CHARLES M. DAVENPORT is a very well known citizen of Greenville and belongs to a family that has done much for Darke county, having been identified with its interests for many years.  He is a member of an old and honored family and his first ancestor to come to America was Abraham Davenport.  He was born in England in 1714, married Mary Sims, and had the following eight children: Anthony Sims, Andrew, Samuel Marmaduke, Elizabeth, Stephen, Abraham and John.  Anthony Sims, the eldest, born in 1757, married Mary Bozzle and they became parents of eight children, viz:  Abraham, Ira, John, Wesley, Mary, Nancy, Sarah and Willa Minor.  Of these, Abraham, born about 1785, is in direct line to the subject of this sketch.  He married Penelope Griffith and they had eight children: Anthony Sims (2), Dr. Smith, John, Benjamin, Ira, Robert, Celina and Elizabeth.  The second Anthony Sims Davenport was grandfather of Charles M. Davenport.
     Anthony Sims Davenport, born May 16, 1813, died Jan. 19, 1880, lived in Shelby county, Ohio, married Nancy Coon, Jan. 8, 1835, and they had six children, as follows:  Elizabeth, born Feb. 25, 1836, married James Malcolm; Martha M., born Dec. 4, 1837, married Hiram Lenox; John Wesley, born Oct. 27, 1839; David, born July 23, 1841; Frances, born July 5, 1843, wife of James Wood; Finley, born Sep. 2, 1845, died while serving in the Union army.  Mrs. Nancy Davenport died Jan.3, 1846, and Anthony Sims Davenport married Betsy M. Clintock, Feb. 23, 1847, by whom he had three children.  Sarah and Edward died when they were about two years old, and Charles P., born March 20, 1851, now a resident of Shelby county, Ohio, near the old home farm, who married Margaret Cecil and have four children, Floyd, a resident of Bisbee, Arizona; Owen, employed by a mining company in Central America; Eva, wife of Dr. Fred Clark, of Sidney, Ohio, and Bonnie, a school teacher, who lives at home.
     James and Elizabeth Malcolm have five children, Lucy, wife of Prof. A. W. Gamble, of Logansport, Ind.; Clara, wife of Daniel Price, of Piqua, Ohio; Cora, wife of Grant Patten, living near Piqua; Harper, of Medarysville, Ind., and Nannie, wife of William Bowen, near Sidney, Ohio.  James and Frances Wood have two sons, Edward and Arthur, live in Cleveland, Ohio.  David married Sadie McVay and has two sons and an adopted daughter.  Rev. Charles Russell, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, has served the church at Swanton, Ohio, for the past nine years; Benjamin lives in Cleveland, and Lillie lives with her mother in Piqua, Ohio.  David served in the Union army and was shot through the right arm.
     John Wesley Davenport was born in Shelby county, Ohio, Oct. 27, 1839, and died Jan. 27, 1909, in Darke county, being berried at Shook's Chapel cemetery in Wabash township.  He was a farmer practically his entire life and was a Republican in politics, holding such township offices as supervisor and trustee.  He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and he was trustee of the church known as Shook's Chapel.  On Mar. 18, 1862, he married Melvina Heffleman, who was born in Clay township, Montgomery county, Ohio, on Aug. 20, 1840, and now resides on the home farm in Wabash township.  Melvina (Heffleman) Davenport is a daughter of John and Susan (Oldum) Heffleman.  John Heffleman was born Jan. 11, 1810, in Milford township, Miflin county, Pennsylvania, died in Shelby county, Ohio, in 1894; he was the third son of Frederic Augustus and Barbara (Hartman) Heffleman.  Frederic H. was born Oct. 3, 1778 in Philadelphia county, Pennsylvania, and died Jan. 26, 1862.  After marriage, John Wesley Davenport moved on a farm near Jonesborough, Grant county, Indiana, and in March, 1881, returned to Darke county, Ohio, located on a farm in Wabash township, and there spent his remaining years, carrying on the work of his farm until he was ready to retire from active life.  He was a much respected citizen, standing well in the community and having many friends.  He and his wife had five children, all born while they were residing in Grant county, Indiana; William Heffleman, born Dec. 10, 1863, living on a farm in Wabash township, adjoining his mother; Franklin S., born Mar. 15, 1867, died Nov. 19, 1895, and is buried at Shook's Chapel; Charles M., born Oct. 11, 1869, in Grant county, Indiana; Lillie, born Sept. 12, 1875, died in infancy; Grace, born Jan. 8, 1878, died Oct. 6, 1895, shortly before her brother, Franklin, who is buried by her side.
