Drake was born in Lebanon, Ohio, the son of John Burroughs Drake a harness-maker from Trenton, New Jersey, and Nancy (Harry) Drake from Pennsylvania.[4] His father died when he was 11 causing him to have to work in a store, while obtaining a "Common school" education.[4] At 16 he took a job at a Lebanon tavern.[4] In 1845, he embarked to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked as a hotel clerk for a pair of hotels.[4]
He married Josephine Corey, daughter of Francis Edward Corey on February 24, 1863.[4] They had three sons and two daughters.[4]
Career
By 1855 Drake had saved enough to purchase a quarter interest in leading Chicago hotel, Tremont House.[4] He was the sole owner within 15 years. However, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 burned down the Tremont.[4] At the height of the fire, he made a payment on the Michigan Avenue Hotel at Michigan Avenue and Congress Street.[4] The fire had been directly across the street from the hotel, but it managed to be the only hotel on the South side to escape the great fire.[4] In 1873, he took over the Grand Pacific Hotel. His hotel became the western headquarters of the Republican Party.[4] He eventually diversified into Union Stock Yards, Chicago & Alton Railroad, Illinois Trust & Savings Bank, Chicago Telephone and Chicago Edison Electric.[4] John B. Drake also was a business partner of Jacob Bunn in the establishment of the Chicago Secure Depository Company.[citation needed]
He was known for his annual Thanksgiving Game Dinner, which was a celebrated Chicago tradition. The 30th Anniversary party was held in 1885 at the Grand Pacific Hotel for over 500 guests.[1] "On Thanksgiving 1886 John B. Drake... offered his patrons a sumptuous game dinner that included... venison soup, leg of mountain sheep, ham of bear, buffalo tongue, blue-winged teal, leg of elk, and sandhill crane to antelope steak in mushroom sauce, oyster pie, fillet of grouse with truffles, and rabbit braise with cream sauce"[5] These dinners continued for more than 50 years as a Chicago social institution.[2]
Notes
^ abBerger, Miles L., "They Built Chicago: Entrepreneurs Who Shaped a Great City's Architecture," Bonus Books, Inc., Chicago, 1992, p. 151., ISBN0-929387-76-7.
^ abHost, William R. and Brooke Ahne Portmann, "Early Chicago Hotels," Arcadia Publishing, 2006, p. 46., ISBN0-7385-4041-2.
^Berger, Miles L., They Built Chicago: Entrepreneurs Who Shaped a Great City's Architecture, Bonus Books, Inc., Chicago, 1992, p. 152., ISBN0-929387-76-7.
^Dolin, Eric Jay (2003). Smithsonian book of National Wildlife Refuges. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press. p. 12. ISBN1-58834-117-8. OCLC50280140. On Thanksgiving 1886 John B. Drake... offered his patrons a sumptuous game dinner that included... venison soup, leg of mountain sheep, ham of bear, buffalo tongue, blue-winged teal, leg of elk, and sandhill crane to antelope steak in mushroom sauce, oyster pie, fillet of grouse with truffles, and rabbit braise with cream sauce
