GUIDE TO THE

H.J. DRANE PAPERS

1917 – 1944

.35 cubic feet

Miscellaneous Collection # 93-4

Processed by

Mimi Klug

July 2001

Biographical Note

Herbert Jackson Drane (1863-1947) was born in Kentucky and came to Florida in 1883 to take up employment as a railroad contractor. He was then engaged in the building of the South Florida Railroad. Out of the railroad construction camp grew the town of Lakeland, thus making him one of the town’s earliest inhabitants. In 1834, Drane entered the insurance business and later on he acted in an advisory capacity to the state during the administration of Governor Jennings, helping to develop uniform forms of state insurance. He served as mayor of Lakeland. Drane was the representative for Polk County in the State Legislature fr4om 1903 to 1905, and served in the Florida Senate from 1912 – 1915. Drane was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and served there from 1916 to 1933. From 1933 to 1937 he was a member of the Federal Power Commission.

Drane was very interested in Florida history, especially the period during the Seminole War years. He was very influential in getting many of the Forts and battlegrounds and other Historical Sites marked. He corresponded with high Government officials, such as Lt. Col. Landers of the War College, and local dignitaries in order to achieve this end. In 1937, after leaving Federal office, he served as president of the Lakeland-Tampa Industrial Canal.

Mr. Drane married Mary S. Wright on December 31, 1885, and by her had three children.

Scope and Content

The H.J. Drane Papers consist mostly of his correspondence after he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1916. The bulk of the letters are in regard to the marking of Forts, Battlefields, and other Historical Sites during the Seminole Indian War. In his correspondence with John Murrie, Drane talks of the Lakeland-Tampa Industrial Canal and also the growing of Hemp for commercial purposes. Included in the collection is a 9 page paper titled "Memories Of A County Agent After 50 Years" and a 37 page autobiography. Also included in the collection are two addresses he gave: one to the D.A.R. on "Washington, The Gentlemen, and the other address given in 1944, "Masonic Memories Of Lakeland Lodge #91."

Organization

The collection is organized into 5 series:

Dade Park Memorial: Folders 1-7

Forts & Historical Sites: Folders 8-28

Lakeland-Tampa Industrial Canal and Hemp Cultivation: Folders 29-32

Memoirs, Personal Descriptions and Autobiography: Folders 33-36

Speeches: Folder 37

Arrangement

The series are arranged in chronological order.

Provenance

In a typed statement, Drane states that his letters to and from Gov. Carlton and Judge Koonce, all with relation to the Dade Battle Ground, were deposited with Col. H. L. Landers of the Historical Division of the War Dept. in 1930.

Most of his letters in this collection are copies and it is not known where his other original papers have been placed.

Restrictions

There are no access restrictions. For those papers that are fragile, preservation photocopies have been made and are to be used instead of the originals.

Subject Headings

Drane, H. J. (Herbert Jackson) – Archives

Lakeland (Fla.) – Early history – 19th & 20th centuries

Florida – History – South Florida Railroad, 1884

Florida – History – Forts – Seminoles Indian War

Florida – History – Dade Massacre

Dade Park Memorial Series:

FOLDER 1

Benjamin Harrison – Reporter, FL Times Union

Item 1 08/24/1917 Copy of letter from H.J. Drane asking for an "intimate history" of Dade’s massacre.

Item 2 08/26/1917 Typed letter from Harrison. Provides names of officers Involved in the massacre.

Item 3 08/30/1917 Copy of letter from Drane. Talks of his knowledge of the area, having walked it in 1884.

Item 4 09/07/1917 Copy of letter from Drane. Thanks Harrison for sending a clipping from scrap book.

FOLDER 2

George Safford – House of Representatives

Item 1 06/07/1920 Typed signed letter from Drane. Asks for date & place of birth of Dade.

Item 2 07/031920 Typed signed letter from Drane. Asks again for information on Dade.

Item 3 07/06/1920 Copy of letter from Safford. Gives Dade’s year of birth, 1793.

Item 4 07/13/1920 Copy of letter from Safford. Gives Dade’s place of birth: County of King, VA

FOLDER 3

Mrs. W. Himes – Ladies Civic League of Bushnell

Item 1 06/26/1919 Handwritten letter from Mrs. Himes. Thanks Drane for Introducing a bill into Congress for a Dade’s Massacre Memorial.

Item 2 07/13/1919 Copy of letter from Drane.

FOLDER 4

Item 1 03/05/1922 Typed signed letter from Cubberly. Placed an order for the memorial tablets. Says that Dade was once stationed in Pensacola, with General Jackson.

