deceased, and Elza, who married Deane Kelly, who manages the home farm for Mr. Draper.
Politically, Mr. Draper is a Democrat and, as a public-spirited citizen, has always taken a deep interest in the various political issues which confront the American people today. He has never been an aspirant for any public office, although he is at present filling the position of school director in his township. He has preferred rather to devote his time and energies to his farming interests. Mr. Draper is a genial and whole-souled citizen and has a host of friends and acquaintances throughout his home township and county.
From History of Fayette County Ohio - Her People, Industries and Institutions by Frank M. Allen (1914, R. F. Bowen & Company, Inc.)