Davis is the largest village of Rock Run township, and one of the most important of the county. It is of recent growth, being one of those settlements which the coming of the railroad has “made,” and not a town of natural growth, In 1857, when the Western Union Railroad had surveyed its route through the county, and was making all preparations for the building of the line, it became very evident that a station on its route through Rock Run township was most necessary for the farmers of that district. Accordingly, Samuel Davis, John A. Davis, Thomas J. Turner and Ludwig Stanton, who owned the land in the vicinity of the present village, donated a total of one hundred and sixty acres, which was surveyed and platted for a village site. This was in 1857, and the work of surveying and platting was not quite completed that year. In 1858 everything was finished and the sale of lots began. That year the railroad was finished through the village, but the train that first sped over the rails was not run until the following year, on the occasion of the state fair, which was held in Freeport in 1859.

The panic of 1857, occurring at a time when the village of Davis was in its earliest infancy, threatened for a time to blot out the venture altogether. Lots were sold very slowly, although the men interested in the enterprise made every effort to offer inducements to new settlers. Streets were laid out and made good with crushed stone, sidewalks were built, lots cleared, trees planted, and building sites were offered for sale at prices ranging from $40 to $125. A few of them were sold, but the work progressed slowly.

In 1858, the first store in the village, known as “Davis’s Store,” was erected by Samuel J. Davis. In the summer of 1859 the Evangelical Church was put up, and other church edifices were soon after erected. The stone schoolhouse was put up in 1858, and the first brick house in the town was finished for occupation in 1866 by Ernest Wendt.

From 1857 to 1863 there was almost no growth. War and panic succeeded in checking the progress of the growing village, and for a time it looked very dark for Davis. It seemed at one period as if the village must certainly be abandoned, but a better time was coming. With the close of the war, business suddenly revived, almost as if it had never suffered a relapse. From 1863 to 1869 a steady growth was visible, and residences, stores, and other buildings were erected in large numbers. By 1873, the settlement felt itself ready to assume the privileges and duties of a corporate community.

On Thursday, May 1, of that year, an election was held to decide whether or not the settlement should be incorporated under the provisions of the general law for incorporating villages, adopted April 10, 1872. S. J. Davis, Peter McHoes and John Gift acted as judges of the election, and the project was carried by a vote of thirty-three to thirty-one. Soon after an election was held, and the first town officers duly installed in their positions. The first village officials, elected in the year of 1873, were: E. A. Benton, president; E. Clark, M. Meinzer, Thomas Cronemiller and M. W. Kurtz, members of the board; M. W. Kurtz, village clerk; village treasurer, no record for 1873.

Since the incorporation of Davis as a village, a development fully meeting the expectations of the most sanguine of its dwellers, has taken place. Short as the time of its development has been, Davis has attained to the rank of fourth or fifth in size among the numerous villages of Stephenson county, and is only exceeded in size by Freeport, Lena, Orangeville and possibly Pearl City. It is about equal in size to Winslow, Cedarville, Dakota and German Valley. Business has never been at all lively in Davis. There is a grain elevator owned by H. A. Hilimer, of Freeport, also a creamery; and these two comprise practically the only reasons for Davis’ commercial communication with the outside world.

The Farmers’ Bank, of Davis, is a substantial institution founded fifteen years ago, and since maintained on a firm and solid basis. The officers and directors are all men of avowed business ability, and the affairs of the bank have been conducted with unimpeachable sagacity and clear-headedness. The Farmers’ Bank was organized in 1895 by T. Stabeck, a descendant of the C. Stabeck, who immigrated to Stephenson county with the original Norwegian colony and settled at Rock Run Mills P. 0. in 1839. The institution was capitalized at $25,000, which capital has never been raised. The bank occupies a brick structure, the most substantial on the main street of Davis, a few doors from the hotel. The officers of the Farmers’ Bank at present are: President, Fred Alberstett; vice-president, Niles Pattison; cashier, C. 0. R. Stabeck; directors, Fred Alberstett, Niles Pattison, C. 0. R. Stabeck, H.- N. Stabeck, and 0. H. Anderson.

