Caldwell County MO Archives History .....JOSEPH HAMILTON DAVIS, THE FIRST WHITE CHILD BORN IN HAMILTON 
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Karen Walker khw4@yahoo.com September 4, 2008, 6:05 pm

JOSEPH HAMILTON DAVIS, THE FIRST WHITE CHILD BORN IN HAMILTON, MO.
	Narrator:  Joseph H. Davis, 78

     In this narration, Mr. Davis is aided by others, in supplying details.
     It is fitting that our collection of historical narratives of Hamilton 
history, should contain one about "Uncle Jo Davis" the first white child born 
in the town of Hamilton.
     He was born in the old Davis Hotel, the first house built in Hamilton and 
the date is June 13 1857.  The family lived in that home a few years when Mr. 
A.G. Davis, his father and the founder of Hamilton, bought the cottage which 
his brother-in-law, Dr. McClintick had erected on the lot where now stands the 
post office (old Trust Co. Bank building).  That site was long known as the 
Davis cottage, during the 70s.  Then Mr. Davis built the fine home in the 
north east end of town (now the Keeton home).  It was while he lived in the 
Davis cottage that little Joe started to school, going to a small school on 
the lot where Mrs. Caroline Thornton's home now stands.  This was the old 
stage coach office of M.T. Green.  His teacher was Miss Gartland, who was 
brought to town by A.G. Davis to teach his own children and others, each 
parent paying something.  Then he went to a similar small building on the site 
of the present M.E. parsonage of which many old timers talk.  His teacher was 
L.T. Hill and this was a free school, tax paid.  They had a rostrum long 
benches and long desks, dunce caps for the lazy.  Jo Davis has carried the 
reputation of being a good pupil.  He did not get into school scrapes.
     Then he went to the new high school just opened on the new brick school 
on the north side.  He recalls that his father said one day, "Tomorrow you 
will start into High school."  He did not know exactly what it meant but that 
next morning, he strutted up the path to the door, for he KNEW THAT IT WAS 
GOING TO BE SOMETHING EXTRA IN SCHOOLING.  Prof. Ferguson once told him that 
he never had a pupil who made such strides in penmanship, and Uncle Joe still 
shows with a bit of pride that he still can write a fine hand despite his 78 
years.  Mrs. H. Booth who lived near the Davis family in their big house 
remembers Joe as a lad who preferred to read rather than play.  He bought 
books and when he was teaching paid twenty five dollars for a four volume set 
of encyclopedia which was rare at that time for a private person to own.
     He naturally turned to teaching instead of farming as a profession.  
Having finished the Hamilton schools, he went over to Allen Moore's private 
Normal school at Chillicothe.  Allen Moore, despite his peculiarities was a 
wonderful teacher and organizer.  Mr. Davis taught in the late 80s and early 
90s.  He taught at Spring Hill district, also at Four Corners school, a school 
5 miles south of Kidder, marking the place where the 4 townships, Kidder, 
Kingston, Hamilton and Mirabile join.  He boarded with his aunt, Mrs. Sallie 
Hemry who lived in this district.  The Partin girls of Hamilton, daughters of 
Wm. Partin, his cousins, went to Chillicothe about this time and were teachers 
too.
     Mr. Davis married 1901 to Laura B. Hardman, daughter of Rev. David C. 
Hardman of the Dunkard (Brethren) church.  He was visiting some relatives near 
Polo when he met her in her home near that town.  They had one child who died 
young.  Mrs. Davis died and is buried near the child in the Dunkard cemetery 
near Polo.
     Later, Mr. Davis bought a farm three quarters of a mile east of Hamilton 
where he still lives.  He walks to town almost daily, disdaining to ride when 
he is able to walk.  When anyone wants facts on Hamilton history, people will 
say, "See Joe Davis, he will tell you."
     August 1935.


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