William Thompson Davis was a pioneer citizen of the county and according to his obituary was born in Saline Precinct, now named Stonefort Township, near what was known as Sayersville Bridge just west of Stonefort, January 31, 1842, and the entire sixty-four years of his life were spent as a citizen of Williamson County. His parents were John Tribble and Nancy (Thompson) Davis.
His father, John T. Davis (1805-1855), was born in Trigg County, Kentucky where his father was a neighbor and connection of Jefferson Davis’ father. The family came to Williamson County in 1819, settled on Davis Prairie, east of Marion, and with the neighbors built Coal Bank Church
Sarahville, south of Crab Orchard, was the settlement formed by the two Davis brothers, John T. Davis, William’s father, and Thomas D. Davis (1814 1873), his uncle, both sons of the family who settled on Davis prairie. The Davis store was opened at Sarahville in 1830 and the mill two years later where the old post road (Stonefort Road) from Golconda crossed the Saline River (South Fork). Beyond the ford the road branched, northwest to Bainbridge and Kaskaskia or north over the Worthen trail. Heavy travel over these roads made the crossing an ideal site for a village.
John T. Davis served as adjutant in the Black Hawk War in 1832 and when he came home he was appointed justice of the peace, which brought more visitors to his store.
Bainbridge, Illinois, west of Marion, served as Williamson County’s first county seat during the months between county division and actual building of Williamson. County officers were elected in September, 1839. The law governing the division provided for William Norris, Sterling Hill, and John T. Davis to meet at Bainbridge and tally the votes. The commissioners to locate the permanent county seat met at Bainbridge to be sworn and proceed with their duties.
At Bainbridge the first county officers received whatever corresponded to their certificates of election. Sterling Hill and Frederick F. Duncan were County Commissioners, to serve with Cyrus Campbell of Eight Mile prairie, a commissioner of Franklin county specifically directed to retain his office. John Bainbridge was clerk, John D. Sanders, sheriff, and John T. Davis, treasurer. They took up their duties when the county court met at Marion October 7, 1839.
When the sale of Marion lots was held November 17, 1839 the Davis brothers bought lot 1 in block 9, later the site of the Goodall Hotel, for $100. This lot in 2014 is currently the location of the Marion City Hall. Thomas, William’s uncle, and Mary (Ferrell) Davis moved into the new town and built the first frame house there in 1841.
John T. Davis sat in the lower house of the 13th and 14th general assemblies, 1842-1845, at Springfield and was a colleague of Senator Willis Allen. The Davis store in Sarahville dispensed liquid refreshment and was licensed “to keep a house of entertainment at their house in Sarahville.” However, when Abraham Lincoln delivered a lecture on temperance to the Illinois legislature, Representative Davis returned home to shut the door of his saloon forever.
William T. Davis’s first years were spent on the farm where he learned how to be a farmer, stock raiser and a dealer with modern ideas, which brought him prosperity in life and made him a valuable citizen.
In 1850, William was one of seven children living with his parents, John T. and Nancy Davis. He was 8 years old. His father claimed his real estate at $2,000 and was a merchant operating his store in Sarahville.
William’s father, John T. Davis, passed away in 1855.
William and his widowed mother and siblings lived near Sarahville, south of Crab Orchard, during the census in 1860. He and four of his siblings aged 12 to 20 were living with their mother, Nancy. She had a real estate value of $3000 and a personal property estate of $870. William, 18, was the only one of the children who had attended school in the past year. All of the children had been born in Illinois.
Mr. Davis married three times. His first wife was Miss Susan Willeford by whom he had four children: Julia, died while young; Susan, Sarah, and Nancy. He and Susan were married Jan 8, 1865.
In 1869, Mr. Davis entered politics, being a staunch Democrat, and was elected County Treasurer on the Democratic ticket, which he held through 1871.
By 1870, W.T. and his wife were living near Crab Orchard with their two children, his mother Nancy, brother Thomas, and a day laborer named Charles Watson. W.T. was the County Treasurer and tax assessor and his property was valued at $5000 and personal property at $300.
His first wife, Susan, contracted consumption in 1874 and died on December 19th, 1874 after suffering with it for months.
The weekly newspaper, the Egyptian Press, was founded in 1874 under the partnership of James M. Washburn, his son, William S. Washburn, William T. Davis and Charles Denison. This principal Democratic organ of the county survived until 1902, when it was sold and later became the Marion Post.
