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Mark Davison 1815-1897

DAVIDSON, MCCULLOUGH, BROWN, JOINER, MORGAN, MONTGOMERY, MICKEY, BARNES

Posted By: Beverly Gerdts (email)
Date: 3/5/2021 at 12:15:24

Columbus Gazette, Columbus Junction, Iowa
Thursday, December 9, 1897
Page 1
(This issue is damaged.)

Saturday, December 4, 1897, at his home in Wapello occurred the death of Mark Davison, one of Iowa's pioneer and best know citizens. Mr. Davison was born near Hull, Yorkshire, England, May 7, 1815; consequently he was past eighty-two at the time of his death. When but three years old he came with his parents to America. they settled in Washington county, Pennsylvania. His father was a farmer, and Mr. Davison followed the same av? until he was thirty-two years old. In ? he was married to Miss Eliza ? a native of Pennsylvania. The large ceremony was performed by ? Ephraim Blaine, father of the ? James G. Blaine. It may not be ? place to mention that when the ? was candidate for president he had no more enthusiastic supported then Mr. Davison.

In 1840 Mr. Davison came west to Rock Island county, Illinois, to look up a home for himself and young wife. There he purchased a piece of land and worked one season, but having a chance to sell at a profit, did so and returned his family in Pennsylvania. Two years later, in 1842, he came to Iowa settling on what is now known as the Davy Dotson farm, one-half mile north of Newport, on the Des Moines county line. this was his home for ? years. While living here, he ? the proceeds of his farm by odd ? of almost any kind.

Among them was a contract entered into in connection with George Jamison as a partner, to erect the old Bethel church, five miles directly south of Wapello. It was built of logs and the contract price was $25.00. Both men put in two or three solid months work on it. In 1848 he moved his family to Wapello and engaged in merchandising and pork packing. These were before the days of commercial travelers and ? roads, and merchants used to go to St. Louis, generally twice a year, to ? in their supply of goods as well as to market their grain and port. Flat boats were used on the Iowa and steamers on the Mississippi.

Mr. Davison's first trip to St Louis was made in 1847. On February 2, 1855, he had the misfortune to lose his first wife. She was the mother of five of his children, one of whom died in infancy; another, ? died at Little Rock, while in the service of his country. the other, three are all living, are Mrs. Mary McCullough, H. B., who lives in Wapello, and J. A., a resident of Wichita, Kansas. January 3, 1856, he was married to ? Brown. To them two children were born, both of whom with their mother died of smallpox in November 1858. In September, 1859, he was again married to Miss Elizabeth Ann Joiner, ? of the later Mrs. N. Morgan. She died in October, 1865 leaving one son, Joiner, now at the head of the Commercial bank, Wapello. February 20, 1873, he was married to Miss Elizabeth A. Montgomery, she died, leaving no children, November ? 1894.

Mr. Davison was the last of the? brothers to die. Two sister of ? who came with him to this ? survive. these are Mrs. Betsy Mickey, of Nebraska and Mrs. ? Barnes, of Burlington. The ? the youngest of the family. Mr. Davison had been almost a life member of the Methodist church a man of remarkable industry and ? ways, quite frugal. But in ? ways, he was generous sometimes to a fault. The children were present at the funeral except for Mrs. J. B. McCullough, ? in the Presbyterian hospital ? in a precarious condition.

The funeral took place from the Methodist church in Wapello, at 10:30 December 5, conducted by the pastor, Rev. Poole. Services were also held at Bethel church, and in the beautiful cemetery adjoining it. The pall bearers were W. C. Williamson, H. B. Hunt, N. W. McKay, W. S. Isett, Mathew Jamison and S. F. Small. All were boys when he was in his prime. The "old guard" who stood with him in frontier times were too few and too feeble to bear him away to his last rest.


 

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