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Below is a family biography included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Lee County, Arkansas published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1890.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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D. W. Davis, one of the old settlers of this county, and son of David W. Davis, who came to this State in 1829, was born in the Old Dominion in 1816, and accompanied his father to Arkansas in the above mentioned year, settling where the younger Davis is now living. This was at that time a wilderness, and there were, in what is now Lee County, about forty families on the east side of the L’Anguille, and none on the west. In about 1835 Hardy Williams and brother, Jefferson Ezell, and two brothers, and one Mr. Burris, settled west of Haynes, in what is now Texas Township. The remaining portion of the county was an unbroken wilderness, filled with deer, bear, buffalo and many other wild animals. Where Marianna now stands there lived at that time two old Poles, Duskinuski and Coluski by name, and just south of them lived John Patterson, who was born in Helena in 1800. He lived to be eighty years of age. His sister, who was born previous to 1800, was the first white child born in Helena. Of all the early settlers of the county, Mr. Davis is the only one of the original families who is still living. He was one of eleven children born to his parents, five sons and six daughters, and is the only one surviving, although all lived to be grown and reared large families, except one sister and D. W. These children were named as follows: Mary (deceased, was the wife of A. G. McDaniel, family now resides in this and Monroe County), Solomon (deceased, family resides in Illinois), Nancy (deceased, wife of John W. Calvert, family deceased), Cornelius (deceased, family resides in this county and Arizona), Benjamin (deceased, family resides in St. Francis County), Rebecca (deceased), Rachel (deceased, wife of William West, family resides in Kansas), D. W., W. H. (deceased, family resides with D. W. Davis, except one daughter, Elizabeth, who married G. L. Rodgers), Harriet (deceased, wife of T. R. Harris) and Eliza (deceased, wife of Bryant Lynch, family resides in Lee County, Ark.). David W. Davis, Sr., died in 1837. He was born in 1761, and participated in the Revolutionary War. He was on a war ship with Capt. Peterson during the principal part of the war, and was with Gen. Wayne in the war with the Indians, being wounded in the shoulder in the last engagements. His wife was born in 1777, and died in 1861. Our subject, D. W. Davis, was educated in the subscription schools of Kentucky, and after coming to Arkansas received instruction from his father, who was an unusually good scholar for his day, and a fine mathematician. After the death of his father D. W. remained at home and took care of his mother. He was not in the war himself, but his family supplied quite a number of soldiers for the South. His father held the right of pre-emption on the land which he entered in 1836, there being about 160 acres in the original homestead, but to this our subject has added 300 acres more, which belongs to him and the heirs of W. H. Davis. The Davis family, while being among the prominent ones of the county, never aspired to office, though one, J. C. Davis, is sheriff of St. Francis County. He is a nephew of D. W. Davis (subject). While Mr. Davis does not seek for official prominence he still manifests considerable interest in the local elections, and is a thorough Democrat. He is a liberal contributor to all matters relating to the good of the county, and is a man universally respected. Amanda Davis, widow of W. H. Davis, and daughter of Noah and Mary (Hearty) Reed, natives, respectively, of Massachusetts and Kentucky, was one of two children born to her parents. The other child, Elizabeth, married J. L. Rowland. Previous to her marriage to Mr. Reed, Mrs. Reed had married a man by the name of Ramage, and by him became the mother of two children: Lucinda (deceased, wife of Benjamin Travis), and James (who resides in Paducah, Ky.). Mr. Reed died in 1845, and Mrs. Reed in 1842. Mrs. Amanda Davis was born in 1833, and came with her father to Arkansas when quite small. She had very limited educational advantages, and at the age of twenty-two years was united in marriage to George Halbert. The result of this union was one child, W. H., who resides in Haynes. Mr. Halbert died December 17, 1856, and in July, 1858, his widow married W. H. Davis, who died November 23, 1883. Mr. and Mrs. Davis were the parents of seven children, five now living: Richard (died at the age of twenty-five years), T. Jefferson (died at the age of fifteen months), Mary E., Annie, George B., William H. and Harriet A. Mr. Davis and his brother, D. W., had always remained together, and the business interests still continue as before his death. W. H. Davis had been married previous to his union with Mrs. Halbert, to Miss Sarah J. Boon, and by her became the father of five children, only two now living: Mrs. Rodgers, of Texas, and David R., who resides in Lee County, Ark. Mrs. Davis is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

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This family biography is one of 104 biographies included in Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Lee County, Arkansas published in 1890.  For the complete description, click here: Lee County, Arkansas History, Genealogy, and Maps

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