Item 2 05/05/1922 Typed signed letter from Cubberly. Located the tombstone of Dade’s daughter in Pensacola, Fannie Langhorn Dade.

Item 3 Copy of tombstone inscription on Fannie Dade’s grave.

FOLDER 5

Mrs. A.B. Storms

Item 1 05/16/1922 Letter from Mrs. Storms. Returning Gov’t Doc. #33 which Drane had lent her.

Item 2 Gov’t Document #33. The DADE MASSACRE written by Fred Cubberly. Includes maps of the4 battle ground and a list of all those killed.

FOLDER 6

Miscellaneous

Nathan Hazen – Chief Clerk Ordnance Dept.

Item 1 02/11/1922 Typed signed letter from Hazen. Says Ordnance Dept. will hold certain guns until ready for delivery.

Mrs. A.M. Roland – Dade Memorial Committee

Item 2 04/08/1922 Handwritten letter from Mrs. Roland. Two guns have arrived at Bushnell.

FOLDER 7

J.C.B. Koonce – Sect’y Dade Park Memorial Commission.

Item 1 04/16/1921 Copy of letter form Drane. Will try to get Florida to purchase land for a Memorial Park at the Dade massacre site.

Item 2 08/17/1922 Typed signed letter from Koonce. Thanks Drane for obtaining the guns for the Dade Memorial Park. Hoping to get landscaping & a road for the park.

Item 3 08/22/1922 Copy of letter from Drane. Ladies of Bushnell paid the freight to ship the guns to the Park. Drane donated $25.00 towards building the arch.

Item 4 08/25/1922 Typed signed letter from Koonce. Doing a lot of tree planting at the Park. Hopes the Federal Gov’t will take the park over as a national affair.

Item 5 09/06/1922 Copy of letter from Drane. Gives address of Dep’t of Agriculture for securing plants.

Forts and Historical Sites Series

FOLDER 8

J.C.B. Koonce – FL House of Representatives

Item 1 02/21/1930 Copy of letter from Drane. Praises Koonce for his unselfish Service to FL.

Item 2 03/03/1930 Typed signed letter from Koonce. Acknowledges that Dade Park will be taken over by the Federal Gov’t.

Item 3 03/05/1930 Copy of letter from Drane. Says that the War Dept. will Investigate historical sites in FL. Mentions Forts Brooks, Harrison, Myers, Thompson and Meade in his own Congressional district.

Item 4 11/03/1930 Typed signed letter from Koonce.

Item 5 11/04/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

FOLDER 9

Lt. Col. H.L.Landers – Army War College, Historical Section

Item 1 02/07/1930 Copy of letter from Drane. Says he is removing Bill 8868 from consideration, upon Landers advice.

Item 2 Bill # HR 8868.

Item 3 02/10/1930 Copy of letter from Drane. 7 pages. Describes Dade battleground. Says that one of the survivors, Ransom Clark, gave his account of the battle to the Niles Weekly Register.

Also lists 14 Forts with a description of each: Ft. Meade, Ft. Myers, Ft. Harvie, Ft. Harrison, Ft. Brooke, Ft Drane, Ft. King, Ft. Thompson, Ft. Denaud, Ft. Delaney, Ft. Fraser, Ft. Cummings, Ft. Davenport, Ft Marion.

Item 4 List of 5 Forts sent to Drane by Mrs. Hanley. Ft. Clinch, Ft. Cummings, Ft. Davenport, Ft. Frazer, Ft. Arbuckle.

FOLDER 10

Lt. Col. H.L. Landers – Army War College, Historical Section

Item 1 02/21/1930 Typed signed letter from Landers.

Item 2 03/03/1939 Copy of letter from Drane. Sending a copy of the FL Historical Society Quarterly. Marked pp.330-356 re Seminole Council of 1834.

Item 3 03/20/1930 Typed signed letter from Landers.

Item 4 03/24/1930 Copy of a letter from Drane. Requests copy of a map of the Forts made about the time of the Seminole War.

Item 5 03/31/1930 Typed signed letter from Landers. Sending 2 copies of 1843 manuscript map of the seat of war in Florida.

FOLDER 11

Lt. Col. H.L. Landers – Army War College, Historical Section

Item 1 04/01/1930 Copy of a letter from Drane. Thanks-you for the maps. Will Give one to the Florida Historical Society.

Item 2 04/03/1930 Copy of letter from Drane. Explains that "Old Fort Dade" is not to be confused with the Dade Battleground.

Item 3 04/05/1930 Typed signed letter from Landers.

Item 4 06/14/1930 Copy of a letter from Drane

Item 4 10/15/1930 Typed signed letter from Landers.

