They dont belong to me but it was interesting reading. Thanks for that. Diane McPherson >On Wed, 14 Jul 2004 08:04:34 -0400 (EDT) BKEngrPCH@aol.com wrote. >Thanks Colleen and Dewey. > >(I do not have a Harry or Herman DAVIS in my records). > >Washington MILLER (in Alton) was a merchant in 1850, and real estate agent in >1860, and a banker in 1870. He was a commissioner in fruits and veg in 1880 >(in Chicago). He married his first wife (Julia SMITH) in 1837. I assume she >died...he married her sister (Ruth) in Madison County in 1846. > >Samuel Boyd DAVIS (husband of Washington's daughter) was born in 1833 >Zanesville, Ohio. His mother (DUTRO...family was grocers in Alton & Chicago) died in >1849. Samuel crossed the country first in 1849 and crossed it 49 more times. > When he was very young, he ran a remount station somewhere in the west by >buying worn out horses from pioneers, feeding them, and reselling as fresh >horses. I'm not sure of his occupation in Alton from 1858-1870. After that, in >Chicago, his business was wholesale butter and eggs. Family notes indicate that >he, his son Samuel, and grandson, Lawrence, had been in business for over a >hundred years at the same location. I have a receipt dated July 19, 1878 >titled "Late of Davis Brothers, Ham Curers and Pork Packers...bought of Samuel B >Davis & Co. commission merchants for the purchase and sale of provisions, >cheese, grain, seeds, foreign & domestic fruits, beans and produce of all kinds, 110 >South Water Street". > >His son, Samuel Edward DAVIS was in the Creamery business and was a manager >for the Chicago Merchantile Exchange. It appears he lived in Alton, Madison >for only his first few years, then Chicago, then Elgin, then Chicago, then >Highland Park. I'm not surprised to find out that Highland Park was an upper-end >suburb. I have the will from his first wife, Grace RYERSON, and see that the >DAVIS family was millionaires (by current values). I don't know if DAVIS made >money from his business or if it came from Grace (the RYERSON family is a >prominent family in lumber, steel, publishing, etc.). My grandmother was born in >1907 in Elgin. She introduced her second grade teacher to her father after >her mother died. They married, and she became a "wicked stepmother". My >grandmother was sent off to boarding school (and the older siblings only saw the new >wife a couple times).....I don't know where all the money went, 'cause it >sure didn't carry through the generations....oh well. > >Pete > > >==== ILMADISO Mailing List ==== >Visit the Madison County ILGenWeb home page! >http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilmadiso/index.htm >