| WilliamJ. Davis |
WILLIAM J. DAVIS, ofLee township, was born in Adams county, Illinois, in 1845. His father,Washington, was horn in Virginia about 1822, and hi8 father, Edward, wasa Virginia farmer who emigrated to Illinois in 1837, where he died at anadvanced age, in Adams county. They came by land the most of the way. Themother of William J. was Nancy Chipman of North Carolina, a daughter ofDavid Chipman, who came to Illinois in 1835. She survived her husband.
William Davis had agood common-school education, was reared to farm life, and this has beenhis vocation except a little agency as a salesman in fruit trees. He remainedat home until twenty-six years of age, when he married Maggie, daughterof George and Hannah (Ferguson) Colgate. She was horn in Pike county, ofwhich her parents were early settlers. Her mother died about 1877. Herfather is living, at the age of seventy-five.
Mr. and Mrs. Davissettled on a small farm near Clayton in 1874. Three years later they soldthere and moved to their present home in Brown county, buying sixty acresfor $2,250. He rents part, and farms about 120 acres a year. They havebeen greatly blessed, and have not lost any of their ten children. Theyare, Charles E., Adelbert, Walter, Harriet, Jackson, Julia, George, Belle,Mary and Nellie. This family is all comely, bright and dutiful; and arebeing carefully educated Mr. Davis is a Missionary Baptist, he is alsoa Democrat, but is not strongly partisan. While he has been very busy raisingstock and engaged in general farming he has had time to become a successfulbee-keeper in the last six years. He is School Director and a very activemember in his church. His family is highly thought of in the communityas is he himself.
Biographical Reviewof Cass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical ReviewPublishing Co., Chicago, 1892, pages 199-200.
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