JOHN T. DAVIS AND FAMILY, Smith County, TX ********************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Submitted by Linda M. Redding - maukabear@aol.com 25 May 2001 ********************************************************************** JOHN T. DAVIS AND FAMILY "Some Biographies of Old Settlers." Historical, Personal and Reminiscent. Volume I By Sid S. Johnson, 1900: Sid S. Johnson, Publisher, Tyler, Texas Chapter XLIV - Pages 204-205 John T. Davis was born in Jackson county, Georgia, April 25th, 1801, and moved to Smith county in 1852, first settling on the Seven Leagues in this county and opened up a farm. He soon moved one mile South of Tyler, where he died December 23rd, 1863, greatly lamented by all who knew him. Mr. Davis was known and appreciated for his liberality, ever extending the hand of charity to those who were needy. He was a leader in the Baptist church and lived up to the tenets of the church, where he and his good wife worshipped, during their useful and Christian lives. Farming was his occupation, and he pursued his favorite pursuit with abundant success during his life, and was known as a good liver. The domestic relations were pleasant, and the writer when a boy, often thought of the aimability that existed between him and his excellent wife, who survived him several years, both living close to their faith in the bright prospects of the future world. John T. Davis was a quiet, peaceful, intelligent citizen, never mixed to any great extent in politics, but had his political convictions that he quietly lived up to through life. He was no office seeker, but the people elected him county commissioner for several terms, filling the office with a due regard to the public interests. As a citizen, he was intelligent upon public questions and grappled with questions of public policy with prayerful consciousness. John T. Davis was a model citizen, generous and just in his dealings with mankind. He and his sweet wife have realized the joys of the sweets of eternal life. Mr. and Mrs. Davis raised a number of children. Those of whom I now remember, are as follows: Mrs. J.J. Hamilton and Mrs. H.J. Weaver, of Tyler; Mrs. R.D. Jefferies, of Abilene, Texas; Mrs. Vessels, of Henderson county; Mrs. T.J. Putty, of Henrietta, Texas; Mrs. Phillip Evans, of Cherokee county, Georgia; Terrell Davis, and a brother whose name is not remembered. Several of these are dead.