My Genealogy Hound

DAVIS, WM. M., pioneer, carpenter and farmer; P. O. Fort Madison; son of John Davis, who was a son of Basil Davis, born near the Potomac River in Virginia, and while still a young man, on foot and alone, emigrated to Pennsylvania, then in its infancy. There he married Mary Mattox and settled in Beaver Co., where they raised a family of five sons and four daughters, of whom John was the third son, born in Beaver Co., Nov. 25, 1791. There he married Sarah Moore in April, 1816; she was born in Centre Co., Penn., April 21, 1791. A few weeks after their marriage, he placed a feather bed upon his horse, upon which his wife mounted and with their cooking utensils, including a Dutch oven, strapped upon another horse, and walking beside, he journeyed to Muskingum Co., Ohio; there they settled in a heavy body of timber, which he proceeded to reduce to ashes and the land to a state of cultivation; they cleared up a large farm there, then removed to Morgan Co., Ohio, where they cleared up another, and, in October, 1838, again became pioneers of the West and settled in Lee Co., where his son William now resides, and remained until their death, which occurred, the mother’s in September, 1869, the father’s March 21, 1877, at the age of 86 years, leaving a family of twelve children, of whom William M. was the eldest; born Feb. 25, 1817, in Muskingum Co., Ohio; received all of his education at a log schoolhouse; at 18, in company with George Herring and family, emigrated West; arrived in Appanoose in June, 1835, where they worked, making fans for fanning-mills until the following September, when they, crossed the river; he remained with his uncle Herring until 1838, and, having entered a claim in 1837, he began to improve and now owns 270 acres, valued at $30 per acre. In 1859, he married Miss Sarah G., daughter of James Anderson, of Crawford Co., Penn.; she was born in Meadville, Penn., Oct. 30, 1823; they have five children — Alma L. born August, 1860; Kate May, March, 1862; George E., June, 1864; William H., April, 1867; Sarah J., July, 1868. Of his father’s family, the second was Basil E., now of Missouri; James C., at Fort Atkinson, Wis., a physician; Joseph, who died at Dallas, Tex., 1876; John W., of Marion Co., Iowa; Elisha, now of Texas; Geo. H., of this township; Sophia A., whose biography appears in this work; Mary A., wife of A. L. Rice, whose biography appears elsewhere; Elizabeth, wife of Henry Densmore, of Arizona; Nancy J., wife of Zeno F. Hopkins, of Kansas, now deceased, and Sarah L., of Fort Madison; the youngest had grown to manhood before a link was broken by death among the children. Mr. D. is a Jeffersonian Democrat; says that he never voted in any State but Iowa; members of the Christian Church; Mrs. Davis was formerly a member of the M. E. Church at Meadville, Penn.