Ritchie County, West Virginia          Biography of Moses H. 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 III, pg. 59-60

MOSES H. DAVIS has been one of the most useful and public
spirited citizens of Ritchie County for half a century. His
business has been chiefly farming, but his interests have ex-
tended from the farm to some of the business affairs of his
county, and he has capably served in a number of offices of
trust, being one of the members of the County Court at this
time.

Mr. Davis represents an old West Virginia family, but was
born in Shelby County, Ohio, July 18, 1848, son of James B.
and Jane (Hoppins) Davis. His father was born in Harrison
County, West Virginia, in 1816; while his mother was a
native of Shelby County, Ohio. James B. Davis was reared
in Harrison County, and as a young man removed to Shelby
County, Ohio, where he married and where he followed the
wagon maker's trade at Jackson Center. His wife died there
in 1852. Both were members of the Seventh Day Baptist
Church. They were the parents of the following children:

Abner J., Granville and William Henry Harrison, all of whom
are deceased; Eli, who became a soldier in the Union Army
and was killed in action on October 19, 1864; Elizabeth J.,
widow of Lewis F. Randolph, of Rhode Island; Moses H.;
and Jesse, who died in infancy.

Moses H. Davis lived at Jackson Center, Ohio, until he
was about nine years of age. In 1857 his father returned to
West Virginia and settled at New Milton in Doddridge
County. His father lived to venerable years, passing away
July 2, 1902. M. H. Davis was reared in Doddridge County
in the midst of the woods, acquiring only a common school
education. At the age of fifteen he began learning the tanner's
trade, working seven years as an apprentice, and altogether he
followed that as a business tor twenty-seven years. In the
meantime, in 1870, the year he married, he located in Ritchie
County, and continued working at his trade at White Oak for
several years. Later he bought a farm, and farming has con-
stituted the bulk of his business activities ever since. He
owns 380 acres, representing the labor and investment of his
best years. Since 1902 Mr. Davis has made his home in
Pennsboro.

March 24, 1870, he married Miss Mary E. Young, who died
January 3, 1922. They became the parents of six children, as
follows: Nettie, wife of 0. F. Wren, and they have three
children; Jennie D., wife of Ellis Prunty, and they have eight
children; Claude 0., who was a teacher and now a farmer in
Braxton County, married Ada Berry and has four children;
Elosia, widow of Scott Maxwell, and one son was born to
them; R. M. Davis, a coal operator of Morgantown, West
Virginia, married Fannie Wilson, and they have two children:
and Blanche, wife of John Doyle, and they are the parents of
one son. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church.

Mr. Davis is a director of the Farmers and Merchants
Bank of Pennsboro and is a stockholder in the Penn Window
Glass Company. As a republican he has been prominent in
his party and in all matters affecting the progress of his
county. He has served as a member of the Board of Education
as city councilman and city treasurer of Pennsboro, and has
sat as a member of the County Court of Ritchie County since
1918.