Fourteen years previous to his association with the Farmers’ Exchange Bank, Mr. Drew had been engaged in the mercantile business in San Bernardino, and had also been extensively connected with mining interests. He was born in Michigan forty-nine years ago, where his early business life was devoted to lumbering and merchandising. On the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion he entered the Union army as a private in the Third Michigan Cavalry, served three years and a half, and rose by successive promotions to the rank of Captain before resigning. Suffering from broken health, partly caused by exposure and overwork during the great forest fires in the fall of 1871, on which occasion he worked continuously for seven days and seven nights, Mr. Drew came to California in 1874, and after stopping a short time in Sacramento and in San Diego arrived in San Bernardino April, 1875, and has resided here ever since.
Being an enterprising, public-spirited gentleman, he has taken great interest in the improvement of San Bernardino city and county. He took an active and prominent part in securing the location and construction of the railroad lines belonging to the Santa Fe system in this valley, and is now a director in that company. He is also largely interested in the development of the citrus fruit industry in the county. He owns a 240-acre ranch devoted to these fruits in Old San Bernardino, and in company with some Pasadena gentlemen is planting some 160 acres in that vicinity to oranges this year.
