- JAMES DAVIS belongs to the older generation of Rock County
farmers, who have done such
- brave and noble work in the reclaiming of a wilderness and
the building of a great State. They came to Wisconsin when it
was a vast forest, with stretches of open prairie, and have converted
it into a State that is the peer of any in the Union. Much of
this transformation Mr. DAVIS has witnessed, and, so far as his
strength permitted, has helped in its accomplishments. He lives
in a fine home in Section 8, Harmony township, rock County, and
contemplates with wonder the change that has been wrought around
him.
- Mr. DAVIS was born in Oneida County, New York, Dec. 22, 1837,
and is a son of David and
- Elizabeth (WILLIAMS) DAVIS, or, as it was originally written,
"Davies." They were natives of Wales, and had six
sons and four daughters, three of their children now living:
William, of Wallula, Wash.; James, whose name appears at the
opening of this article; and John, of Westmoreland, Kans. The
father was a cooper by trade, and came to this country about
1830, locating in Oneida County, N.Y., where he engaged in farming.
In 1841 he came to Wisconsin, and, settling in Racine, engaged
in work as a cooper. He died in Racine in 1844, and his wife
survived him but two days. They were Calvinistic Methodists.
His father died in Wales at a venerable age. His wife's father
came to this country after his daughter's marriage, and spent
his last days in Racine; his wife and all his other children
died in Wales.
- James DAVIS lived with a family by the name of DEBERARD in
Racine nearly four years after
- his parents' death. In 1849 he came to Rock County, Wis.,
and made his home with Joseph SPAULDING, with whom he lived until
he was twenty-one. He attended the district school, and found
in Mr. SPAULDING and his good wife kind and faithful friends.
For the first three years after he had attained his majority
he worked out by the month, saving his money, and at that time
was fore-handed enough to buy a small farm of seventy-seven and
a half acres in Harmony township. This land he has thoroughly
improved, and has added to it eighty acres in Section 9, the
two making a very complete and productive farm. He has given
much attention to fine stock, raising his own horses, hogs and
cattle; of the latter he prefers Durham cattle, although he has
some Jersey stock.
- Mr. DAVIS and Miss Helen HOLMES were married Jun 22, 1869.
She was a daughter of
- Harvey and Abbey (WATERMAN) HOLMES, and became the mother
of two children: Helen a. and John Edward, both of whom are still
under the home roof. Mrs. DAVIS died in 1875, at the age of
forty-one She was a member of the Milton Congregational Church,
and a lady of fine character. Mr. DAVIS is a Republican, and
has served one year as assessor of the town. He has a beautiful
home, a modern house, neat and attractive in every particular,
and owns a finely improved farm.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin"
(c) 1901, pp. 457-458.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|