Sumter-Schley-Macon County GaArchives Biographies.....Davenport, Daniel Frederick unknown - living in 1913 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 1, 2004, 7:14 pm Author: William Harden p. 1052-1054 DANIEL FREDERICK DAVENPORT. Prominent among the successful business men of Sumter county is Daniel Frederick Davenport, for many years one of the leading druggists of Americus, where he is at the present time, in 1913, engaged in the insurance and real estate business. He was born in Americus, a son of Colonel Walter Davenport, a pioneer settler of this part of Georgia, and comes of Revolutionary stock, and of substantial Virginian ancestry. His grandfather, Hon. Thomas Davenport, and his great-grandfather Davenport were both life-long residents of Virginia. His great-grandfather, a soldier in the Revolutionary army, took part in several engagements of the war, and on one occasion, when pursued by the British made his escape by running into a swamp, and burying himself, all but his head, in the mud. For services rendered during the struggle for independence he received from the United States government a grant of land, and though he secured a tract of land in Georgia, he never assumed its possession. Hon. Thomas Davenport, whose birth occurred in Halifax county, Virginia, became one of the largest landholders and tobacco raisers of that county, owning a large plantation, which he operated with slave labor. A man of strong personality, sound judgment and great influence, he was prominent in public life, and was five times honored with an election to Congress, in which he served acceptably for ten years. He married and reared three children, two sons, George and Walter, and a daughter. Walter Davenport was born in 1817, at Halifax Court House, Virginia, and in his native state received a liberal education. Beginning his active career as an educator, he taught school for a few years, both in Virginia and in Tennessee. Coming to Georgia in 1842, he located in Sumter county, which was then in a state of comparative wildness, deer, wolves, bears, and other wild beasts of the forest being plentiful, often terrorizing the few inhabitants of that locality. There were at that time no railways, and all goods were transported by teams from either Macon or Savannah, the round trip to and from those places consuming several days, and being especially hard when the roads were in a bad condition. Settling in Americus, then a mere hamlet, he was first engaged in the dry goods trade, and later in the hardware business. At the outbreak of the war between the states, he recruited a regiment, of which he was commissioned colonel, but having been appointed tithing agent he did not go to the front. Soon after the close of the conflict, Colonel Davenport established an insurance business, now conducted by two of his sons, and continued a resident of Americus until his death, in 1910, at the venerable age of ninety-three years. Colonel Davenport married Mary Frederick, a native of Orangeburg, South Carolina. Her father, Daniel Frederick, was born, reared, and married in South Carolina. Subsequently coming with his family to Georgia, he purchased a plantation in Houston county, and operated it successfully, with the help of slaves for a few years. Selling that property, he bought land in Macon county, and there lived until his death, when upward of eighty years of age. His wife, whose maiden name was Caroline Rumph, died at the age of four score years. They reared a family of six children, as follows: Elvira; Ann; Olivia; Mary, who married Colonel Davenport; Clara; and James D., who served as a major in the Confederate service. Colonel Davenport's wife died several years before he did, passing away in May, 1892. They were the parents of nine children, as follows: Florence, wife of Benjamin P. Hollis; Virginia, wife of A. W. Smith; Fanny, wife of Dupont Guerry; James A., of whom a brief personal sketch may be found on another page of this work; Addie, who married D. J. Baldwin; Anna, a twin sister of Addie, married Thomas Dickson; Daniel Frederick, the subject of this brief sketch; Thomas Edwin; and Leila, wife of Lawrence Stapleton. After leaving the public schools of Americus, Daniel F. Davenport further advanced his education by an attendance in an academy, and at the Agricultural and Mechanical College in Auburn, Alabama. On returning home, he became associated with his father and brother in the drug business, with which he was connected for twenty-eight consecutive years, having built up a large and lucrative patronage in that line. In 1910 Mr. Davenport embarked in the real estate, and the life and accident insurance business, in company with his brother, James A. Davenport, and in his undertakings is meeting with good success. On November 21, 1890, Mr. Davenport was united in marriage with Miss Leila Crisp, who was born in Ellaville, Georgia, a daughter of Honorable Charles F. and Clara (Burden) Crisp, of whom a brief account may be found elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Davenport have two children, namely: Clara Belle, and Mary Ella. Both Mr. and Mrs. Davenport are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Davenport is a member of the college fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon; and also belongs to the Woodmen of the World; and to the Patriotic Order Sons of America. Additional Comments: From: A HISTORY OF SAVANNAH AND SOUTH GEORGIA BY WILLIAM HARDEN VOLUME II ILLUSTRATED THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY CHICAGO AND NEW YORK 1913 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/sumter/bios/gbs514davenpor.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 5.9 Kb Note added Nov 4, 2004 by Sarah Howell Studstill SHStu@aol.com "Just a note to say in the book, "History of Sumter County, Georgia" by Jack F. Cox: I have a correction to a name given in the sketch by William Harden's book - see correction below the following paragraph: On November 21, 1890, Mr. Davenport was united in marriage with Miss Leila Crisp, who was born in Ellaville, Georgia, a daughter of Honorable Charles F. and Clara (Burden) Crisp, of whom a brief account may be found elsewhere in this volume.[Harden's book] pg 269 [shs - from sketch done by Janet Merritt, who was Janet Burton Scarborough Merritt] the info concerning the Leila Burton Crisp b 1868, d 1955 has her middle name as BURTON, not Burden. [shs -the above Mrs. Merritt was elected to the GA Legislature 4 terms; also served as GA State Regent & National Vice President General of the DAR.....]"