Lincoln-Sweetwater County WY Archives Biographies.....Davison, James 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 June 9, 2009, 10:50 pm

Author: Bowen & Co. (1903)

JAMES DAVISON.

   Few men in Wyoming have led a more active business life than the well-known
gentleman whose name introduces this review. Self-made in all the term implies,
he has won a large measure of success in a financial way and as a public
spirited man of affairs his influence has tended greatly to the material
upbuilding of the various communities with which his career has been closely
interwoven. James Davison was born in Ogdensburg, N. Y., on December 13, 1855,
the son of Richard and Jane Davison, the father being a native of Ireland and
the mother of New Brunswick. Richard Davison served over eight years in the
British army as an artilleryman and then came to the United States and settled
in New York. He was married in the city of Ogdensburg about 1852 to Miss Jane
McDonald and became the father of nine children, seven attaining to maturity and
James being second in order of birth. After living in New York for some years
Richard Davison moved to Ohio where he died near Burton City at the age of
sixty; his wife, who lived to be sixty-two years old, departed this life at
Akron, Ohio, in 1898. James Davison was quite young when his parents moved to
Ohio, and there enjoyed the advantages of a common school education and there
began life for himself as a coal miner, which calling he followed continuously
for fifteen years. In 1878 he went to Colorado where he worked at mining about
two years, at the end of that period coming to Carbon, Wyo., near which place he
followed mining and stockraising about the same length of time. Then after a
short trip to California Mr. Davison located in Virginia City. Nov., where he
worked for some time in the Sutro tunnel and devoted considerable attention to
his chosen calling. At the end of two years he left Nevada for Utah where he
passed about one year in the Great Horn silver mine, thence returning to Wyoming
and settling at Twin Creek. During the greater part of the succeeding three
years he was engaged in coal-mining at that place after which he opened a store
at Twin Creek where he carried on general merchandising and stockraising for
about two years. Closing out his establishment at Twin Creek Mr. Davison in the
spring of 1890 erected the first business house in the new town of Opal and here
continued merchandising until 1892 when he disposed of his store and changed his
residence to Granger, where he bought of George W. Roberts a stock of goods,
which he handled with success and financial profit until July, 1901, when he
discontinued trade and removed to his large ranch six miles west of Opal, where
he has since been extensively engaged in stockraising, devoting special
attention to cattle. Mr. Davison's ranch embraces an area of 3,056 acres, of
which 800 acres are irrigable, the whole being well situated and admirably
adapted for stockraising. He also owns 160 acres of tillable land adjoining
Granger, besides considerable town property, all in good condition and
continually increasing in value. Financially Mr. Davison has met with well
merited success and by intelligent management and wise forethought has
accumulated a handsome property, being one of the leading stockmen of his
section, and the success which he has already attained bespeaks for him a still
larger and more remunerative business in years to come. Mr. Davison served two
years as postmaster of Opal and for nine years had charge of the postoffice of
Granger. He was also a justice of the peace at Granger and took an active and
prominent part in politics as a Republican. He has been in close touch with the
leaders of his political party for a number of years and by his well-timed
counsel and activity, he has contributed much to its success, both locally and
in the district and state. He holds membership with the Odd Fellows' fraternity
and believing thoroughly in the teachings of the order he has endeavored to
square his life in harmony therewith. Mr. Davison was married in Evanston. Wyo.,
on June 19, 1890, with Miss Annie J. Robinson, a daughter of Arthur and Almeda
J. (Snyder) Robinson, the father a native of Ireland and the mother of Ohio.
Mrs. Davison first saw the light of day in Primrose, Pa., and she has borne for
her husband five children, William, James B., Arthur R., Samuel M. and Jane. The
home life of Mr. and Mrs. Davison is most exemplary and happy, the domestic
circle is perfectly harmonious and under the guiding hand of the mistress of the
house, a most tender and devoted wife and mother, it has become an almost ideal
one. The career of Mr. Davison in the west has been attended by many hardships
but an untiring perseverance and wisely directed energy have enabled him to
overcome opposing circumstances and win an honorable position both as a business
man and citizen. In his relations with his fellow men he has done well his part
and as already indicated the future awaits him with promised success.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

PROGRESSIVE MEN OF THE STATE OF WYOMING

ILLUSTRATED

A people who take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors, will
never achieve anything worthy to he remembered with pride by remote
generations.—.MACAULAY.

CHICAGO, ILL.
A. W. BOWEN & CO.
PUBLISHERS AND ENGRAVERS
1903


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