|
In
1878 John Godfrey Kilkoft and his wife Eva T. Dreka Kilkoft
discovered the settlement of DeLand. John Kilkoft who had
been in the spice and tea business in Philadelphia, had come
to Florida for his health.
They
told Eva's brother, George Augustus Dreka, about the settlement
and soon G. A. Dreka and his wife, Catherine Maulsberger Dreka,
traveled to DeLand. Upon arriving to the settlement, they
met J.B. Jordan, owner of a store on East New York Ave. who
wanted to devote his time to growing citrus and who wished
to sell his store.
Kilkoft
and Dreka went into business operating a small store. They
also took insurance policies out on each other so that if
anything happened to one of them the other could continue
on with the business and be able to take care of each other's
family.
Not
long after taking over Jordan's store, Mr. Kilkoft died. G.A.
Dreka used the money from the insurance policy to build a
new store. Dreka's new store was the best department store
in Central Florida. His motto was everything to eat, wear
and use.
G.A.
Dreka
A man's worth is to be determined by the sacrifices he has
made
-Faber
|