     William Heffleman Davenport married Miss Anna Supinger, June 16, 1887, and they have five children: Walter, living on a farm in Wabash township adjoining his father, married Miss Clara McKibben and they have one child, Helen.  Susie, at home, teaches music in the neighborhood; Homer, Treva and Paul at home.  Charles M. Davenport received a common school education in the rural schools, supplemented by the course in Versailles high school, then attended the Centennial Commercial College at Greenville, Ohio, where he fitted himself for Commercial life.  He began business life as a stenographer in the office of the Henry St. Clair Company, wholesale grocers, at Greenville, and subsequently took charge of their books.  He has developed into an expert book-keeper and has held this position with the above named company since 1894.  He is progressive and enterprising in his ideas and is a valuable employe of the concern, his efficiency and worth being recognized and appreciated by his employers.  He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and served as Chancellor Commander in 1908.  He is very fond of his home and is rather quiet and retiring in his tastes.  He is closely devoted to his business but finds considerable time to devote to church work and is interested in everything which he thinks will work out to the benefit of the city, county or state.  He is a model citizen and ready to do his duty in all ways.  His friends will be gratified to learn that he wrote a greater part of the chapter on the Methodist Church found in Volume I of this work,  which will be read by all with much interest.  Mr. Davenport is fond of reading and study and keeps up with the events and issues of the day.  He is wide-awake and practical and has a comprehensive idea of business and commercial affairs.  In 1899 he built the present comfortable family home on East Fifth street and has made many changes and improvements since.
     On June 25, 1896, Mr. Davenport was united in marriage with Miss Dora B. Ditmer, born Jan. 9, 1869, near Georgetown, Miami County, Ohio, daughter of Henry Warner and Brittania (Searle) Ditmer and spent her girlhood in Monroe township, Darke county, Ohio.
     Mr. Ditmer was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1831, and died Nov. 3, 1898, being buried at Georgetown, Miami county.  His wife was born in Champaign county, Ohio, Feb. 18, 1848, and died Mar. 23, 1905.  Henry Warner Ditmer was a son of John Ditmer, born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 1789, who married Susanna Warner, born Nov. 9, 1796, in the same county.  John and Susanna Ditmer had thirteen children: Jacob, born in Pennsylvania, Nov. 23, 1814; Elizabeth, born Aug. 28, 1816, wife of John Falkner, now deceased, who formerly lived near Philipsburg, Montgomery County, Ohio; John, deceased, born Jan. 11, 1819; Rosanna, deceased, was born Dec. 15, 1820, and married Joseph Carroll; Mary, born Nov. 21, 1822, married Matthias Spiler; Abraham, born Aug. 15, 1824; David, born Apr. 15, 1827; Elias, born Apr. 19, 1829; Henry, father of Mrs. Davenport; Catherine, born Dec. 23, 1833, wife of George Fry, of Darke county, Ohio; George, born Apr. 15, 1836; Benjamin, born Jan. 24, 1839; Levi, born March 30, 1841.  John Ditmer, father of these children, died April 3, 1854.
     Henry Warner Ditmer was a farmer by occupation and spent most of his life in Darke county.  He enlisted in the Seventy-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry for three years during the Civil War and served in many important battles.  He was Democrat in political principle but took no active part in political affairs.  He and his wife had ten children, two born in Miami county and eight in Monroe township, Darke county: Dora B., born Jan. 9, 1869; Luella, born Jan. 27, 1871, married Calvin Litten and they live on a farm near Philipsburg, Montgomery county; Charles R., born Apr. 22, 1873, lives south of Greenville; Lawrence S., born Sept. 30, 1875, lives near Potsdam; Noah W., born Dec. 29, 1877, lives near West Milton, Ohio; Amanda, born Oct. 15, 1880, married Samuel A. Bridenbaugh and they live on a farm near West Milton; Edward H., born Aug. 11, 1882, lives on a farm near Potsdam; Cora, wife of Henry Timmons, living at Potsdam, Ohio, was born Sept. 24, 1885; one child died in infancy; Mina Ethel, born Apr. 19, 1890, married Charles Macy and they live near Philipsburg, Ohio.  The parents were members of the Mennonite church.
     Mr. and Mrs. Davenport have two children: Gladys G., born Mar. 14, 1897.  In May 1914, she graduated from Greenville high school and will enter the Ohio Wesleyan University in September, 1914, to prepare herself for a teacher of English; Harold Ditmer, born Jun. 17, 1900, will be a sophomore in the Greenville high school during the year commencing September, 1914.  Mr. and Mrs. Davenport are devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Greenville.  He has served as superintendent of the Sunday school since 1900, having previously been assistant superintendent and secretary.  He has been financial secretary of the church for some time and is also a trustee.  Mrs. Davenport has been president and secretary of the Ladies' Aid Society and both have done very valuable work in the interest of the same.  They are both anxious that their children shall have every educational advantage possible and have been economical and self-sacrificing in past years to build up their present prosperity and standing.
Source: History of Darke County, Ohio - From its earliest Settlement to the Present Time - Vols. I & II - Milford, Ohio - The Hobart Publ. Co. - 1914 - Page 457