LITMIR.BIZ

      JEFFERSON E. DAVIS.

      The traditions of a distinguished American family especially prominent in the South are revived in the narration of the life of Jefferson E. Davis, an influential member of the City of Fresno Board of Police and Fire Commissioners, and an extensive stockman owning 3,000 acres of choice land in Fresno, Stanislaus and Merced counties. His father was William Hale Davis, a native of Mississippi and a second cousin of Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States. When a mere child, he came to Little Rock, Ark., and the Davis family therefore was one of the first white families that settled at that place. An aunt. Mrs. Mary Lemberger, W. H. Davis' sister, whose home is still at Little Rock, although now about 106 years old, paid a visit to Fresno relatives in the summer of 1912; she enjoys the distinction of being the first white child born at Little Rock.

      William Hale Davis left Little Rock in October, 1849, and came across the plains in company with his brother-in-law, John Lemberger, traveling by way of Salt Lake City; and they had several fights with the Indians. Landing at Dogtown, in Tuolumne County, in April, 1850, they went to work in the mines there and in the fall of that year, Mr. Lemberger died. Just about that time the trouble with the Digger Indians began in Mariposa County, and Mr. Davis and his partner, Charles B. Watts (late of Watts Valley, Fresno County), both enlisted, as volunteers, under Brigadier-General Edward Fitzgerald Beale, and fought until the Indians were subdued. During this campaigning, Mr. Davis had a thrilling experience such as would be likely to try any man's mettle. Sent by General Beale on a foraging expedition to get meat for the company, he was caught in a terrible snowstorm and was lost in the mountains. Suddenly, as if he dropped from the skies, an Indian appeared, and tapping him on the shoulder, exclaimed. "Omega!" meaning "friend;" the Indian then guided Mr. Davis to his tribe, which lived in the Yosemite Valley, and kept him until the snowstorm was over, when the chief showed him the sights and sent a guide to help him find his way hack to General Beale's command. Thus Mr. Davis was one of the first white men to see the Yosemite Falls when the country round about was in its primeval state, and before travelers of any kind began to come there in numbers. After the Indian troubles, he drifted on to Fort Miller, in Mariposa County, where he came into touch with Phineas Banning and other pioneers and military men besides General Beale.

      He stayed in Mariposa County and mined until 1860, when he came over to the Kings River Bottoms and, settling on the river banks, engaged in farming and stock-raising until the fall of 1867, when the floods swept away his houses and drowned many of his cattle. He then took the remnants of his herds and drove to Watts Valley and there followed the cattle and sheep business until the time of his death, in November, 1870, when he passed away about fifty years of age.

      William Hale Davis was married at El Monte in 1857 to Miss Sarah Jane Ellis, the daughter of Dr. T. O. Ellis, a physician, who was also a bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South; and he preached while riding horseback with his saddlebags and bibles all the way from Los Angeles to Stockton and Sacramento, establishing churches wherever he went. Mrs. Davis is one of the most wonderful pioneer women, of very strong character as may be inferred from the fact that she drove an ox team across the plains all the way from Texas, her native State. Born in Tyler County, she belonged to a family that, like the Davis', came from Mississippi. Dr. Ellis was one of the first school superintendents of Fresno County, and he twice filled that responsible office — in 1868-69 and again from 1872 to 1875. Left a widow in 1870 with a family of five boys and one girl. Mrs. Davis carried on the ranching operations, kept the family together, and reared them with a good education. At the age of eighty-two she is still living on her ranch of 500 acres twenty miles southeast of old Fort Miller, and twenty miles northeast of Fresno; and there she has dwelt since 1874. She attended to all of her own business until 1916 when she sold her cattle to her son, John V. Davis, and leased him the farm as a stock ranch.

      Except the eldest child, Thomas, who died when he was three years old, Mrs. Davis' children are all living. William T. resides with his mother on the ranch and is engaged in cattle raising; Jefferson Ellis is the subject of our review; Mary Frances is the wife of D. M. Baird, an extensive rancher of Fresno County elsewhere mentioned in this work; Eugene G. resides at Clovis and is a cattle raiser; John O., already referred to, runs the Davis ranch; and W. H. lives at Fresno and is a vineyardist.

      Jefferson Ellis Davis was born at Hornitas, in Mariposa County, on January 21, 1863, while his mother was there on a visit, and grew up mainly in Fresno County. His educational advantages were limited, so that his knowledge is of a practical nature such as one might be expected to acquire through his work. As a boy, he began to drive horses, operate machinery and work on the farm, and at sixteen he managed the farm of the Davis estate.

      In 1901 he was married to Miss Martha R. Taylor of Los Angeles, a graduate of the State Normal at Los Angeles and of the University of California; and formerly a teacher in Fresno County. Her father was Asher Taylor, the well-known pioneer, and his portrait is to be found with those of the early pioneers of San Francisco, including Flood, Mackay, Rowlston, and others. Since his marriage, Mr. Davis has been engaged in general ranching and stock-raising. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have five children: Muriel R. graduated from the Fresno High School with the Class of '18; Warren Jefferson is still in attendance at that well-conducted institution; William Emery, Barbara, and Gordon P.

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