Preston County, West Virginia          Biography of Ivan DAVIS

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The History of West Virginia, Old and New
Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, Volume II, pg. 129-130


    Ivan Davis is a banker at Kingwood, being cashier of the Kingwood 
National Bank. He acquired his early business training at Morgantown, where 
he was connected with the glass industry for many years.
   
   Mr. Davis succeeded W. A. Schaeffer as cashier of the Kingwood National 
Bank and is also one of its directors. This bank was organized in 1902 by 
local capitalists, the moving spirit being James W. Flynn. Other associates 
were Ira Robinson, of Grafton, Senator Stephen B. Elkins and S. H. White. The 
capital has always been maintained at $25,000 and the surplus and undivided 
profits now stand at a similar figure. The officers are: Mr. Flynn, 
president; C. A. Craig and George A. Herring, vice presidents; Mr. Davis, 
cashier; and Charles Manown, bookkeeper.
    
    Mr. Davis represents one of the older families of West Virginia, both his 
father and grandfather having been born in the state. His great-grandfather 
more than 100 years ago came from New Jersey and established his home in 
Doddridge County, where he lived out his life as a farmer. His son William 
was a Doddridge County farmer all his life, and the third generation of the 
family here was represented by William G. Davis, father of the Kingwood 
banker.
    
    William G. Davis was born in 1834, and has now reached venerable years, 
his active life having been devoted to farming. He was a Confederate soldier 
and was in the army until the close of the war. He was a private, and though 
in many battles he escaped wounds or capture. That has been practically his 
only service outside of his farm and home community. Like most of his 
ancestors he has been satisfied to vote as a democrat, and he is a member of 
the Baptist Church. William G. Davis married Miss Martha Hall, who died in 
June, 1921, at the age of sixty-eight. Her father was Lemuel Hall, of Auburn, 
in Ritchie County. William G. Davis and wife had seven sons and one daughter: 
Newton F., Lewis T., William L., Cyrus A., Marshall, Fred, Ivan, and Lydia, 
the latter the wife of W. Lewis of Doddridge County. All the sons are farmers 
but William L., who is a Baptist minister, and Ivan.
    
    Ivan Davis was born near Salem, Doddridge County, November 7, 1882, and 
he grew up near the county seat and was a factor on the farm until about 
eighteen. He then supplemented his common school education by attending Salem 
College three years, and at the age of twenty-one completed the course of the 
Mountain State Business College at Parkersburg. With this education and 
training Mr. Davis became an office man for the Mississippi Glass Company at 
Morgantown, and was continuously with that corporation for fifteen years, 
seeing it grow from a plant employing about seventy-five men to and industry 
with a pay roll of about 300. he was assistant manager of the company when he 
resigned in July, 1917, to remove to Kingwood and enter upon his duties as 
cashier of the Kingwood National Bank.
   
   Mr. Davis is a member of the minority party in Kingwood, a democrat, and 
only once has been a candidate for office. He was on the ticket in 1920 for 
county clerk of Preston County, and made a splendid showing in spite of the 
inevitable defeat of that year. He is a Methodist, and a member of the 
Masonic Lodge. Mr. Davis and his wife planned their very attractive home at 
Kingwood, which is of English style of architecture and was completed in 1921.
    
    Mrs. Davis before her marriage was Miss Isa Lynne Bucklew. She was born 
in Preston County in 1892 and was married at Kingwood, December 25, 1912. Her 
father, George W. Bucklew, represents one of the pioneer families of West 
Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have two sons: George William and Delroy Richard.