Dr. Blakemore is a typical representative of the capable, self-reliant man. He is an energetic and industrious worker, and standing as he does among the leading members of the dental profession in the City of Davenport he has the satisfaction of knowing that his success is due to his own unaided efforts. The citizens of Davenport have given abundant evidence of their appreciation of personal worth, and Dr. Blakemore as a result has one of the largest practices of any dentist in this section of the State. He is a native of the city with which he is still identified, and has, perhaps, struggled as hard for the position he occupies as has any man, anywhere, who has attained prominence in any branch of life's work.
He was born July 27, 1851, being the son of T. V. Blakemore, an Englishman by descent, and Emily Blakemore, born in Ohio. In the family were five children, one of whom -a boy- died when very young. Those living, other than Dr. Blakemore, are: Emma E., married to W. W. Brown; Sarah E., unmarried, and residing with her parents at No. 1525 Grand Avenue, and William F., all residing in Davenport.
Dr. Blakemore's life in early youth was uneventful, a good part of his time being taken up in attendance at the public schools, until, while still quite young, he quit school to learn the painter's trade. He became an expert painter in a comparatively short time, and could have made a great success of this business, but the natural trend of his mind was toward a different vocation. He was ambitious to attain a position of prominence, and felt that in one of the professions his chances for becoming prominent and influential would be much better than in the mechanical field.
In 1875, filled with a desire to see something of the world, and perhaps to find an opportunity for carrying out his plan of entering a profession, he went south, visiting New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis and a number of other cities, remaining away from home for about nine months. On this trip he followed his trade, thereby paying his expenses, and upon his return to Davenport had fully decided that he would enter the profession of dentistry at the earliest opportunity.
He secured a place in the office of Dr. E. T. Rigby in the fall of 1876, and remained there for a year or more, making rapid progress. He was not only possessed of a liking for the profession, but he had a natural adaptability for the work. He took a short trip to Illinois, stopping at Reynolds for a few months and at Taylor Ridge for a short time, returning to Iowa in 1878, soon after which he went again to Illinois, opening an office in Moline. He remained there but a few months. It took him but a short time to discover that the pathway of a man entering one of the professions and struggling to build up a practice is not a smooth one by any means. He found it an absolute necessity to resume work at his trade in order to obtain a livelihood. Coming over to Davenport, in the course of a year and a half or two years he opened a dental office in the Forrest block. He attempted to build up a practice, but had only fair success. He resumed work at his trade a number of times after he had established himself in the office, and but for this fact he would have been unable to get along at all. He was employed by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company, and proved himself an expert in graining cars at the company's shops.
To a young man full of ambition and hope, and with a reasonable degree of pride in his make-up, it was more or less humiliating to Dr. Blakemore to be compelled to leave his office, practically giving up his profession, to work at a trade which had become distasteful to him, but it was a necessity, and, confident that in the end he would be rewarded, he laid aside his pride and went to work with great determination. A good many patients sought his services while he was painting coaches in the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific shops, and from time to time he filled engagements at his office by obtaining leave of absence from his work, and in many cases by not reporting for duty at all. It is interesting to note that his superiors in the shops were not aware of his whereabouts when absent from work. Had he been a man of bad habits they might have suspected that he was not engaged in the most elevating pursuits when he was away from them, but Dr. Blakemore was not a man in regard to whose conduct they had any misgivings, though they were probably at something of a loss to know just what he was doing, if they ever thought about the matter at all.
By degrees, and slow ones at that, Dr. Blakemore built up a practice which has since become very large. It was hard work; it required determination which few men possess, and was productive of the results which usually crown the efforts of a man of determination and perseverance and with a well-defined purpose in life.
Early in September of 1889 Dr. Blakemore was married to Elizabeth Rachel Hooley, a native of Davenport, and for a number of years a teacher in the public schools. She was a woman much respected and admired. By this union one son was born-Arthur Thomas. Mrs. Blakemore's sudden death occurred soon afterward. Miss Clara M. Denkman of this city became Dr. Blakemore's second wife, July 7, 1892.
BIOGRAPHIES