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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
CENTENNIAL HISTORY
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Troy, Piqua and Miami County, Ohio
And Representative Citizens.
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Edited and Compiled By
Thomas C. Harbaugh
Casstown, Ohio
Literary Journalist, Secretary of Maryland association of Ohio.
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"History is Philosophy Teaching by Examples."
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Published by
Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co.
Chicago.
1909
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DAVID DAVIS, a prosperous
farmer residing one mile north of West Milton, Ohio, has 148
acres in his home farm and also is the owner of a fifty-acre
tract situated one-half mile west of that place, both lying
in Union Township. He was born in that township Jan.
27, 1831, and is a son of Benjamin and Margaret (Wareham)
Davis.
The paternal grandfather of the subject of this record
was Abiather Davis, who was a native of Wales.
Upon coming to the United States he first located in
Georgia, and in 1802 made his way north to Miami County,
Ohio, then to Elkton, Preble County, where he remained for
two years. He later settled a section of land in Union
Township, west of West Milton, Miami County, and there lived
the remainder of his days, farming and following his trade
as a carpenter.
BENJAMIN DAVIS was about ten years old at the
time his parents came to Union Township, and here he was
reared to maturity, undergoing the hardships of pioneer
life. He always followed farming and acquired 240
acres of land in Miami County, the most of which he cleared
and improved. In 1856 he sold his farm and went to
Iowa, where he purchased 300 acres. He was in Iowa at
the time of his death, which occurred at the age of
eighty-four years. He married Margaret (Wareham)
Fetters, of Pennsylvania, and they became parents of
eleven children. Her death occurred at the age of
forty-nine years.
David Davis, after completing his education in the
schools of West Milton, took up the occupation of a farmer.
He worked for his father until he became of age, and
thereafter worked for himself with all the energy and thrift
characteristic of the Welsh race. On his home farm he
erected one of the largest residences in the vicinity, it
being occupied by his son, who farms the place, and he also
made most of the other improvements now on this farm.
After many years of unceasing activity, he is now
practically retired to enjoy the fruits of his toil.
He is fond of travel and spends most of his winters in
Florida to escape the severity of the northern climate.
Mr. Davis was first married to Miss
Anna Mote, whose death occurred in 1891, and they
became parents of five children, as follows: J. O. Davis,
of Troy, Ohio; Lambert, deceased; J. Warren,
who lives on the home place; Laura, of Dayton, Ohio;
and Mary, who lives at Springfield, Ohio. He
formed a second union with Miss Mary Kelly.
Mr. Davis is a Republican in politics and
served as a member of the school board for a number of
years.
Source: Centennial History - Troy, Piqua and Miami
Co., Ohio - Publ. 1909 - Page 771 |
Mrs. Anna A. Davis
E. B. Davis, M.D. |
E. B. DAVIS, M. D., one of the
leading professional men and representative citizens of
Troy, was born in 1858, in Clark County, Ohio, and obtained
his literary training in the public schools near his home
and in the Normal School at Tremont City. While doing his
preliminary medical reading, Dr. Davis engaged
in teaching school and for two years taught through the
country and at the Normal School. He then entered the
Columbus Medical College, where he was graduated in 1886 and
later also received a diploma from Starling Medical College.
He located for practice at North Hampton, Clark County, and
remained there for fourteen years. After taking a
thorough post-graduate course in New York, Dr.
Davis then oved to Covington and subsequently to Troy
and here he has been in active practice for some six years.
His standing in the profession is evidenced by his being a
valued member of the Miami County and the Ohio State Medical
Societies.
In 1888 Dr. Davis was married to Miss Anna
Martha Arnett, of Dialton, Clark County, Ohio,
who died in October, 1907, leaving three children,
Florence Ethel, Elwood and Lillian
Gertrude. With his children. Dr.
Davis is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church
and belongs to the official board, at Troy, while at North
Hampton he was an active worker in the Sunday-school and in
general church work. He is identified with a number of
fraternal organizations, belonging to the Odd Fellows,
Knights of the Golden Eagle, Knights of the Modern
Brotherhood of America and the Junior Order of American
Mechanics.
Source: Centennial History - Troy, Piqua and Miami
Co., Ohio - Publ. 1909 - Page 664 |
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ELWOOD M. DAVIS, who is an
enterprising farmer of Newton Township, owning a good
sixty-acre farm, was born on his present property, Apr. 11,
1859, the son of Jonathan and Eleanor C. (Jones) Davis.
The father, Jonathan Davis, was born in Miami
County, and spent his life here engaged in farming.
