D. Sterrett Drake and Elizabeth Rahm

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Husband D. Sterrett Drake ¹

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           Born: 6 Sep 1854 1
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         Father: Thomas Irvin Drake (1827-1863) 2
         Mother: Catharine Wharton (1834-      ) 2

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       Marriage: 21 May 1878 3

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Wife Elizabeth Rahm ³

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         Father: William K. Rahm (1804-      ) 3
         Mother: Jemima Newingham (      -      ) 3

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Children

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1 M Walter C. Drake ³

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           Born: 1879 3
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2 F Gretta M. Drake ³

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           Born: 1881
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General Notes: Husband - D. Sterrett Drake

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He received a good common school education and resided with his parents until after the death of his father. At the age of eleven years he made his home with his grandfather, James Wharton, and resided with him until, at the age of seventeen, he took up telegraphy as a business. He began business life in 1871, working first at Mt. Union for two years, and later at various important offices on the line of the Pennsylvania Railroad, including Harrisburg, Mifflintown, Lewistown, Huntingdon, Tyrone and Altoona. At the last-named place he served two years in the general superintendent's office. In 1880 he moved to Ligonier, Westmoreland County, and had charge of the Ligonier Valley Railroad for one year. On the formation of a company to operate the newly invented telephone business, he was selected to establish exchanges in Huntingdon and Lewistown. Beginning in 1881 he was connected with the Central Pennsylvania Telephone and Supply Company as manager of their business in the counties of Huntingdon, Bedford, Mifflin and Juniata.
It deserves to be noted here that at the time of the formation of the telephone company, no one but electrical men had faith in the newly invented machine, which was considered by many only a toy, and the organization had to be effected largely from telegraph men of the country. In 1881 D. S. Drake assumed a position in the Union Bank of Huntingdon, which he held until the new business established had grown to such an extent as to require all of his time. During this year he started the bicycle and electrical business also, which had not yet been introduced into the county; he was the first person in Huntingdon County to purchase a bicycle. By constant attention to the lines established, he built up a trade which became so extensive that in 1891 a new building was necessary to accommodate the growing business, when a three-story iron front building at the corner of Sixth and Penn streets was erected for the telephone, cycle and electrical business.
He always voted the Republican ticket, was a member of the Presbyterian church and belonged to the P. O. S. of A. and the Masonic fraternities.

1 —, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley (Chambersburg, PA: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897), Pg 49.

2 —, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley (Chambersburg, PA: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897), Pg 50.

3 —, Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley (Chambersburg, PA: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897), Pg 51.