By Carol Davis

One of the more heartening examples of dedicated service ever to have occurred in King County is the account of Herman M. and Annie Draper, known affectionately as "Daddy" and "Mother." Their genius and devotion to the care of children created and sustained the widely known and respected Children's Industrial Home in Des Moines for two decades.

"Daddy" Draper was born Aug. 30, 1858 in Canada. He was the son of Reverend and Mrs. Elisha Draper and the middle child of eight brothers and sisters. He grew up in Battle Creek, Michigan. He received his musical education under the celebrated Professor B. A. Robbin of the Boston Conservatory of Music and held certificates from the English College of Tonic Sol-Fa of London and the American College of Brooklyn.

In 1879 he married Miss Annie Pacey of Port Stanley, Canada, who was to share his lifelong work of child care and musical education. Annie was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Pacey. Annie Pacey had been born in 1860.

While in Battle Creek, a son, Harry was born, and two years later Cecil was born in London, Canada. Several years later the family moved to Kearney, Nebraska where Mr. Draper introduced music into Kearney and vicinity schools. He taught classes at the public schools in the tonic-sol-fa system, a simplified method of musical notation ideally suited for training children.

He organized the Kearney Juvenile Band, which a local newspaper described as "the greatest boast of our thriving city." From 1889 to 1896, school bands, orchestras and choral groups were formed and great programs were given.

When Mrs. Draper's sister passed away in 1894, the Drapers took the little girl into their family, the first of many children the Drapers were to raise as their own.

Sometime between 1896 and 1898, the family moved to Calumet, Michigan and "Dad" Draper opened a music store. He also gave instruction for piano, voice, and stringed instruments in the schools, churches and even to the Copper mine employees' families.

During an extended vacation visit of several months to the cooperative colony at Burley, Washington in 1900, Herman organized a "cooperative brotherhood band," the pride of the community. The group's newspaper, the Burley Cooperator, commented, "Brother Draper is certainly a genius, and has greater control over the little ones, and a better faculty of gaining their confidence and respect than any person we ever met."

It is understandable that when "Brother" Draper left the community to return to Calumet, Michigan the dispirited band was dissolved.

In 1903, Mr. Draper gave up the music store to become the superintendent of the Goodwill Farm and Home Finding Association, a refuge for homeless children. After three years of managing a touring band for the farm, Herman had liquidated the home's indebtedness, made extensive improvements to existing buildings and erected a sizable new facility.

He resigned in order to start an industrial home on the upper Michigan peninsula and continued there until 1907 teaching music and giving the children loving care, but shortly thereafter made the decision to move permanently to Washington state.

The Drapers gave up their position, owing to certain rules and conditions of receiving children. At this home they were not allowed to take illegitimate children or babies under six months old and were not permitted to take children to board.

Owing to these regulations many little homes were broken up and mothers forced, through poverty, to give up their children and place them in the home for adoption when, otherwise they would find employment and pay for the care and board of their little ones.

The Drapers thought that every county and city should maintain a home where a mother or father who has, for any reason, or lack of reason, been deprived of their partner, will have a place to leave their children while they work. In this way a mother or father can pay for their keep and visit them whenever they wish, and by so doing maintain their man or womanhood and self respect and keep in touch with their little folks.

In 1907, the family decided to move west to the Pacific Coast. With the permission of the families, six children, Mr. and Mrs. Draper, Edith Draper and Mr. Lou Strong left for Chicago and westward bound. In Chicago, a chassis of a truck was purchased and a house-car was built.

The group planned to stop on their way West to give concerts. By the time they reached Montana, the roads were too muddy to use this early-type trailer, so it was put on a flat car and all went on to Seattle by train.
October 1907 found the children's home established in Ballard at 5517 22nd N.W. A year later, following Ballard's annexation into the city of Seattle, a new site in a scenic and natural environment was located.

They moved in June of 1908 to a permanent location in Des Moines. "Daddy" Draper purchased the 28 room Hyatt Hotel and adapted it for the family's use, and a barn adjacent to the home was converted into an "opry" house where musical and vaudevillian performances were given.

From the outset, the Children's Industrial Home at Des Moines was successful and known as the Draper's Children Home. From then until 1927 Mom and Dad, as all the children affectionately knew them, gave love and care to all, some of whom were homeless, some from broken homes and some without any parents.

Their schooling was in the public schools, except when they were on trips when a private teacher accompanied them. Dad Draper believed every child should learn to play a musical instrument. At the pinnacle of its musical career, the little band of "Jolly Entertainers" made a musical tour of 38 states and parts of Canada.

The immense popularity of the Jolly Entertainers enabled the Drapers to raise sufficient funds to support as many as 47 children at the home. During the several decades of its existence, the home managed to thrive without governmental subsidies or major charitable foundation funding of any kind. In fact, the home at Des Moines was said to be the first and only self-supporting children's home in the world.

Mother and Dad Draper passed away within five days of each other in 1927 and the guiding spirit of the home was gone. Efforts to maintain it were to no avail. "Mother": April 13, 1927; "Daddy": April 18, 1927. Their grandchildren: Mrs. Dorothy Draper Langston and son Jim, Miss Blanche Draper and Vernon Draper made their home in Des Moines.

We are indeed fortunate that "Daddy" & "Mother" Draper were inspiring examples and a part of the heritage of Des Moines.

Please contact Carol Davis, 206-824-2215 or bikercarol@comcast.net if you have questions or information or contacts. Thank you. Des Moines Historical Society, for the compilation of "The Draper Story."