For some years past a high rank among the agriculturists of Pike County has been held by the gentleman above named, who is now prosecuting his calling on section 13, Derry Township. He is one of those who have risen from poverty to affluence by dint of assiduity, tact and enterprise in business affairs, and the exercise of sterling principles and prudent habits. His home, although not so pretentious perhaps as some in the county, is extremely comfortable, well built and set in midst of attractive surroundings. It is a commodious frame house, erected in 1875 at a cost of $2,000 and is surrounded by one hundred fertile acres, whose appearance at every point indicates the neatness and good judgment of the manager. The natal day of Stephen M. Davis was February 18, 1823, and his birthplace what is now the Province of Ontario, Canada. His schooling was obtained in the old fashioned log schoolhouse whose construction and furnishings are a matter of history and whose teachers "boarded round" and were paid by subscription.

At the early age of eighteen years the young man married and began life for himself. He busied himself as a shingle-maker, in this way earning money with which to remove to this State in 1843. He left Kingston, Canada, October 23, went by boat to Buffalo and thence took passage for Chicago. On the way a severe storm was encountered during the prevalence of which Mr. Davis stood for four hours one night in his berth with the water over his boot tops and the wind and wave raging without. Eleven days after leaving Buffalo the passengers were landed in Chicago and Mr. Davis paid the last twenty-five cents he had for wharfage, and was left without means and with a wife and two children to support. He went to an hotel and gave the landlord his few household goods as security for the board of himself and his family until he could get work. He spent a few days in fruitless search for work, then leaving his wife and children in a cottage he had rented, struck out for Pike County on foot, carrying an ax and a little cundle containing a clean shirt. He walked three hundred miles, reaching this county December 1st. Mr. Davis struck the Illinois River at Peru where there was a little hotel into which he walked and called for the landlord. Telling that gentleman of his penniless condition and the fact that his feet had become too sore for him to continue his journey, he asked for work to pay for his lodging until he could rest. His request was granted and for three days he sawed wood for his board. He then fell in with three men and a boy who were going on foot to New Orleans and started on with them, walking with the boy. By nightfall our subject was tired out, and telling his companions to go on, he lay down in the fence corner and fell asleep. He would doubtless have perished in the cold had not his companions roused him in a short time and succeeded in getting him to a town at midnight where they secured a bed. After this effort Mr. Davis worked his passage on a boat down the Illinois River, but before they reached Peoria the vessel was icebound and he and others broke the ice with cordwood until they reached that city. He landed at Florence, receiving from the captain a silver half dollar which was all the money he had. He had relatives in this vicinity and was able to send a nephew with a team to Chicago after his family, who reached here January 16, 1844. During the remainder of the winter Mr. Davis worked in Detroit Township and in the spring rented a farm, continuing to operate rented land until 1849.

He then purchased the farm he now occupies, and on December 1, moved to a log cabin with a stick chimney which he was proud to call home. At one time Mr. Davis owned two hundred and forty acres but has reduced his estate to the size before mentioned. In former years he has carried on farming quite extensively, putting in as much as one hundred acres of wheat in a year and he has also raised considerable stock. Having labored long and arduously, Mr. Davis feels that he is entitled to more ease and leisure and is therefore withdrawing somewhat from the active life which has raised him to his present financial position, although he is too energetic to entirely give over the business of life as long as his strength will permit him to bear a hand. His duties as a private citizen have been all that he desired, but he served two terms as Township Collector very acceptably. His first Presidential ballot was cast for James K. Polk and he has always voted the straight Democratic ticket. He is a man of intelligence, keeping himself well informed regarding the world's events and particularly those which have a special bearing upon National affairs. He is interested in every idea which is promulgated for the benefit of the community and which promises to aid in the material development and growth of civilization. He has therefore risen to a prominent position in social circles, as well as among the members of the agricultural community.

On March 16, 1841, Mr. Davis led to the hymneal altar Miss Harriet Young, a native of Canada, who was spared to him but a few years. She bore him three children, named respectively, John L., Julia A. and James P. The daughter is now Mrs. Kesterton (Kesterson).

July 2, 1848, Mr. Davis was united in marriage with Miss Lucinda M. Foreman, who was born in Ohio, March 26, 1824. This lady was an enterpising Christian, to whom Mr. Davis owes much for encouragement, good counsel and the joys of home; she died July 20, 1886, strong in the faith of the Christian Chruch. She was the mother of nine children, eight of whom grew to maturity, namely: Sidney W., Samuel I., Sarah E., Louis M., Mary J., Flora E., Henry E., Ella F. and Charles W. H. (pages 572-573, reference R129) The birth place is listed incorrectly as Province of Ontario. Lower Canada was actually Quebec. Ontario was Upper Canada.

From Davis - Pettis Genealogy: Isaac was born in Massachusetts May 10, 1775 and reared at Williamstown. When twenty years old he went to Lower Canada, as the Province of Ontario was then called, and ran a lumber camp for forty winters. In the spring he would raft the lumber down to Quebec, building his raft on the ice and floating down stream when the ice went out. In 1846 he came to this state (Illinois), bought land in Pike county, and lived here during his remaining days, dying October 23, 1853. Isaac Davis first married Mercy R. Rogers, who was born in August, 1782, and died July 10, 1818. This marriage resulted in the birth of eight (8) children -- Orange Runnels, Sidney W., Catherine M., Clark P., Isaac V., Ebenezer R., Benjamin B., and Mercy R. The father of our subject won for his second wife Margaret Robidoux, a French lady, who was not able to speak English when twenty years old. She was born September 23, 1789, and died October 18, 1862. She was reared in the Catholic faith and her children were christened in the Catholic Church. Her family consisted of eight (8) children -- Polly J., Stephen M., Elisabeth S., George W., Andrew J., Rebecca P., Matilda A., and Margaret J. (page 2, reference G1)

From Davis - Pettis Genealogy, 2nd edition: Isaac Van Norman[2] Davis was born May 10, 1775, in Massachusetts, and reared at Williamstown. On February 3, 1797/99 he married (1) Mercy Rogers, an American. She was born August, 1782 and died July 10, 1818. They lived in Lower Canada, as the Province of Ontario was then called, settling sixty miles south of Montreal. Here Isaac ran a lumber camp for forty winters. In the spring he would raft the lumber to Quebec, building his raft on ice and floating it down stream when the ice went out. Isaac Davis married (2) Margaret Robidoux, a French lady, who was not able to speak English when twenty years old. She was born September 23, 1798 and died October 18, 1862 in Pike County, Illinois. She was reared in the Catholic faith and her children were christened in the Catholic Church. In 1846 Isaac Davis moved his family to Illinois, bought land in Pike County, and lived there until his death on October 23, 1853

Contributed by Rosemary Reeves
From Portrait and Biographical Album of Pike and Calhoun Counties, Illinois, Volume 2: