FLORIDA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

 

COCOA, FLORIDA

 

 

 

 

 

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:

  1. Dade Park Memorial:  Folders 1-7
  2. Forts & Historical Sites:  Folders 8-28
  3. Lakeland-Tampa Industrial Canal and Hemp Cultivation:  Folders 29-32
  4. Memoirs, Personal Descriptions and Autobiography:  Folders 33-36
  5. 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

 

  1.  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.

 

  1. 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.

 

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/`937     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   

 

 

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