David Davidson

DAVIDSON, FRANK

Posted By: Connie Swearingen- Volunteer (email)
Date: 12/9/2015 at 19:29:37

Northwestern Iowa
Its History and Traditions
1804 – 1926

The commercial history of Sioux City would be entirely incomplete and unsatisfactory were there failure to make prominent reference to the Davidson Brother’s establishment, of which David Davidson is one of the owners. This is a large department store which is conducted according to the most modern and progressive business methods and enjoys therefore a constantly increasing patronage. In 1883 David Davidson became a factor in the business life of Sioux City and save for a period of about five years, spent in South Dakota, has there remained to the present time, gradually working his way upward to the place of prominence which he now occupies.

He was born in Slutsk, Russia, on the 1st of January, 1863. His father, H.L. Davidson, was then conducting the largest comb factory in that part of the country, and his mother was considered the best business woman in western Russia, for she was engaged in distributing the output, not only of her husband’s large factory, but also handled the production of every comb factory, as well as other articles manufactured of horn in the city of Slutsk. Her system was to take the entire production to the market of Warsaw, and after disposing of same to the wholesale houses she invested the proceeds in merchandise imported from foreign countries. With these goods she traveled all over central Russia, selling same to retail merchants and then returning home. Her trip usually took from three to four months. After remaining home two to three weeks, she was ready to start over again. In the summer of 1868, when Mrs. Davidson was ready to start on one of her usual trips, nearly the whole city of Slutsk burned down, and as a result the Davidson’s, who were quite wealthy, lost everything in that conflagration. H.L. Davidson was not discouraged but continued the manufacturing business until his death in 1874.

After his death, David Davidson, who was then eleven years old and had been attending school up to that time, started to work in his father’s factory and continued in that occupation until the summer of 1883, when his brother Ben, who was already in this country, wrote him that he believed there was a splendid opportunity to work at his trade in the button factory in Sioux City and sent him transportation to come to this country. David Davidson arrived in Sioux City, October 19, 1883, but found to his great disappointment that the button factory had gone out of business. He then procured a small stock of dry goods from his brother Ben, and December 26, 1883, started to peddle and continued until the summer of 1884. At that time the two brothers, Ben and David, combined their small stocks and opened a little store at 822 ½ Fourth Street in Sioux City. In a very short time they were compelled to move to larger quarters. David Davidson continued in business with his brother until February, 1886, when they decided to open a branch store in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. David with a stock of goods transferred from the Sioux City store, and some of the help from that place, opened the Bee Hive in Sioux Falls. In less than three years, through hard work and splendid management, the Bee Hive became one of the largest stores in Sioux Falls. In 1891, finding that the Sioux City business needed the attention of both brothers, David Davidson sold the store in Sioux Falls and rejoined Ben in Sioux City, who was then moving into larger quarters at Fourth and Pierce Streets, the location in which they have continued ever since. At the reorganization and incorporation of the business, David Davidson became vice president and general manager and still occupies the same position in their store, which he become the largest department store in the state of Iowa as well as in the world for the size of the city.

The following interesting article concerning the development of the Davidson establishment is not inappropriate here: “The year 1884 stands out prominently in Sioux City’s history as the birth of Iowa’s leading department store. In that year Davidson Brothers Company was born and began life as an integral and indispensable part of the civic history of Sioux City. Graduating from a peddler’s pack, Ben Davidson, president, and Dave Davidson, vice president, and founders of the firm, began business in a small store room on lower Fourth Street. The size of the entire building was no larger than the present private offices of its founders. Success immediately crowned the efforts of this infant business. Each year marked a substantial growth and additional space was constantly added to accommodate the ever increasing volume of trade. Today Davidson Brothers Company occupies a modern four-story building covering an entire half block at Fourth and Pierce Streets. It is the largest department store in the state of Iowa, both from the amount of area covered and the volume of business transacted. It also has the distinction of doing the largest per capita business of any department store in the United States. A further remarkable feature of the institution is that the original founders and officers are still guiding its policies. Ben Davidson, president, Dave Davidson, vice president, and Abe Davidson, secretary, together with their sons, are still actively directing the financial and merchandising of the business. The personnel of the store has likewise undergone miraculous changes. From a single clerk the institution has expanded until it now employs about eight hundred co-workers, one percent of the population of the entire city. One twentieth of all the families of the city are directly responsible to this store for their family budgets. These facts in themselves indicate the proportionate size of this store in the civic and community life of the city.

“From the time of its inception the intention of the firm has always been to carry stocks of merchandise for the entire family and the home. Five enormous floors are devoted exclusively to selling purposes and two million dollars worth of merchandise is carried to supply the needs of the buying public. These stocks are complete and vary greatly including ladies’ and children’s ready-to-wear, millinery, arts and gifts merchandise, infants’, men’s and boys’ clothing and furnishings, shoes, hosiery, underwear, pianos, phonographs, furniture, carpets and rugs, draperies, pictures, house furnishings, hardware, china, toys, leather and sporting goods, jewelry, drug sundries, linens, stationary, silks, wash goods, notions, gloves, neckwear, lace, books, handkerchiefs, ribbons and corsets. The basement store is complete dry goods store in itself where dependable merchandise is sold at popular prices. A beautiful new tea room has been established on the fourth floor where a complete a la carte and special luncheon service is offered.

“The trading territory of Davidson Brothers Company covers a radius of two hundred miles. An efficient and extensive mail order department is at the service of the thousands of out-of-town customers. A large buying office is constantly maintained in New York City for the purpose of facilitating the purchasing of a large volume of merchandise. The public is not limited to the buying of domestic goods. Through the maintenance of large foreign buying offices in London, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Florence, Vienna, Yokohama, Lyons, Chemnitz, Frankfort and Manila, it is possible to select merchandise in this store from all of the four corners of the globe.”

On the 26th of December, 1893, Mr. Davidson was married to Miss Sara Frank, and to them have been born two sons and a daughter; Lawrence Loeb, who was born December 23, 1894, and who is assistant secretary of the Davidson Brothers Company; Helen; and Herman Frank, born August 25, 1904.

Mr. Davidson is a republican, and he confines his fraternal relations to the Elks and Masonry, in which he has attained high ranks. He was initiated into the order as a member of Landmark Lodge, No. 103, F. & A.M., at Sioux City, April 4, 1898; became a Royal Arch Mason in Sioux City Chapter, No. 126, R.A.M., October 14, 1902; and on the 22d of November, 1901, attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite in Des Moines Consistory, No. 3, S.P.R.S. He has been a Shriner since 1901, a member of Abu-Bekr Temple. He demitted from Des Moines Consistory in 1907 to become a charter member of the T. S. Parvin Consistory. He was elected knight commander of the Court of Honor, October 24, 1911, and was made thirty-third degree honorary inspector general, October 24, 1913, by Hon. James D. Richardson, thirty-third degree sovereign grand commander, at Washington, D.C. He has been almoner in the consistory since 1907.

Mr. Davidson is a well known figure in club circles, having membership in the Riverside Boat Club, Commercial Men’s Boat Club (now called the Shore Acre), Country Club and Morningside Golf Club. In 1910 the Commercial Club of Sioux City was reorganized and Mr. Davidson was elected its first president, and has continued to be an active director of this organization ever since. His fellow townsmen speak of him in terms of high regard by reason of what he has accomplished as a factor in its business and social circles and in support of its civic interests. His life record has certainly been a most creditable one, inasmuch as he started out empty-handed, earning his living from the age of eleven years. His example indicates what may be accomplished when there is a will to dare and to do. His record also proves that prosperity and an honored name may be won simultaneously.