William H. Draher was a farmer in Oregon. He was born in Monroe County Pennsylvania on November 20, 1835. His parents were Simon and Mary Draher, were from Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
The family came west in July of 1851 and spent in Union, Rock County, Wisconsin. In May 1854 the family settled on 120 acres which grew to 280. Most of the clearing and breaking was done by the Draher family. Pioneer families in southern Wisconsin frequently settled on federal government land located in “the openings”—areas of oak savanna interspersed with prairies and marshes. This term described lightly wooded transitional zones that were easier to clear for farming than dense, heavy forests. Federal government land openings in Wisconsin were created through systematic federal surveys, treaties or conflicts displacing native tribes, and the establishment of local federal land offices. Between 1832 and 1866, the General Land Office mapped the territory to sell or distribute public domain land.
William was a stanch Republician, serving as Supervisor from 1876-1877 and 1878, and Chairman in 1879. He married Miss Susan Babbett on Christmas Day in 1868. She was born near Girard, Pennsylvania. They had 2 children, Isaac and Velma.
Sources referenced:
- 1880 History of Dane County, Wisconsin, p. 1238 accessible at https://archive.org/details/cu31924028871445
- https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/SurveyNotes/
- https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/record/property/HI5698/redirect