Charles Drain was a politician in the Oregon Territory

Oregon Territory

The Territory of Oregon was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from August 14, 1848, until February 14, 1859, when the southwestern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Oregon. Originally claimed by several countries , the region was...

 and later the U.S. state of Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

, and the founder of Drain, Oregon

Drain, Oregon

Drain is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,021 at the 2000 census. The 2007 estimate is 1,075 residents. Drain is named after town founder and politician Charles J...

. He was born in 1816 near Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...

. The family moved to Shelby County, Indiana

Shelby County, Indiana

As of the census of 2000, there were 43,445 people, 16,561 households, and 12,056 families residing in the county. The population density was 105 people per square mile . There were 17,633 housing units at an average density of 43 per square mile...

, when Charles was five. Both parents soon died. He married Nancy Ensley in 1839, and in 1852 the family moved to Marion County, Oregon

Marion County, Oregon

Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally named the Champooick District, after Champoeg, a meeting place on the Willamette River. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature renamed it in honor of Francis Marion, a Continental Army general of the...

, later to Linn County, Oregon

Linn County, Oregon

Linn County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is named in honor of Lewis F. Linn, a U.S. Senator from Missouri who advocated the American occupation of the Oregon Country. By the 2010 US census the population of Linn county was 116,672 showing a 13.2% growth since the 2000 census...

, to farm in the Willamette Valley

Willamette Valley

The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...

.

In 1855 Charles Drain was elected to the Oregon Territorial Legislature

Oregon Territorial Legislature

Oregon’s Territorial Legislature was a bicameral legislative body created by the United States Congress in 1848 as the legislative branch of the government of the Oregon Territory...

, and during pre-admission statehood in 1858, Drain was elected to the Oregon State Senate

Oregon State Senate

The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...

. He also served as President of the Council during the last session of the territorial legislature from 1858 into 1859.

In 1860, Drain moved his family to Douglas County, Oregon

Douglas County, Oregon

-National protected areas:* Crater Lake National Park * Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest * Siuslaw National Forest * Umpqua National Forest * Willamette National Forest -Adjacent counties:* Lane County, Oregon -...

 and began to purchase parcels that would become a 2000-acre farm. He bought 320 acres from Jesse Applegate

Jesse Applegate

Jesse Applegate was an American pioneer who led a large group of settlers along the Oregon Trail to the Oregon Country. He took part in the early government of Oregon, and helped establish the Applegate Trail as an alternative route to the Oregon Trail.-Early life:Jesse Applegate was born in Henry...

. At a price of one dollar, he sold sixty acres to the Oregon and California Railroad

Oregon and California Railroad

The Oregon and California Railroad was formed from the Oregon Central Railroad when it was the first to operate a stretch south of Portland in 1869. This qualified the Railroad for land grants in California, whereupon the name of the railroad soon changed to Oregon & California Rail Road Company...

 to build the town and depot in 1871 which would become Drain, Oregon.

Charles Drain died in 1894. His three surviving children included John C. Drain, the first mayor of Drain, and a Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives; Catherine A Drain (married Simon R Lane, son of Joseph Lane

Joseph Lane

Joseph Lane was an American general during the Mexican-American War and a United States Senator from Oregon.-Early life:...

); and Charles Douglas Drain, builder of the Charles and Anna Drain House

Charles and Anna Drain House

The Charles and Anna Drain House, 500 South Main Street, Drain, Oregon, was commissioned by Charles Douglas Drain the youngest son of town founder Charles Drain. Completed in 1895, the house is a prominent example of Queen Anne style architecture in Drain. The owners selected architect George...

, a prominent Drain landmark.