Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 776-777; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
Charles C. Davis. This county is pre-eminently one of
comfortable rural homes, there being no large cities within its
limits. The soil being wonderfully fertile and the facilities for
market excellent, a great number of agriculturists secure a competence
by the cultivation of a moderate acreage. One of the successful
farmers of Farmington Township is Charles C. Davis who operates one
hundred and sixty acres on section 23.
The father of our subject was Evan Davis, a native of Huntingdon
County, Pa., and a stonemason by trade. In his native county he
married Letitia Connelley, who was born in Philadelphia. In 1833
he removed with his family to Ohio, taking up agricultural pursuits in
Highland County and remaining there four years. He then removed
to Illinois, making the journey, as was quite usual, in a wagon.
His first home in this State was near Fairview but he subsequently
removed to Prairie City, McDonough County, where he spent the later
years of his life in ease and comfort. He breathed his last in
1873 at the ripe old age of eighty-two years. The widow survived
until 1875, reaching the age of four-score. Their family
consisted of six children, named respectively, James, William, Charles
Connelley, George, John and Rebecca.
In Huntingdon County, Pa., January 15, 1826, the child was born
whose life is the subject of this brief notice. He was a lad of
nine years when his parents removed to Ohio, and had just entered his
teens when they came to this State. He attended school in the
various localities in which he resided, gaining a fair knowledge of the
subjects taught, and under home training and influences developed the
qualities which have led to his worldly success and preset standing in
the community. In 1853, having won a companion in life, he
established his own home on a farm near Prairie City, in which place he
afterward engaged in the sale of general merchandise, following the
business from 1855 to 857 inclusive. He finally took possession
of his present estate, a good body of land which has been supplied with
many first-class improvements.
The wife of Mr. Davis was known in her girlhood as Miss
Annie Patton. Her parents were James and Elizabeth (Vandevander)
Patton, natives of Huntingdon County, Pa. Her father, who was a
distiller, was killed in an accident when she was but two years
old. Her mother subsequently married James McQuaid, a gunsmith by
trade. They came in 1845 to Canton where Mr. McQuaid subsequently
embarked in the grocery business. The mother of Mrs. Davis lived
to be eighty-two years old. She had borne her first husband three
children – Rebecca, Annie and John. Her father was a soldier in
the War of 812. Mrs. Davis possesses more than ordinary mental
ability, has the genial manner which makes even strangers feel at ease
in her presence, and during the course of her life has thoroughly
proved her worth in the homes. She is a near relative of Hon.
George Patton, of Pennsylvania, who for the past ten years has been
serving his nation in the legislative halls at Washington.
Mr. and Mrs. Davis have nine children whose character and
attainments give them a just cause for parental pride. The oldest
daughter, Alice, is the wife of Morris Johnson, Highway
Commissioner of Farmington Township and a member of the City Board of
Education; they have three children, Stella, Frank and Minnie; Laura,
the second child, married George Pinegar and has two children, Olive
and Carrie; Edward, the oldest son, married Emma Hill and resides in
this township; James, a farmer, married Kate Iseburg and has two
children, Bertha and Pearl; Minnie married William Wilson, a farmer at
Prairie City, McDonough County; Fred married Louie Wolf; Libby, Lou and
Elmer are still with their parents.
Mr. Davis has served as School Director and in his capacity as a
private citizen does much to aid in the advancement of the cause of
education and other matters that will promote the interests of this
section. He was formerly an old-line Whig, his first Presidential
ballot having been cast for Gen. Zachary Taylor. More recently he
has been identified with the Republican element and stanchly supports
the principles of the party. He is one of the celebrated band
known as ‘49ers, having in company with his cousin, James Davis and Joe
Prime, crossed the plains during the gold excitement and spent some
time in mining in California. He did fairly well as a gold-seeker
but was quite willing to return to the East where he could enjoy a
better civilization.