The Davis Creamery, operated by J. F. Beardsley, was established about fifteen years ago, and continues to do a flourishing business.

Davis has, at certain periods of its history, supported weekly newspapers. The projects have all been discontinued for the very excellent reason that the village of Davis is altogether too small to support a newspaper, and there is not the slightest probability that they will ever be resuscitated.

The Davis Budget, started in May, 1873, by K. T. and K. C. Stabeck, was a quarto sheet, independent as to politics, which was published in connection with the Freeport Budget. For five years, the Davis Budget was published by Stabeck Brothers, until they removed to Freeport in September, 1878, and decided to devote their whole time to the publication of the Freeport sheet. They disposed of their Davis interests to S. W. Taliman, who changed the name of the paper to the Davis Review and the politics from independent to republican. Mr. Tailman spent a good deal of labor upon his paper, and succeeded in raising the weekly circulation from a mere handful to three hundred and fifty. But he soon discovered that a newspaper in a country village was not a paying proposition. The Davis Review was abandoned, and the unsavory experiment has never been tried since.

Davis contains four churches, but services are held in only three of them at present.

The First Methodist Episcopal church is the leading church of Davis in activity and in respect to the size of its congregation and Sunday school. Likewise it is one of the oldest. It was organized in June, 1859, under the auspices of the Rev. James McLane, with twelve charter members. For three years services were held in the Davis schoolhouse, when the church leased the Evangelical Chapel, and held services there when the church was not in use by the other congregation. In 1866, four years later, the structure at present in use was built at a cost of $1,500. Subsequent repairs, improvement, and additions have raised the value of the building several hundred dollars.

For a time the Davis church formed a part of the Durand (Winnebago County) charge, and services were held only on Sunday afternoons. In the fall of 1878 it became an independent charge, with the Rev. F. W. Nazarene as pastor. For a good many years after this, the Davis charge was a student charge, but within the last three years it has had a regularly ordained minister. The Rock City church has become a part of the Davis charge also.

The congregation at Davis numbers fifty-two members, but a much larger number attend the services — in fact, practically all the English speaking portion of the community. The Sunday school numbers a few more — about sixty-two. The church building, together with the lot upon which it stands are valued at about $3,000. The parsonage which is a comfortable building, built some time ago, is valued at $1,200.

The various church societies are very active. The Epworth League and the Ladies’ Aid Society form a large part of the women’s and young people’s social life in Davis. The church is in a very prosperous condition at present. Two years ago, the church was entirely rebuilt, inside and out, at a cost of $450, $150 being expended upon the exterior repairs, and $300 upon the interior frescoing and redecoration. New Methodist hymnals were purchased recently by the congregation to take the place of the old ones, which were deemed out of date and inappropriate. The pastor in charge is the Rev. J. A. H. McLean, an Englishman, who came to the Davis charge from Canada in January, 1910.

The Evangelical church of Davis is the oldest church of the village. It was organized in 1857, with the following members: Thomas Bond and family, Jacob Bond and family, Jacob Weaver, Michael Meinzer, William Kramer, T. Jenuine, and their families, and M. Abbersted. Services were conducted in various private residences and in the schoolhouse until 1862, when the present church was built at an expense of $2,500. It is a frame structure, solid and substantial, without attempt at much ornamentation without or within. Recent improvements have somewhat raised the value of the property.

When the break occurred in the Illinois Conference and the Dubs faction withdrew, the latter built another church in Davis, and the Evangelical Association continued in possession of its first church. Some changes were occasioned, however, notably in the circuit, which no longer embraced Rock City, but took in instead Davis, Afolkey and Ridott. The minister in charge, of the Davis church resides in Afolkey. The Davis church numbers about fifty communicants, with a Sunday school of about the same size. The church property is valued at $2,750.

The Evangelical Lutheran church of Davis is probably a thing of the past. Services have not been held in it for some time and although the congregation still possesses a handsome church structure the church is disorganized and broken up.

The Lutheran church was one of the newer churches in Davis, having been organized as late as 1870 by the Rev. William Shock, of Forreston, with eighteen members, of whom Joseph Keller was elder, and Levi Ungst deacon. For two years services were held in the Methodist church. In 1872, the present structure was built, of frame 34 x 50, with a steeple seventy-five feet high, at a total cost of $3,100. It was then occupied for many years, but lately, as heretofore stated, services have been discontinued, and there is every reason to believe that they will never be resumed.

One of the smaller churches, as well as the newest, is the United Evangelical church. It came into existence at the time of the quarrel in the Illinois Conference, and the Dubs adherents of Davis withdrew to complete its organization. Services were held in various places until a few years ago, when the new church building, a frame structure, was put up. The new church is an inconsiderable and unpretentious edifice, built in the most old fashioned of styles. The congregation numbers about fifty. The Davis church is on a circuit with the Rock City church. The pastor is the Rev. J. Johnson, who came here from Ashton, Illinois, on April 1, 1910.

The village of Davis supports a large number of lodges, of which it is possible to give only brief mention.

Evening Star Lodge, No. 414 ,A. F. & A. M. The Davis lodge of Masons is one of the oldest in the county. It was organized on March 11, 1864, under a dispensation of the Grand Lodge of Illinois. It obtained a charter October of the same year. The following were the first officers: James Zuver; W. M.; George Osterhaus, S. W.; Edward R. Lord, J. W.; Dr. J. R. Hammill, secretary; Charles Wright, treasurer. The lodge has always been the most prosperous and progressive of the commuity. It occupies a handsome lodge hail, and has now a membership of fifty-two members. The officers are W. M., C. 0. R. Stabeck; secretary, T. H. Briggs.

The Eastern Star lodge was established in Davis seven years ago. It has always had a large membership, the present roll amounting to about thirty-three members. The officers are: W. M., Mrs. William Kanne; secretary, T. H. Briggs.

The Odd Fellows lodge 376 of Davis was organized September 19, 1880, with the following members: Martin H. Davis, Isaac Denner, John Nagle, Thomas Hays, Alvin Gestenberger, and J. W. Caldwell. The officers were: Noble Grand, John Nagle; Vice Grand, Martin H. Davis; treasurer, Thomas Hays. The I. 0. 0. F. occupies today a lodge hall just off from the main street, which is one of the largest and best appointed in the country towns of the vicinity. The membership is thirty-four, and the officers: Noble Grand, Arthur Wise; secretary, A. A. Rheingans.

The Rebekahs Lodge 187 have been in existence in Davis for fifteen years. The membership has been fluctuating, at times higher than it is now. The lodge now claims a membership of twenty-eight, with the following officers: Noble Grand, Miss Ella Degunther; Secretary, A. Rheingans.

The Royal Neighbors have been in existence for the past four years, have a membership of twenty-three, and the following officers: Oracle, Mrs. A. Bliss; Secretary, Miss Ella Degunther.

The Davis Camp of the Modern Woodmen # 25 is one of the oldest in existence, having been founded about twenty-five years ago, when the organization was very young. The membership is large, approximating fifty-two. A. Helmts is Counsel, and M. M. Kurtz, Secretary.

The Mystic Workers , Davis Royal Lodge # 143 first came into existence in Davis in 1902, and have since pursued a prosperous and upward path. The membership is far larger than that of any other organization in Davis, embracing as many as seventy-two members. The officers for the year are: Prefect, E. Jenewien; Secretary, Edward Degunther.

The village of Davis supports a number of stores and shops, a reasonably satisfactory hostelry, known as the Davis Hotel, two livery barns, etc. Among the mercantile establishments, the barber shop of Edward Degunther is especially to be noted. It has been kept by the Degunther family for nearly the last half century, having been kept by the grandfather of the present proprietor for many years, then by his father, P. J. Degunther, and now by himself.

The village is said to have a population of about five hundred or more inhabitants. It is reached from Freeport by the C., M. & St. P. R. R., being about thirteen miles distant by railroad, and twenty miles by carriage road. The village supports very good schools, the district school building being one of the best for miles around. It is a two-story structure, 30 x 20, which was built in 1863, at a cost of $2,000