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CHARLES DAVIS,
a farmer of Ridge township, the owner of 80 acres of land in section
25, was born in St. Marys, Ohio, Nov. 16, 1845, and is a son of
John and Sophia (Benner) Davis. The father came from
Hocking County to Van Wert County at an early day. He enlisted
from this county for service in the Civil war and while in the army
contracted the measles, from which he died at Bowling Green,
Kentucky, in 1861.
Charles Davis attended school until his 15th
year, when he began working on the farm. On Oct. 3, 1864, he
enlisted in Company C, 47th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and was in the
15th Army Corps under Gen. John A. Logan, with General
Sherman commander-in-chief. He took part in the fight at
Fort McAllister, Georgia, and started with Sherman in the
march to the sea, but was taken ill at Raleigh, North Carolina, and
was sent to Chestnut Hill Hospital, Philadelphia, where he was
honorably discharged June 15, 1865. Taking up the life of a
private citizen once more, he engaged in farming in Washington
Township until 1877, when he purchased his present farm upon which
he has since resided.
Mr. Davis was married Feb. 11, 1868,
to Mary J. Hire, daughter of Jeremiah Hire, deceased,
and a well-known resident of Washington township for many years.
Two children have been born to this worthy couple: Sylvester S.;
and Minnie C. S., the wife of L. A. Price, formerly of
Mercer County, Ohio, now of Ridge township, Van Wert County.
Sylvester S. Davis was a young man of excellent character and
integrity. He was married to Hannah L. Faucett of
Washington township, by whom he had one son, Eugene, who
lives in Middlepoint with his mother. Sylvester S. Davis died
Aug. 15, 1904, cut down in the prime of manhood, but he left behind
him the heritage of a good and noble name and the love and esteem of
all who knew him. Mrs. Davis died Sept. 29, 1904.
Mr. Davis is a member of the G. A. R. post at Middlepoint, of
which he is past commander. He is also a member of the tent of
the Improved Order of Red Men at that place and also belongs to the
Society of Friends.
History of Van Wert County, Ohio - Publ. by Richmond &
Arnold - Chicago, Illinois - Publ. 1906 - Page 514 |
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DAVID DAVIS
History of Van Wert County, Ohio - Publ. by Richmond &
Arnold - Chicago, Illinois - Publ. 1906 - Page 755 |
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DAVID J. DAVIS,
deceased, formerly county commissioner of Van Wert County,
Ohio, and for more than 20 years an active business man at
Delphos, was born July 7, 1841, in Jackson County, Ohio, and
was a son of Jenkin and Anna (Edwards) Davies.
He died at Delphos on Feb. 21, 1888, and was laid to
rest in the West Side Cemetery.
Mr. Davies was reared and educated in Jackson
County, enlisting in the Union cause before his education
was completed, and serving both in the ranks and as a
hospital steward. Upon his return from the Civil War
he entered Lebanon University and after graduating therefrom
(on Oct. 21, 1867), locating at Delphos, where he entered
into partnership with the late Henry J. Moennig.
Mr. Davies was also interested in the insurance
business, and, being a man of business capacity and
promptitude, commanded the general respect of his
fellow-citizens. He served two terms as commissioner
of Van Wert County, performing his public duties with the
same faithful ability which he applied to his private
business.
On Oct. 8, 1867, Mr. Davies was married to
Nancy Ellen Richey, who was born Apr. 1, 1840, and is a
daughter of Charles P. and Martha T. (Maddox) Richey.
Mr. Richey was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, and
settled in Van Wert County, in October, 1844, when his
daughter was four years old. He still resides in Van
Wert, having been a justice of the peace for 28 years.
His wife died in 1866.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Davies are:
Charles Walter, born Apr. 19, 1869, who married
Stella Waugh, lives in Chicago, ahs one child- Verna
- and occupies a very responsible position with the
Illinois Steel Works, of that city; Jenkins Virgil,
born Oct. 1, 1871, who married Anna Patterson and
resides in Alabama; Homer Moening, born Sept. 22,
1873, who is cashier of tme Commercial Bank of
Delphos; Ethel Armeda, born Jan. 20, 1876, a teacher
in the Delphos public schools; and Villa Verona, born
Nov. 26, 1879, who resides at home, of Van Wert County.
The father died Feblin* township.
History of Van Wert County, Ohio - Publ. by Richmond &
Arnold - Chicago, Illinois - Publ. 1906 - Page 489
* Sharon Wick's Note: This is as it is printed in this
book. |
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DAVID DAVIS, M. D.,
the oldest physician and surgeon in continuous practice in
the village of Venedocia. was born in 1858 in Jackson
County, Ohio, and is a son of Morgan and Mary (Davis)
Davis.
The father of Dr. Davis died in 1870; but
his venerable mother still survives and still resides in her
pioneer home in Madison township, Jackson County, Ohio.
She was born in 1816, in Delaware County, Ohio, a daughter
of John Davis, and is probably the oldest lady
of Welsh extraction, born in the State of Ohio. She is
the oldest member of the old Moriah Welsh Calvinistic
Church, where she still regularly attends service, enjoying
the half-mile walk to and from church, up and down hill,
with the same vigor as she did 40 years ago. Mrs.
Davis has lived through a remarkable period of the
world's history, and, although her life has been spent
within somewhat narrow territorial limits, it has been none
the less interesting.
