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Highland Township Historical Society
Highland, Oakland County, Michigan |
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DAVISON, BENJAMIN F.
Portrait
and Biographical Album of Oakland County, Michigan, Chapman Bros. (1891), pp. 638-639
BENJAMIN F. DAVISON owns and occupies a good farm in
Highland Township, comprising one hundred and seventy acres
on section 21. Mr. Davison formerly owned a much larger tract, but
has given away one hundred and twenty acres, reducing his own estate to the acreage
mentioned. He finds sufficient occupation with that which he now possesses, as he is
ambitious to have it in as perfect condition as possible, and he is advancing in years, so
that he does not have the physical strength to do as he once did, although by no means
incapacitated from the oversight of affairs, or from the share in the labor necessary to
reap good results from the farm.
The paternal grandfather of our subject was Paul Davison, a native of
Connecticut, who in an early day went to Pennsylvania, and thence to Livingston County, N.
Y., in 1788. He and three others were the first to settle in that county, and in
making their way there followed an Indian trail. They built a cabin, and the next
year Mr. Davison returned to Pennsylvania for his family. They made
their journey to the new home in an ox cart, cutting logs and building bridges on the way.
The first crop of turnips and oats gathered in Lima Township was harvested by Mr.
Davison. [Begin Page 639] The corn used in the home was
ground with a stump and mortar. Mr. Davison died in 1804, at the
age of forty-one years; his wife survived him forty years, reaching the age of fourscore.
He had been in the Colonial army during the Revolution, and fought in Sullivan's
forces in subduing the Indians in Western New York; he held the commission of Captain.
His family consisted of three sons and four daughters, namely: Norman,
Marlin, Jonathan, Lavina, Olive,
Betsey and Fanny - the last named being the first white
female child born west of Geneva. She married Amos Otis [But
see note below].
Norman Davison was born in Connecticut and accompanied his parents to New
York when an infant. At the age of twenty years he married Huldah Brown,
a native of Albany, N. Y., and to them were born the following named children: Sarah,
Paul G., Olive P., Sylva, DeWitt
C., Benjamin F., Jane A. and Marietta.
In 1831 Mr. Davison removed to Genesee County, this State, locating
twelve miles from Flint, and being one of the first settlers in that locality.
There he died ten years after his arrival. The patent for the first land he entered
was signed by Andrew Jackson. He was a delegate to the convention at Detroit, in
1835, which framed the first constitution of the State, and he was a delegate to the
convention held at Ann Arbor to settle the difficulties between Indiana, Ohio and Michigan
regarding the boundary. He was Postmaster and Justice of the Peace for years.
The subject of this notice was born in Avon, Livingston County, N. Y,, April 12, 1821, and
was ten years old when he accompanied his parents to this State. He worked on his
father's farm after his school days were ended, until 1842, when he came to this county
and established himself in Highland Township. He has
cairied on general farming with good results, and has secured a good standing as an
agriculturist and a citizen. He has served as Township Treasurer a year and
Supervisor four years. He exercises the right of suffrage in behalf of Democratic
principles and the candidates who are pledged to support them. He is connected with
the social order of the Grange.
In 1847 Mr. Davison was married to Miss Huldah N. Gue,
who bore him four children, named respectively, Ann, Ella,
Norman and Frank. The wife and mother exchanged
time for eternity in 1866, and January 1, 1867, Mr. Davison made a second
marriage. His bride was Sarah S. Wells, daughter of Philip
and Sophia (Fuller) Wells, who were natives of Rhode Island and
Massachusetts respectively. Mr. Wells came to Michigan in 1842, and
settled in Milford, where he died in 1853. The year of his birth was 1799. Mrs.
Wells died September 16, 1867, at the age of sixty-six years, having been born in
1801. Mr. Wells owned and operated a foundry. He served as
Justice of the Peace, was a Mason and Odd Fellow, and, with his wife, had good standing in
the Presbyterian Church. The children of Mr. Davison and his
present wife are still residing with their parents, although both are engaged in teaching.
Their names are Bertha and Margaret S. Mrs.
Davison is a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church.
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NOTE: The claim that Fanny Davison married Amos
Otis is apparently in error. At least one historian of the family advises
that Fanny in fact married Elias Fitch. Rather, it was daughter Lavina
Davison who was the wife of Amos Otis.
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