John B. Davis Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 674-675

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.

	This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
	a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


JOHN B. DAVIS, one of Davison county's influential citizens, is a 
farmer and stock-raiser in Badger township. He raises each year a large 
herd of cattle, both for dairy and beef purposes, and also operates a 
large tract of farm land. 

Mr. Davis is a native of Montgomery county, New York, his natal day 
being May 19, 1839. His parents, David M. C. and Julia (Barlow) Davis, 
were also both natives of the Empire state, the father being of Welsh 
descent. The father died in 1890, while on a visit to the home of our 
subject, and the mother died in 1840. They reared a family of three 
children, of whom we have the following record: Prudence, wife of D. E. 
Ramsdahl, of Michigan; James A. Davis, a farmer in Grant county, 
Wisconsin; and John B., of whom this article is a brief life history. 

In 1859 our subject moved to Grant county, Wisconsin, whither his 
father had preceded him, and soon after purchased a farm in that 
county. In a short time, however, he sold this tract and purchased a 
farm of one hundred and thirty acres in Crawford county, of the same 
state. In 1 866 he moved to Bridgeport, Crawford county, Wisconsin, and 
purchased the Bridgeport House, a hotel which he operated for five 
years, and during this time he was postmaster at that place for four 
years. He then returned to his farm, but soon moved to Prairie du Chien 
and there performed the duties of deputy sheriff of Crawford county and 
for one term served as sheriff. While he was yet sheriff, in February, 
1882, he filed a claim to the farm he now occupies, and which is a part 
of the section of land that he and his son now own and on which they, 
in partnership, conduct an immense stock-raising industry. Their herd 
consists of about seventy-five head of cattle, and a large percent of 
them are bred for dairy purposes. 

Although Mr. Davis does not allow political affairs to interfere in the 
least with his farm work, he has always taken a keen interest in the 
welfare of his country, as is the duty of every loyal citizen, and he 
has made his influence felt both in local affairs and in matters 
pertaining to the state. He has performed the duties of the office of 
chairman of the board of supervisors, has been township assessor, and 
for one term was county commissioner. He has identified himself with 
the Populist party ever since its organization, and served as delegate 
to the first Populist state convention, which convened at Huron. 

In 1858, when but nineteen years of age, he was joined in marriage to 
Miss Amanda Borden, who had also only passed her nineteenth milestone 
in the journey of life. The wife was born on the 22d day of July, 1839. 
This union has been blessed by the presence of a family of three 
children, of whom the eldest, Carrie, is now the wife of T. G. Brunson, 
who is now engaged in abstract work in St. Paul, Minnesota. The second 
child and only son, John L., now resides near his father and with him 
is engaged in stock raising. He was married, in 1888, to Miss Millie 
Gates, and they have become the parents of one child. The youngest 
child of our subject and Mrs. Davis is Julia, the wife of Harry 
Perkins.