Knox-Lincoln-Kennebec County ME Archives Biographies.....DAVIS, Virginia LaFayette June 19, 1834 - August 17, 1886
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Bill Boggess william-boggess@webtv.net February 22, 2006, 1:57 pm

Author: Bill Boggess



     VIRGINIA LAFAYETTE DAVIS 



Virginia LaFayette DAVIS, wife of Colonel Oliver Crosby GRAY, was born Thursday, 19
June 1834 at home on Davis Point, Cushing now in Knox county, Maine to Captain
George Davis and Catherine Young, granddaughter to Cornelius Davis and Hoppy (Hope)
Adams! She survived with older brother N Bryon, later younger brothers Raymond C and
Ferdinand (Fred). Bryon was a sea Captain like his father, Raymond was Librarian at
University of Michigan, Fred an Architect in California and she a wife, mother,
artist and educator. 

Jennie, as she was known by family, often visited her uncle Richard and daughters
living on Harbor Island, south of Davis Point. Years later, her son, Carl Gray also
enjoyed boating there with friends or family to enjoy a picnic of lobster. Somewhat
different now because no one lived on the island as did his mother's cousins many
years earlier and being one of her favorite spots to visit. Virginia also sailed
with her father on many trips, at least once in 1857 to Europe as cited by Bradley
Brackett in his 1989 publication, "Of A Place Called St Georges". Brothers, Bryon &
Raymond sailed around the world with their father in 1849-51. Bryon's great,great,
granddaughter in New Hampshire, transcribed her thirty letters Jennie wrote Bryon,
his widow, Nellie and their daughter, Kate from 1858 to 1886, furnishing me a copy
which is most revealing, interesting, and unpublished plus I have copies of ten
letters furnished by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan which were
written to Raymond. 

Virginia married Oliver Crosby Gray in 1858 and moved to Minnesota where he and his
family moved in 1855, birthing son Clyde Leslie. Oliver was a school teacher,
graduating from Colby College in 1855 with his & his classmates pictures in her
Scriptural Album. They then went to Mississippi for a year ending up in 1860
adopting Arkansas as their home where they taught, raised a family and died, Clyde
in 1861 Princeton, she 1886, Fayetteville and Oliver 1905 at Little Rock. Jennie was
an artist and writer as well as an educator of Art, having 1st chair of Art
Department at what is now University of Arkansas in 1874 to 1881, 

Vergie, as she was known in Fayetteville by students and friends, died an anguishing
death by cancer 17 August 1886, discovered December 1885. She, with her son, visited
Cushing as often as possible, later son Carl Gay had his summer home, Gray Rocks, at
Pleasant Point (remodeled by owner in 2005) from 1919 till his 1939 death with his
wife Harriette Flora, also living there till 1943, then in Thomaston until death
in1956. 

Summer of 2005, Virginia's great,great granddaughter, Nancy, relinquished her
materials, some nearly 150 years old, to Special Collections at University of
Arkansas for preservation, viewing and study by the public. Contained therein were:
the 1863-1865 original diary published 1983 in Arkansas Historical Quarterly,
annoted by Dr Carl H Moneyhon, UALR of life at Princeton Arkansas while husband was
off doing battle as commander of Company A, 'Princeton Light Horses', 3rd Regiment
Arkansas Cavalry, CSA, organized summer 1861 by Colonel Solon Borland, M D, in more
battles than any other Arkansas unit. Also included were her Scriptural Album of
about 50 pieces of art etc, and a 243 page diary 1867-1872 (transcribed before
turned over) of son Carl Raymond Gray, once vice chairman of Union Pacific Railway
and recipient of 1929 honorary LL D from University of Arkansas, with another 845
pages, 1872-1874, found in files at Arkansas History Commission, who claim they can
NOT release them to University of Arkansas for completion of the Gray collection. 

To read of the Grays lives, which they unselfishly dedicated to educating the youth
of Arkansas, unsurpassed by any other Arkansas pioneer teaching couple, --- you are
invited to view two documented booklets, with exhibits and pictures, "The Grays From
Maine" and "The Story of Two ARKANSAS Pioneer School Teachers" at: --- Butler Center
for Arkansas Studies, Old State House Museum, Arkansas History Commission in Little
Rock, Special Collections, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Public Library, in
Fayetteville, Shilo Museum, at Springdale, Rogers Historical Museum, Rogers,
Arkansas, Colby College at Waterville Maine or Thomaston Public Library in
Thomaston, Maine and at Memphis Public Library, genealogical section. or for text
only, on line at: 

http://www.rootsweb.com/~arpulask/Col.MrsOCGray.html 

http://www.rootsweb.com/~arwashin/pics/grays.html 


Read Honorable George B Rose's tribute given at funeral of Colonel O C Gray December
10, 1905: 

http://files.usgwarchives.net/me/lincoln/newspapers/tributet3nw.txt



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