His wife, Eleanor, mother of the subject of this
sketch, was a native of Orange County, Indiana. Both
parents are now deceased. Their family numbered the
following children: Albert, who is now deceased;
Eliza, who married John Coat and resides
in Miami County; William, deceased; Amanda,
who married Anson Hildebrand and lives in
Miami County; Mary, now deceased, who married Amos
Brandon, who was captain of a company in the Civil War;
and Elwood M., who was the youngest of his parents'
children.
Elwood M. Davis, after completing his school
studies, turned his attention to agriculture and
subsequently purchased the home farm from his father.
He has improved the property by building an addition to the
residence as well as a new barn. Besides general
farming he raises tobacco and potatoes, these two latter
branches of his work being specialties with him. He
has about ten acres in tobacco and from eight to ten acres
planted with potatoes each year, and as he is a good
practical farmer, his crops are usually plentiful and of
excellent quality.
On Oct. 15, 1880, Mr. Davis was united in
marriage with Florence Teeter, daughter of
Elias and Susannah (Moore) Teeter, who were farming
people of Miami County. Mrs. Davis's
father is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Davis are
the parents of children as follows: Nellie Zolo
married Elmer Cool; they live in Dayton and
have two children—Lenora and Lowell.
Glenn is an engineer, residing at Dayton.
Jessie is attending the Pleasant Hill High School.
Wilma, the youngest child, is attending the Pattytown School
in Newton Township.
Mr. Davis is a Republican in his political
views. He has served the township as school director
and as pike superintendent. He is a member of the
Friends' church. Mrs. Davis, who was a school
teacher in Miami County prior to her marriage, belongs to
the Progressive Brethren Church of Pleasant Hill.
Source: Centennial History - Troy, Piqua and Miami
Co., Ohio - Publ. 1909 - Page 763 |
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FRANK G. DAVIS, merchant
and manufacturer of Tippecanoe City, Ohio, was the youngest
son, as well as the youngest child of Enoch and
Barbara Davis, nee Goodman, and was
born in Elizabeth Township, Miami County, Ohio, May 5, 1855.
He moved with his family to the then small village of
Tippecanoe in the year 1862, where he entered the union or
public schools, in which he continued until he had obtained
a very fair common school educatoin, through the use
of which, together with his congeniality and his untiring
application to his duties, he has gained the enviable and
honorable position he now occupies. He is not only
well known and
popular in and about his immediate home town but throughout
the entire county.
Mr. Davis' first employment after leaving
school was at telegraphy, working at the key until the death
of his father in 1872, which compelled a thorough alteration
of all his plans. From the key he went to a clerkship
in the general store of Bowman & Lindsley, and
from a clerkship with B______ Lindsley, ____J. W.
Bowman, h_____ be a partner, the firm being Bowman
& Davis, which was for many years one of the best
known concerns in Miami County in the mercantile business as
well as one of the largest distributors of general
merchandise in south Miami County. The present firm is
Davis & Smith, which firm continues to handle
a large part of the general merchandising business of this
most prosperous little city and country surrounding.
Mr. Davis was one of the very first promoters of
the whip manufacturing industry in Tippecanoe City, and was
one of the first incorporators of The Tipp Whip Company and
the president of the company or nearly twenty years.
He was also the promoter of The Davis "Whip Company,
which was incorporated eleven years ago, and his official
relationship to the company is that of president and general
manager. Both these concerns are prosperous and
representative of the most modern ideas in whip
manufacturing. Their output is marketed all over the
United States.
In 1882 Mr. Davis was married to Mary E.
Harshbarger, daughter of Isaac D. and Hannah E.
Harshbarger, nee Kable. They have three
children, Margaret E., Loa L. and Robert G.
Mr. Davis, as well as an active citizen, in
nearly everything of good in the town, enjoys distinction in
Democratic political circles also, and his strength has been
recognized by his party, it having nominated him,
unsolicited and against his earnest protest, twice for
important offices, his defeat in both instances being
accomplished through the most untiring endeavor of his
opponents and by a reduction of a big Republican majority to
almost no majority at all. His party honored, him by
sending him as a delegate to the National Democratic
Convention that convened in Chicago in 1892 and which
nominated Hon. Grover Cleveland for the presidency.
He belongs to F. & A. M. Lodge No. 174, I. O. O. F.
Lodge No. 247 and the Royal Arcanum Lodge, all of Tippecanoe
City, Ohio.
Source: Centennial History - Troy, Piqua and Miami
Co., Ohio - Publ. 1909 - Page 737 |
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HENRY DAVIS, general farmer
and owner of eighty acres of valuable land situated in
Section 4, Elizabeth Township, was born in Perry County,
Ohio, Oct. 16, 1864, and is a son of Casper and Rachel
(Plummer) Davis.
