Biographical Sketch of George W. Davis, Phelps County, Missouri

>From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, 
Pulaski, Phelps and Dent Counties, Missouri" The Goodspeed Publishing
Company, 1889.
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Prof. George W. Davis, principal of the St. James High School, is among
the popular and successful educators of Phelps county, Mo., and has 
bent all his energies to perfect himself in his chosen calling; and it
may be truthfully said that his labors have met with flattering success.
He was born in Lake county, Ill., in 1853, and is a son of Alson W. and
Hannah Davis, both of whom were born in Steuben county, N. Y., in 1828.
Alson W. Davis removed to Lake county, Ill., when Chicago was a mere
trading post, and was reared and married in that county.  In 1859 he
returned to Steuben county, N. Y., and while there enlisted in the 
First New York Artillery for three years, or during the war, and after
about two years' service with the Army of the Potomac was discharged on
account of ill health, but after about six months' rest improved so in
health that he again joined the army, enlisting in Company G, Twenty-
second New York Cavalry.  He was taken prisoner at Weldon Railroad, 
near Richmond, Va., in 1864, and was kept in captivity in Andersonville,
Libby, Florence and Charleston prisons, and died a paroled prisoner at
Annapolis, Md., April 4, 1865, and is buried in the National Cemetery.
He was a cabinet maker by trade, and was a son of Lemuel C. Davis, who
was of Welsh descent, and a farmer of Connecticut, and died in Lake
county, Ill.  Judge Noah C. Davis, of the New York Supreme Court, who
was appointed by President Grant, is his nephew.  Our subject's mother
was a daughter of Samuel Davis, a brother of Lemuel C.  The former was
also a native of Connecticut, and was a soldier in the Revolutionary
War.  He died in Steuben county, N. Y.  In 1867 Prof. George W. Davis
and his mother came to Phelps county, Mo., and here the mother is still
living, the wife of Charles Baker, whom she married in 1867.  Prof. 
Davis is an only child, and was reared on a farm, receiving a common
school education, until fourteen years of age. After coming to Missouri
he was sick for a long period, which left him a cripple for life.  From
1885 to 1888 he attended the Cape Girardeau Normal School, graduating
from "C" and "B" courses, and began his career as a pedagogue in 1874,
and with the exception of one year, when he was in school, has taught 
up to the present time.  He is entering on his second year's work at
St. James, and bids fair to become among the foremost educators of the
day.  He is a member of the I. O. O. F., Big Springs Lodge No. 237, and
in his political views supports the principles of the Republican party,
his first presidential vote being cast for Hayes.  His step-father, Mr.
Baker, was born in Hampshire, England, in 1825, and as his parents were 
quite poor he was compelled to begin the battle of life for himself at
a very early age, receiving but very little schooling.  When about ten
years of age he hired out as a shepherd boy, which occupation he con-
tinued for some five years, receiving about 4 shillings a week for his
services, and the following four years worked at gardening.  He was 
then employed in a dock yard for about two years, at which time he had
accumulated enough money to enable him to come to the United States
(1850), and spent some years in various parts of the Western States and
Territories trading with the Indians.  He was engaged in carpentering
in Illinois about ten years, and then came to Missouri in 1867, where
he has since lived, actively engaged in agricultural pursuits.

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