Newton J. Davison

NEWTON J. DAVISON, former county clerk of Lincoln County, has been in Kansas for many years and is now giving a splendid business service as an abstractor and real estate and loan business man at Lincoln.

Mr. Davison was born at Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana, September 14, 1866 His grandfather Davison was born in Belfast, Ireland, in 1798, married in his native country, where he had a small bit of farming land, and later he and his wife, Rachel, immigrated to America, settling first in New York State and moving from there to Crawfordsville, Indiana, where he farmed until his death about 1870.

Abraham Davison, father of Newton J., was the founder of the family in Kansas. He was born on the shores of Lake Champlain in New York State, October 31, 1831. He spent most of his youth there and then with his parents moved to Montgomery County, Indiana, and in September, 1878, came West and located in Phillips County, Kansas. There he homesteaded 160 acres and also took up a timber claim of a quarter section. He proved up both but finally sold the homestead and concentrated all his attention upon the timber claim, which he converted into a model farm before his death. He died in Phillips County, in July, 1902. He did his duty as a citizen and was a staunch adherent of the republican party and was a member of the Masonic fraternity. Abraham Davison married Julia (Croy) Whitsel, who was born in Ohio in 1835, and died at Crawfordsville, Indiana, in April, 1869. She was the mother of eight children, five by her marriage to Abraham Davison. Jefferson, the oldest, was a horse buyer for a firm in Lafayette and later in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and died in that state at the age of forty years. Richard was in the express business and died at Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the age of forty-five. Angeline is the wife of Sherman Monroe, of Hutchinson, Kansas. Julia died in infancy. The fifth of the family is Newton J.

Newton J. Davison was about twelve years of age when his father brought him to the homestead in Phillips County, and he completed his education in the common schools there. He grew up on his father's farm and remained at home until twenty-two. After that he attended Christian College at Lincoln for two years, and spent nine terms as a successful teacher in both Lincoln and Phillips counties.

Mr. Davison was elected county clerk of Lincoln County in 1902 and filled the office with creditable efficiency for two terms of four years. In January, 1907, after leaving office, he engaged in the abstract and loan business and is regarded as a most reliable man in that line at the county seat. His offices are on Lincoln Avenue.

Mr. Davison has always kept in close touch with the agricultural interests of Kansas and owns 320 acres of farm land in Sheridan County. He also has some town lots in Lincoln and his residence is on Court Street.

Besides his service as county clerk he was for four years a member of the city council. Mr. Davison is a republican, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, is past noble grand of Center Lodge No. 111, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Lincoln, is a member and former secretary of Lincoln Lodge No. 154, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and is present worthy patron of Lincoln Chapter No. 48 of the Eastern Star.

Mr. Davison married at Lincoln, December 25, 1894, Miss Hattie M. Gould, daughter of Smith and Rachel (Hines) Gould. Her parents are both deceased, the father having formerly had a farm in Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Davison had five children: Lela and Theron, twins, both of whom died in infancy; Hazel died at the age of eleven months; Harlan died when 2 1/2 years of age; and Leslie, the only surviving child, was born September 1, 1900, and is now a junior in the high school at Lincoln.

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