The parents of Mr. Davis were farming people and
he lived at home until his marriage, and then came to his
present farm on which he has lived ever since. He has
two sisters: Sarah, who is the wife of McClain
Kennedy; and Nancy, who is the widow of
William Lestley. Mr. Davis helped to
build all the farm structures. He has a fine orchard
and raises the usual crops of this section, but has given
but little attention to growing tobacco. All his
surroundings indicate a large amount of comfort.
Mr. Davis married Miss Effie May Warner,
who is a daughter of John and Minerva Warner, and
they have three children, all making good progress at school
—Bertha, Earl and Edith. Mr.
Davis and family attend the Christian Church at Addison.
Source: Centennial History - Troy, Piqua and Miami
Co., Ohio - Publ. 1909 - Page 354 |
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J. W. DAVIS,
who has long been prominently identified with the affairs of
Troy, Ohio, has been a resident of the city since 1880, and
is engaged in the real estate and insurance business at the
present time. He was postmaster of Troy during the
second administration of President Cleveland,
receiving his appointment in 1893, and during his tenure of
office had the distinction of sending out the largest amount
of first class mail of any postmaster of the same class in
the United States, 300 mail pouches being required for use
in the local office. This supremacy brought the city
into prominence throughout the country.
Mr. Davis was born in Tippecanoe City, Miami
County, Ohio, in 1862, and was reared and educated at that
place, being a graduate of the Tippecanoe High School.
In 1880 he came to Troy and accepted a position as clerk
with the wholesale and retail grocery firm of D. M.
McCullough. After one year he entered the employ
of C. L. Coolidge (dry goods, boots and shoes) in the
capacity of bookkeeper and salesman, and so continued for
three years. He next represented E. Levering &
Company, coffee importers of Baltimore, Maryland, in the
wholesale and retail trade through the states of Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois, continuing with that firm for seven
years. He then became associated in business with
Mr. C. T. Long, and under the name and style of Long
& Davis they conducted a gentlemen's furnishings and
fine tailoring establishment for a period of five years.
In 1893 he was appointed postmaster, and upon his retirement
from that office in 1897 he became associated with M. K.
Gantz and George S. Long in the ownership of the
Troy Democrat, which they conducted two years. Mr.
Davis then embarked in the real estate and fire
insurance business, with which he has since been
successfully identified. He has always taken an active
interest in politics and the success of the Democratic
party, and has served as chairman of the executive committee
of that party and as chief state supervisor of elections for
Miami County.
In 1889 Mr. Davis was united in marriage with
Miss Ellen Eliza Shilling, who comes of one of the
pioneer families of Miami County and is the youngest
daughter of Jesse Shilling Sr. One son,
Brice Barron Davis, was born to them and died in
infancy. Mr. Davis is past chancellor
commander of the local lodge. Knights of Pythias; eminent
commander of Coleman Commandery; and a member of Antioch
Shrine, A. A. O. N. M. S., at Dayton.
Source: Centennial History - Troy, Piqua and Miami
Co., Ohio - Publ. 1909 - Page 431 |
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THOMAS CALVIN DAVIS,
whose excellent far of eight-eight acres is situated on the
southwest corner of Section 7, Elizabeth Township, three
miles northwest of New Carlisle, was born in Elizabeth
Township, Miami County, Ohio, May 12, 1856, and is a son of
Stephen and Eleanor (Thompson) Davis.
STEPHEN DAVIS was born in Bethel Township, Miami
County, Ohio, where he lived until after his marriage, when
he moved to Elizabeth Township and later to Illinois.
He subsequently returned to Elizabeth Township and bought
the present farm of eighty-eight acres, on which he died, in
1872. He was a worthy man in every relation of life.
In politics he was a Democrat and served in township
offices, for many years being a member of the School Board.
He married Eleanor Thompson, a daughter of Mark
and Rebecca Thompson, former owners of the farm under
consideration. To this marriage two children were born—Martha
Ann and Thomas Calvin. The mother died in
January, 1906, and she was buried by the side of her husband
in Saylor's Cemetery.
Thomas Calvin Davis attended school until he was
twelve years old but from the age of fourteen he has been
farming for himself on his present property, which he has
placed in fine condition. He had some clearing to
complete and put down about 200 rods of tiling and also
erected all the present substantial buildings. Each
year his farm has grown more valuable. He takes only a
good citizen's interest in politics and casts his vote for
candidates of the Democratic party.
Source: Centennial History - Troy, Piqua and Miami
Co., Ohio - Publ. 1909 - Page 391 |
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