Lewis Drake and Minerva Clark Miller

Lewis Drake Miller was born to Drake and Abigail Miller on July 25, 1806 in Columbus, New York. Four siblings, 3 boys and 1 girl, were already in the family when Lewis, the 5th child, was born.

He would be followed by 4 more brothers and 2-3 more sisters. (There is conflicting information regarding the number of girls). Regardless of whether there were 11 or 12 children, it was a very large family. His father was a farmer and served the city of Columbus, NY, Chenango County, where Lewis spent his youth.
Lewis married Minerva Clark in Columbus on May 23, 1833, when both were 26 years old. She was born in Columbus, NY to Major Walter Clark and wife Eunice on January 27, 1807.

Nathan Clark and his wife, Mary Howard, married December 11, 1839.
Nathan was Minerva's brother. Minerva had two sisters and four brothers.

Lewis Drake and Minerva had 5 living children and a son who died shortly after birth.

Henry was born on February 16, 1840, Eunice on March 28, 1942, and Silas on December 29, 1845.

Census reports show them living in Columbus, NY in 1850.
Both of their names are misspelled in the report, but their
living children's names and ages are correct.

The 1860 Ostelic, NY census and US federal government population statistics give quite a bit of information about the family. Lewis was a farmer with farm real estate valued at $3,000. His personal property was valued at $825 and Minerva's personal property was $835.

These 1860 reports show that Lewis' son Lucien and Samantha Clark were married that year and had property worth $1,200. Also in the household were Lewis and Minerva's children Charles aged 24, Henry 20, Eunice 18 and Silas 14.

Lewis' father Drake was 90 in 1860 and living in the same area with his daughter Ann, age 49. Ann's personal property is valued at $300.

The 1860 federal report lists Lewis Miller, 54 years old, as owning 105 acres of improved acreage and 15 acres that are unimproved. They gave his farm land a cash value of $8,000, and listed $200 worth of farm implements and machinery.

He owned 4 horses, 9 milch cows (cows for milking), 2 working oxen, 18 other cattle, 17 sheep, and 3 swine, with a $825 value of all livestock. Lewis raised 45 bushels of wheat, 825 bushels of oats and 115 pounds of wool in 1860.

His son Charles Rush was 25 years old in 1860 and also farming the same general location. He owned 35 acres of improved land and 30 acres that were unimproved, with a total cash value of $1,200. Charles had 2 horses, 2 milch cows, and 2 swine with a total value of $260. He raised 100 bushels of oats in 1860.

In 1862, Lewis Drake and Minerva lost their son Silas who died at 16 years old. He is buried in Stanbro Cemetery, Otselic, NY.

The 1870 federal government census form was equally full of information. It listed Lewis' property as 120 acres of improved land at $50 an acre, for a total of $6,000. He had machinery and implements worth $213. He owned livestock valued at $1,149 which included 2 horses, 16 milch cows, 6 sheep, and 1 pig. He raised 130 bushels of oats.

Lewis was 64 years old in 1870 - the family was living in Otselic, NY. The 1870 NY census shows their son Henry in the household, and values Lewis' farm at $6,000 with his personal property valued at $1,200.

Minerva Clark Miller passed away on February 3, 1879 at 72 years old. She was buried in Stanbro Cemetery in Otselic, NY.

The 1880 census lists Lewis as a widower, age 73, He turned 74 in July of 1880. Also in his household were his son Charles Rush and wife Martha along with their first two children, DeMott and Wallace, all living in Otselic, NY.

Left: Lewis Drake Miller. Lucien holding horse on left and Charles with
horse on the right. Far Right: Martha, Mrs. Charles Miller.

Chad Miller standing in the beautiful area where Lewis D and Minerva (Clark) Miller lived in
Stanbro, Chenango County, NY. Their Homesite was near this spot.

Later in 1880 Lewis Drake moved to Brown County, the town of Rondell, South Dakota with his son Lucien, Lucien's wife Samantha and their two young sons, Lewis (4) and Walter Clark (1). Lewis' adult son Henry also moved with the family to Brown County, SD.

It appears Lewis Drake had a grave stone made when he died in 1889. When Lewis' son Henry died in 1913 they added Lewis to the left side of Henry's grave stone and both stand in Oakwood Cemetery in Rondell, SD.

In 1879 Hiram Miller wrote two letters to his uncle, Lewis Drake Miller. These letters have been passed through the generations.