Mrs. Davis was one of a family of three
daughters and two sons born to her parents. All
reached maturity, formed domestic ties of their own, and all
except herself have passed on to the other shore, leaving
representatives behind them. Her birth took place on
Christmas Day, in her father's pioneer cabin, which stood
near the present site of Radnor station, surrounded by dense
woods. There she grew to young womanhood, witnessing
many changes. For many years wolves were still so
numerous that they surrounded the cabin at night and carried
off all provisions not carefully hidden away. Indians
also were frequent visitors. Their language she could
never understand but as they usually wanted to be fed, she
wisely permitted them to help themselves from her larder
and, never suffered in any way. They roamed up and
down the surrounding forests and almost trackless swamps,
lands which she has seen redeemed and transformed into
fruitful fields.
In the days of her girlhood Mrs. Davis
was taught all the frugal ways of housekeeping other day,
and expended time and patience in learning the mysteries of
spinning and weaving. She can easily recall how
important was the growing of flax, the careful sowing of the
seed, its cultivation like oats, its beautiful blue flower,
its careful cutting and drying. Every stage of its
preparation is still recalled by this venerable lady whose
busy, useful hands have fashioned numberless garments from
the product of the seed she planted herself. On many
occasions she has dropped corn down the long rows, and later
cultivated it with a hoe. Mrs. Davis
remembers when it was a serious matter to allow the kitchen
fire to go out. Punk and tow would start it again; but
there were occasions when a trip had to be made to the
neighbors in order to procure a fresh supply, when accident
had quenched the flame.
Mrs. Davis accompanied her parents in
girlhood, from Delaware County to Van Wert County, the trip
being made in a covered wagon, drawn by oxen. She was
married in 1836, in Jackson County, Ohio, where she
has lived ever since. She became the mother of 11
children, six of whom survive, namely: Sarah, who is
the widow of David D. Evans, of Jackson County, and
the mother of seven children; Ruth, who is the widow
of William Redfern, of Shawnee, Ohio; Ellen,
who is the wife of John W. Evans, of Jackson County,
and has six children; Jonathan, who married Vrina
Jones and has four children; David, the subject
of this sketch; and Margaret, who lives with her
venerable mother near Clay, in Jackson County. Mrs.
Davis has 46 grandchildren and 20
great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Davis had but few educational
advantages in her youthful days, attendance in a log school
house covering but a few winter months. She was early
taught to look upon religion with reverence, and was 14
years old when she made a profession, since which time she
has faithfully and sincerely lived a Christian life.
She was reared with the Chidlon family, noted
Sunday-school workers. In the early years of her
married life, before the church was built, which can be seen
from her door, she was accustomed to ride on horseback to
attend services, four miles distant, having one child
strapped behind and another in front. In every way
possible the life of this venerable lady is made
comfortable. In the full possession of her faculties
she is passing the evening of life, surrounded with comforts
and tended with loving care, and when this long and worthy
life has closed, there will remain memories of a noble,
Christian woman whose influence has always been beneficent.
David Davis, the immediate subject of this
sketch, was about 12 years old when his father died.
The latter was born in Wales and had emigrated to America in
1828. His death occurred on his farm in 1870, his
whole life having been an agricultural one. After the
death of his father, our subject and his older brother,
Jonathan, took charge of the homestead. The former
continued to operate the farm for his mother until he was 21
years of age, when he began to teach school. Before
this his educational opportunities had necessarily been
restricted; but he subsequently attended the Rio Grande
College and Morgan Brothers’ Academy, at Oak Hill. In
1881 he entered the Eclectic Medical Institute of
Cincinnati, where he was graduated three years later. He
began to practice at Kieferville Putnam County, Ohio, where
he remained four years, and then came to Venedocia. At
that time the thriving village was but barely redeemed from
the forest and swamp, and for the first years his
professional visits through York and Jennings townships were
necessarily in made on horseback, especially in the winter
seasons. His practice at present is a large lucrative
one and is not confined to the village or the townships
named.
Dr. Davis was united in marriage with
Elizabeth Evans, who is the daughter of John W. Evans,
a well-known pioneer. They have had four sons, all
dying in infancy, except Morgan, named for his
grandfather. Both Dr. Davis and wife are
devout members of the Calvinistic Methodist Church, in which
both were reared.
In political sentiment Dr. Davis is a
Republican, but takes little more than a good citizen’s
interest in politics. He is a member of the board of
pension examining surgeons for Van Wert County, and he
belongs to the Ohio State Medical Eclectic Association.
Fraternally he has been interested in the Knights of Pythias
for many years, of which he is now chancellor commander and
has been sent on occasion as a representative to the Grand
Lodge.
History of Van Wert County, Ohio - Publ. by Richmond &
Arnold - Chicago, Illinois - Publ. 1906 - Page 755 |
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DAVID O. DAVIS,*
one of the most progressive young agriculturists of
Washington township, resides on his finely improved farm of
175 acres located in section 31. He is the youngest
son of David O. and Anna (Allen) Davis, and was born
May 14, 1874, on the farm which he now owns and occupies.
David O. Davis, Sr., came to this country with
his parents when eight years of age. In 1864, he and
his wife moved from Jackson County, Ohio, to Van Wert
County, where he purchased the farm which his son now owns.
Here the father spent the remainder of his life engaged in
farming, passing away in 1895. His widow still resides
on the family homestead with her son.
David O. Davis, the subject of this sketch, has
always lived in the locality where he was born, being
educated in the schools of Washington township. He has
never been married and is a member of the Horeh Welsh
Calvanistic Church.
History of Van Wert County, Ohio - Publ. by Richmond &
Arnold - Chicago, Illinois - Publ. 1906 - Page 801 |
James Monroe Dull
Mrs. Martha L. Dull |
JAMES MONROE DULL
History of Van Wert County, Ohio - Publ. by Richmond &
Arnold - Chicago, Illinois - Publ. 1906 - Page 427 |
NOTES: |
