Mose Drachman was a pioneer business and civic leader, as well as politician, in Tucson, Arizona, during the early 1900s. He was involved in numerous interests, including mercantile, real estate, banking, mining, and cattle. He served as the Senior Clerk for the U.S. District Court in Arizona during the term of William H. Sawtelle, served two terms on the Tucson City Council, and five consecutive terms on the Tucson Board of Education, as well as being on both the Tucson and Phoenix chambers of commerce. He also served a single term in the Arizona state senate during the 2nd Arizona State Legislature. Two books were written about his life, Ridin' the Rainbow, and Chicken Every Sunday, the latter being made into a Broadway play, as well as a motion picture of the same name.
Personal life
Drachman's parents lived in Tucson, Arizona, however he was born in San Francisco, California on Nov 16, 1870, while they were visiting there. Drachman's eldest brother, Harry Arizona Drachman, had been the first white male child born in Tucson. Harry would also serve in the Arizona State Senate, during the 6th Arizona State Legislature. His parents, Philip and Rosa Drachman, both immigrated from Poland, Philip in 1863 and Rosa in 1868, traveling to Tucson by way of the Panama isthmus and San Francisco. Of the 10 Drachman children, only Mose was not born in Tucson. Drachman's uncle, Samuel Drachman, who moved to Tucson in 1858, also served in the territorial legislature, in the House of Representatives during the 8th Arizona Territorial Legislature.
Drachman attended elementary school in Tucson in a school located at East Congress and Scott Streets, but left school at the age of 9 to sell newspapers. In the early 1890s, he served as the deputy sheriff of Pima County. In the 1890s, he was the player manager of the Tucson baseball team. Drachman served as a second lieutenant in the Tucson militia, in Company D.
Drachman married Ethel Edmunds, of Phoenix, in December 1897 in Long Beach, California. The couple had three children, a girl, Rosemary, and two boys, Oliver and Philip. Drachman was a 33rd degree mason, and had served on Tucson's Chamber of Commerce, as well as being a member of the Arizona Pioneers Historical Society, at one time serving as its president. He was a considered an authority on Arizona history. Drachman died on October 2, 1935, from a heart attack at his home in Tucson. He had not been feeling well for approximately a week prior to his death. At the time of his death, he was working on his memoirs, which included a plethora of information on the early pioneer period in Tucson.
Business career
In late 1894, Drachman and a partner, Fred Holmes, left Tucson and traveled to Mexico City, where they hoped to begin a bicycle business. While the business was successful, Drachman was negatively affected by the climate and abandoned the business, returning to Tucson in May 1895. After his return, he accepted a position as the manager of the grocery department of L. Zeckendorf & Co. In March 1896 Drachman moved to Phoenix, and took over the newly opened branch of a mercantile company, and became the Arizona Territory representative for the Arbuckle Coffee Co. In 1899, the Arbuckle company added New Mexico to Drachman's territory. In June 1898 he was elected the secretary of the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.
1901 saw Drachman return to live in Tucson. In early 1902 Drachman considered opening a new transportation company in Tucson. However, he instead took the position of manager for the existing Tucson Street Railway, extending their service and upgrading their fleet of vehicles. Drachman purchased the company in June 1905 for $14,000. He also opened a new steam laundry in Tucson, incorporating the Troy Laundry Company, which also opened up a location in Nogales. He sold the business for $12,000 in September 1903. He remained a partner in the steam laundry until his death in 1935.
In 1906 Drachman and two partners incorporated the Tucson Development Company, for the purpose of developing mines and mineral properties. The company purchased the Gold Boulder and Red Rock Mines in the Oro Blanco district near Globe. He was also involved in the cattle industry, being involved with both the Zepeda and Rondstadt cattle enterprises, in both Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.