FOLDER 12

Lt. Col. H.L. Landers – Army War College, Historical Section

Item 1 10/18/1930 Letter from Drane’s secretary.

Item 2 10/31/1930 Typed signed letter from Landers. Arriving in Tampa on Nov. 11 to begin inspection of historical places in Florida.

Item 3 11/03/1930 Telegram from Drane.

Item 4 11/03/1930 Telegram from Landers.

Item 5 11/05/1930 Telegram from Drane.

FOLDER 13

Patrick J. Hurley – Secretary of War

Item 1 01/24/1930 Copy of letter from Drane. Would like to change the form of H.R. Bill # 8868.

Item 2 01/31/1930 Typed sign letter from Hurley

Item 3 02/10/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

Item 4 02/24/1930 Typed signed letter from Hurley.

FOLDER 14

H. W. Zander – Service Officer, American Legion Post #22

Item 1 12/12/1929 Typed signed letter from Zander. Would like the Gov’t to build a National Park at Fort Meade

Item 2 03/1919/29 Telegram from Drane remeeting with Zander.

Item 3 04/26/1929 Letter from Zander .. Copy of resolution memorializing

Item 4 markers on Indian war forts and battlefields.

Item 5 04/29/1929 Copy of letter from Drane.

Item 6 05/08/1929 Typed signed letter from Zander.

FOLDER 15

H.W. Zander – Service Officer, American Legion Post #22

Item 1 05/11/1929 Copy of letter from Drane.

Item 2 06/12/1929 Typed signed letter from Zander.

Item 3 08/27/1929 Typed signed letter from Zander.

Item 4 05/08/1929 Typed signed letter from Zander. Names several forts in the area and says that Fort Meade was formerly called Ft. Clinch.

Item 5 09/03/1929 Copy of letter from Drane.

FOLDER 16

H.W. Zander – Service Officer, American Legion Post # 22

Item 1 12/12/1929 Typed signed from Zander.

Item 2 12/20/1929 Copy of letter from Drane.

Item 3 02/07/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

Item 4 10/24/1930 Typed signed letter from Zander.

Item 5 10/25/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

FOLDER 17

Arthur T. Williams – President, Florida Historical Society

Item 1 03/06/1930 Typed signed letter from Williams.

Item 2 03/08/1930 Copy of letter from Drane. Will send the Society a copy of a map made by the War Dept designating a large number of forts.

Item 3 03/21/1930 Typed signed letter from Williams.

Item 4 04/01/1930 Copy of a letter from Drane.

Item 5 04/21/1930 Typed signed letter from Williams. Says that the Society has been deeded land at Silver Springs to inter the remains of Osceola.

Item 6 04/21/1930 Typed signed letter form Williams to the Sec. of War requesting permission to remove the remains of Osceola from Charleston, SC to Silver Springs.

FOLDER 18

Arthur t. Williams – President, Florida Historical Society

Item 1 11/03/1930 Copy of a letter from Williams to Hon. R.A. Green, US House of Representatives. Requests marking of site where Col. Daniel Newnan fought the Indians in 1812.

Item 2 11/03/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

Item 3 11/04/1930 Telegram from Williams.

Item 4 11/04/1930 Typed signed letter form Williams.

Item 5 11/05/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

Item 6 11/14/1930 Typed signed letter from Williams.

FOLDER 19

Howard F. Sedgwick – Clerk, Committee on Military Affairs

All letters are in reference to H.R. Bill #8868

Item 1 01/22/1930 Typed signed letter from Sedgwick.

Item 2 01/24/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

Item 3 01/27/1930 Typed signed letter from Sedgwick.

Item 4 02/07/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

Item 5 02/08/1930 Typed signed letter from Sedgwick.

Item 6 02/18/1930 Typed signed letter from Sedgwick.

Item 7 02/19/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

FOLDER 20

Mrs. Dollie Hendley – Regent, Ft. Dade Chapter D.A.R.

Item 1 03/27/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

Item 2 04/01/1930 Handwritten letter from Hendley inviting Drane for the unveiling of marker at old Fort Dade.

Item 3 04/03/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

Item 4 04/07/1930 Handwritten letter from Hendley.

Item 5 06/12/1930 Handwritten letter from Hendley. She has been appointed Chairman of Old Trails and would like some old maps.

Item 6 06/14/1930 Copy of a letter from Drane. Will ask the War Dept. for a made around 1843 showing Forts & Trails.

FOLDER 21

Frederick Cubberly – V.P., Florida Historical Society

Item 1 03/06/1930 Handwritten letter form Cubberly. Mentions Ft. Cumming, Ft. Drane, Ft. King & Ft. Dade.

