James W. Davenport, president and manager of the Davenport Dry Goods Company, of Ottawa, Kan., is a man of great industry, undoubted integrity and excellent business acumen, capabilities which have been used to give to Ottawa one of its best and most successful mercantile establishments, with a capital stock of $30,000. The business career of Mr. Davenport was begun as a delivery boy for Hanes & Manning of Ottawa, in whose employ he remained, advancing step by step, until 1889 when he became a member of the firm. In 1892 he organized the Davenport-Lathrop Company, which was reorganized in 1807 as the Davenport Dry Goods Company, and their finely equipped establishment has since retained a large and representative patronage in Ottawa and the surrounding country. He was born in Woodsfield, Ohio, Aug. 11, 1863, the son of John A. and Margaret (Smith) Davenport, the former a native of Virginia whose active business career had been spent as a merchant but who had retired from business before his removal to Kansas with his family in 1872.

James W. Davenport received his education in Ottawa and there began his business career as mentioned. In 1884 he was united in marriage with Margaret Crane, daughter of Dr. Crane, a prominent physician of Leavenworth who died in Idaho. To Mr. and Mrs. Davenport have been born five daughters, who are talented and are receiving the best educational advantages to be obtained. Blanche is a graduate of Northwestern University, Chicago, Ill., and Grace has matriculated at the same university. Margaret, Eleanor and Louise are students in the public schools of Ottawa, the first two being in the high school and Louise in the grades. Mr. Davenport and his family are all worthy and active members of the First Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically, the Democratic party has in him a strong advocate and an active worker in its behalf, but his interest is given wholly through belief in its principles and not for official honors, as he has never sought official preferment.