Biography/History:

Elijah Steele Drake, son of Benjamin Michael and Susannah Priscilla Hawkins Magruder Drake, was born at Magnolia Springs, Jefferson County, Mississippi, on October 14, 1841. He was named for the Reverend Elijah Steele. Drake attended Centenary College, Jackson, Louisiana, but he left before graduation to join Darden's Battery in 1861. He received a degree from Centenary College after the Civil War. Drake taught school while reading law, and in 1867 he moved to Port Gibson, Claiborne County, Mississippi, to practice law.

On September 21, 1869, Drake married Ellen Davis Turpin (1848–1930), daughter of Joseph Alexander and Laura Stevenson Archer Turpin. The Drakes were the parents of six children: Joseph Turpin (1870–1942), Jane Ruth (1871–1948), Katherine Archer (1874–1949), Ellen Davis (1875–1951), Henry Winbourne Magruder (1877–1943), and Laura Stevenson (1878–1967). The Drakes' first home was located on North College Street in Port Gibson. In the 1870s, Elijah Steele Drake bought a larger home in Port Gibson known as Drake Hill. This home was enlarged and remodeled in the 1890s.

Elijah Steele Drake served in the Mississippi legislature from 1876 to 1877. He was also active in civic affairs and the Methodist church. Drake continued to practice law in Port Gibson until his death on January 4, 1914.

Scope and Content:

This collection consists of the correspondence, financial and legal records, and genealogical records of the family of Elijah Steele and Ellen Davis Turpin Drake of Port Gibson, Mississippi, as well as the allied Archer, Magruder, and Turpin families.

Correspondence of Elijah Steele Drake includes letters from his immediate and extended family and friends, as well as letters from attorneys, businessmen, and clients. Of particular interest are letters or telegrams from Benjamin Grubb Humphreys to Drake in 1870 and 1871, and letters from Charles Betts Galloway to Drake in 1871.

Financial records include various receipts of Elijah Steele Drake and other family members. Also included are records of stocks, bonds, and other investments owned by Drake.

Legal records of Elijah Steele Drake include various promissory notes; his certificate to practice law in Mississippi; instructions for his wife, Ellen Davis Turpin Drake, in the event of his death; and a typewritten copy of his last will and testament (with codicils).

Genealogical records include handwritten or typewritten lineage charts of the Drake family and the allied Archer, Magruder, and Turpin families. There are handwritten transcriptions of genealogical data from the Turpin family Bibles and miscellaneous genealogical information on the Turpin family. Included is an obituary of Ellen Davis Turpin Drake (d. August 21, 1930) from the Port Gibson Reveille. There is also a brief typewritten biographical sketch of United States Marine Corps general John Archer Lejeune.

Series Identification:

1. Family Papers and Records. ca. 1700s–1900s. 1 35 mm, positive microfilm roll (MF Roll # 4027).