George Franklin Drew  George Franklin Drew (August 6, 1827 – September 26, 1900) was the 12th Governor of the U.S. state of Florida. Born in Alton, New Hampshire, he moved to the south, opening a machine shop in Columbus, Georgia in 1847. In 1865, he opened the largest sawmill in Florida in Ellaville. Elected at the end of Reconstruction on January 2, 1877, he set about to increase the economy of Florida while cutting expenses. He left office on January 4, 1881, returning to the lumber business. He settled in Jacksonville, where he died on September 26, 1900.