Bob Pooser

Item 2 Undated, handwritten letter from Pooser asking Drane to remember Cap’t Payne Whidden who was killed near Bowling Green in Paynes Creek

Item 3 10/22/1930 Press Release from Drane to Fort Myers press.

FOLDER 22

J.S. Hughes – Editor, Zephyrhills News

Item 1 04/01/1930 Copy of letter from Drane on locating the exact route of Fort King Highway.

Mr. McDonald – Bureau of Public Roads, Dept. of Agriculture

Item 2 04/08/1930 Copy of letter from Drane. Asks for advice on having Fort King Highway designated as a Federal Hwy..

Mrs. Allen Gates – Regent, Tampa Chapter, D.A.R.

Item 3 04/08/1930 Copy of letter from Drane re Fort King Highway.

Julien C. Yonge – Editor, Florida Historical Society

Item 4 02/22/1930 Copy of letter from Drane requesting a copy of Fla. Historical Soc. Quarterly of Apr. 1929 re: Seminole.

Council of 1834.

Item 5 02/27/1930 Typed signed letter from Yonge.

FOLDER 23

W.R. Gall – Secretary, Zephyrhills Publicity Commission.

Item 1 ? 1930 Typed signed letter from Gall re: Fort King Highway.

Item 2 07/08/1930 " " " " " " " "

Item 3 08/22/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

Mrs. Mitchell McKay

Item 4 10/24/1030 Typed signed letter from McKay. Mentions Ft. Brook, Ft. King Rd. and Ft. Mellon Rd..

Item 5 10/25/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

FOLDER 24 

Lillian A. Scobey – Ocklawaha Chapter, D.A.R.

Item 1 04/06/1930 Typed signed letter from Scobey. Asks that Fort Mason be recognized as an historical site.

Item 2 04/09/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

Miss Stella Waterhouse

Item 3 11/01/1930 Handwritten letter from Waterhouse regarding Fort Maitland.

Item 4 11/03/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

Hon. Ruth Byron Owen

Item 5 11/03/1930

FOLDER 25

Joseph Bell – Spokesman for Florida stone industry

Item 1 01/25/1930 Typed letter from Bell with enclosed newspaper clipping.

Item 2 02/11/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

W.F. Eudaley – Gravestone and Marker Business

Item 4 10/25/1930 Typed signed letter from Eudaley.

Item 5 Eudaley enclosed this letter from S.R. Dula in praise of his work.

Item 6 11/05/1939 Copy of letter form Drane.

FOLDER 26

Charles Mckeand – Chamber of Commerce, Tampa

Item 1 11/03/1930 Copy of letter from Drane. All correspondence is in regard to the visit of Col. Landers.

Item 2 11/04/1930 Typed signed letter from McKeand.

Item 3 11/05/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

Major Philip Murphy – Army and Navy Club, Tampa

Item 4 11/03/1930 Copy of letter from Drane. All correspondence is in regard to the visit of Col. Landers.

Item 5 11/04/1930 Hand written letter from Murphy.

Item 6 11/05/1930 Copy of letter from Drane.

FOLDER 27

William Van Fleet

Item 1 08/18/1941 Handwritten letter from Van Fleet. Mentions Forts Cummins

& Sullivan.

Item 2 08/19/1941 Copy of letter from Drane . Mentions Ft. Cummins, Ft. Sullivan, &Ft. Gibson. Tells of the completion of the South Florida Railroad in 1884. Says that Capt. Anthony Drane was his Grandfather.

FOLDER 28

Newspaper Articles

Item 1 Battle of Fort Drane

Item 2 History of Public Library in Fort Myers, was used as officers’ quarters in Seminole War.

Item 3 Fort King Road.

Lakeland-Tampa Industrial Canal and Hemp Cultivation Series

FOLDER 29

John L. Murrie – Federal Power Commission Washington, D.C..

Item 1 09/10/1937 Handwritten letter from Murrie.

Item 2 09/12/1937 Handwritten letter from Murrie.

Item 3 09/14/1937 Copy of letter from Drane. Mentions Port Authority and Lakeland-Tampa Industrial Canal, Inc..

Item 4 09/14/1937 Handwritten letter from Murrie. The writing on the back of the second page is probably by Drane.

Item 5 09/28/1937 Handwritten letter from Murrie.

Item 6 Confidential 2 page handwritten letter regarding hemp fiber.

FOLDER 30

John L. Murrie

Item 1 09/30/1937 Copy of letter from Drane. Talks of feasibility of the Canal.

FOLDER 31

Courtesy of Lakeland Public Library:

Item 1 Copy of Family History

Item 2 Copy of Herbert Drane obituary