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"Alcedo" at Dakar. West Coast of Africa.

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1837. Francis M. Drexel opens a currency brokerage in Louisville, Kentucky.

1838. Francis M. Drexel opens a currency office in Philadelphia's financial district.

After a successful year of operating a currency brokerage in Louisville, Kentucky, Francis Drexel and his family return to Philadelphia. Francis opens a new office in the financial district at 34 S. 3rd Street. In 1839 the two eldest sons of Francis…

1847. A turning point for Drexel & Co. Anthony and Francis are made partners at their father's brokerage house. Drexel & Co. helps the U.S. government finance the Mexican War through the sale of Treasury bonds.

1850-1855. Anthony J. Drexel assumes a head leadership role in Drexel & Co.

1854. A new Drexel & Co. building, designed by Gustavus Runge, opens at 22 S. 3rd Street in Philadelphia, blocks from where Francis opened his brokerage house fourteen years before.

1855. Drexel & Co. come to New York, joining an established Wall Street house that became VanVleck, Read, Drexel & Co.

1861. In partnership with Jay Cooke's firm, Drexel & Co. begins the new practice of purchasing Treasury bonds from the federal government and selling the bonds to ordinary citizens. Jay Cooke's salesmanship, which relied on patriotic feeling in the Union as the Army was suffering losses, was bolstered by the stability of Drexel & Co. The partnership continued until 1864, at which point the total from bond sales was near $511 million. The incredible success of bond sales sustained the Union's ability to fund its military during the Civil War.

1870s-1880s. Drexel and Morgan add twelve partners, chosen from vetted family and business partners. The Drexels are a rare business at the time where employees are given raises and slowly promoted to positions of leadership, including share of profits and/or partnership. For instance, Edward T. Stotesbury rose from an entry clerk of seventeen in 1866 to become a partner in 1882.

1885. Construction begins on a new Drexel & Co. office at the southeast corner of Fifth and Chestnut in Philadelphia. By 1888, a second Drexel Building was established on the same block in 1888. The building was the tallest in the city at the time at eleven stories, and essentially forced the movement of the third street financial district into this block.

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