Douglass Minn Jan 20th 1879

Dear Uncle Lewis

Having met a man by the name of Hide while traveling on the cars I learned from him that you were yet alive. And so, the rest of my Father's Brothers. Now I am the sixth son of John Miller. My name is Hiram Miller after my uncle I suppose. I have always desired to see my relatives on my Fathers side but providence thus far has interprosed. I came to this State twenty two years ago. Was married shortly after I have four boys Harlan Hugh Herbert and Hiram. I have no Girls. My business is our General Merchandise

I am not rich but have enough of this worlds goods to be comfortable. Seven years ago my father came from York State to make us a visit. He terried with me over a year when he thought to go home. I had watched his decline and new that he would never again see his home in the East. He went down rapidly through the summer and in October he died at my house. I gave with the rest of my brothers and one sister the best of care to him through his sickness and Universalist Minister preached his Funeral to a very large audience.

I have caused to be erected at his grave a suitable marble stone. You will thus see that I have paid the last earthly honor to my Dear Father. I would say further that during his stay with me he often talked of his brothers and sisters. I will now say that I was quite glad to meet the Hyde and learn of your whereabouts. I shall look anxiously for an answer to this letter. My love to you and all my relatives there.

Respectfully

Hiram Miller

PS Tell others to write me

Douglas, Olmsted County, Minn
Feb 18, 1879

Dear Uncle Lewis

Your letter received and I hasten to answer your inquiries regarding our family. I would like to say that there is nine children of our family still living. Their names. Orlando, Theodore, John, Hiram, Albert and Freeman.
The girls are Abagail, Hannah and Mary. Orlando and John live in Lockport .....Hannah lives at Maryville, NY.

The rest all live in this State. Albert and Mary are living near me while the rest are on homesteads farther West. I am a going out west to locate some land for my boys in the spring. Shall leave my oldest boy Harlan on
the land to improve it. I am permanently fixed at this place. The (.....) run near my store and I have to be at home nearly all the time to care for the mail. I have written to Uncle Hiram Miller and shall go and I'll (......) in the spring. I shall bring Aunt Ann home with me if she is able to come and will. I can give Aunt Ann
a good room and laugh for her as loud as anyone.

I weigh two hundred today and are 5'10" high and feel well always. Tell the rest of my relatives to write to me and they shall receive our (..........). Respectfully, Hiram Miller

PS If any of the young men come out for land in the spring send them to us and I will go with them.

"There is also a Zerox page about Hiram Miller's son, Dr. Edgar Lake Miller, taken from a history of Madison Co and giving Drake's father as Lemuel and grandfather as Stephen. It says that Stephen and Lemuel lived all their lives on the Hudson and that Stephen's father, Johann Meuller came from Holland and settled on the Tappen Zee near Tarrytown. The TZ is a wide part of the river, there, named by the Dutch and Tarrytown was the "Sleepy Hollow" of Washington Irving's tale of the Headless Horseman".

Inez Miller, 70's, NY, wrote: "The Millers were all "horsey". They get it from the Clarks. Major Walter Clark rode into New York from Connecticut with his wife Eunice on horses and the next generation stayed on them. Our great-grandmother, their daughter Minerva Miller (wife of Lewis Drake Miller), rode all her life and her saddle mare, Old Kate, outlived her. Her brother Silas who "kept the store" at Columbus, used to ride way to Otselic, a good 20 miles, wearing a cape, like Washington or a highwayman. He was a little guy, never married".

Beth Miner (Mrs. Floyd, "Bucky") wrote in late 1970s: "I found in my notebook a legal paper signed by Henry Miller (Uncle Hen) certifying that he had received $4,049.50 from the will of Silas Clark, lately deceased. It is dated November 20, 1883". This Silas Clark would have been the brother of Minerva Clark Miller.

1830 Letter to Minerva Clark, three years before she married Lewis Drake Miller. Her friend mentions a Lucian, but that is not our Lucien Miller as he was born to Minerva in 1834 after she was married. Click on the letter below to get a large readable version plus an attempt to 'translate', and use the back arrow to get back to this page.

DON DENNIS AND ANN (MILLER) DENNIS FAMILY WEBSITE
USS Dennis	USS Fogg	Fowler Menu	Don's Army Service
Delbert Miller	POW WWII	Ancestors	"It All Began"
La Veta, CO	Pottery	Lefse	"....And an Electric Chair"