William T. Davis was married to Mary Margaret Hearn Dec 7, 1876 at her residence by Rev. T. J. Davis. Although a death record has not been found on his second wife, she appears to have died in early 1879. The Marion Monitor newspaper reported that the Marion Marble Yard was putting up a fine monument for W.T. Davis, over the grave of his wife in April of 1879.
In the 1880 census William T. was a widower again living with his mother and four children, ages 7 to 15, and two farm laborers. He was listed as a farmer and they were living in Saline Township (today’s Stonefort Township).
William’s third wife was Miss Mary L. Barham whom he married on January 31, 1882. They were married at Pulley House by Elder John A. Rodman. She was the daughter of Joseph Barham.
From 1880 to 1884, Davis served as Williamson County Circuit Clerk.
Mr. Davis was mayor of Marion in 1889 to 1890, running on the temperance ticket. He defeated a popular candidate on the license ticket when the saloon question was a local issue. He served for several years on the Williamson County fair board and was a prominent Mason.
An article in the paper dated January 31, 1895 indicated that his mother, Nancy, was fighting typhoid fever and another article dated November 18, 1897, indicated that she had passed away recently in Creal Springs due to pneumonia, although she had been living in Marion.
Another local article dated July 2, 1896, related that a young man named Will Corder, age 19, had drowned recently near Harrisburg while staying with his sister. The article indicated that the young man had been raised by W.T. Davis after the death of his father 12 years ago.
In the 1900 census, William was listed as a horse dealer. He and Mary L. had 9 children living at home, ages 2 to 32.
William T. Davis, a pioneer citizen of the county, who figured extensively in its history for many years, passed away at his home on North Market Street in this city in March of 1906. He had been in ill health for seven or eight months prior to his death.
All of his living children were present when he died, as were his three sisters, Mrs. Sarah Walker of Caneyville, Mrs. Charles Parks of Sayersville and Mrs. Hosea V. Ferrell of Carterville. He is survived by his wife Mrs. Mary Davis. He was buried in the old Marion Cemetery (a.k.a. Aikman Cemetery).
In 1910 when the census was taken, Mary was living alone, a widow with three of her children and a step-daughter living in Marion. Mary owned her own home and had “own income.” However, due to ill health they were forced to move to Chicago. See the article on the daughter Helen below.
Mary (Barham) Davis passed away in April, 1913.
Notes on the Children:
- Julia Davis 1865 – died young
- Lucy Davis 1867 –
- Susan Davis 1867 – 1941
- Sarah Davis 1871 –
- Nancy Davis 1873 –
- Grace Davis 1882 –
- John T. Davis 1885 –
- Harriet C. Davis 1887 – 1930
- Mary L. Davis 1888 – 1969
- William Thompson Davis 1890 –
- Ruth Davis 1892 –
- Helen Davis 1895 – 1915 in Wisconsin
- Mildred Winifred Davis married. M. Lamoreaux, 1898 – 1985 in Orange County, California
Helen Davis, daughter of W. T. and Mary L. Davis, both deceased, died Wednesday in Jefferson, Wisconsin today. She was suffering from tuberculosis and had been sick about two months. The body will arrive at the home of her brother, John T. Davis on South Madison and East College Streets. Burial will be in Rose Hill. Marion Daily Republican July 10, 1915.
Helen Davis was born in Marion Mar 8, 1895, and moved in 1910 with her family to Chicago. When that home was broken up owing to the illness of her mother, she was placed in St. Colletta’s School at Jefferson, Wisconsin where she remained until her death. Her father died in this city about 9 years ago and her mother died in April 1913. She leaves the following brothers and sisters: Susan, Nancy, John T. and William T. Davis of this city, Mrs. F. G. Snow of Carlsbad, N.M., Mrs. S.S. Vick and Mildred Davis of Carterville, Harriet and Luella Davis and Mrs. Dwight H Holmes of Chicago. She is also survived by her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Barham.
In 1930, William T. Davis, the son, was living at 110 N. Liberty St in a house that had been owned previously by his sister, Nancy, who owned a Piano and Phonograph store in Marion. In 1930, William T. owned the home and Nancy was living with him and his family.
(Extracted from the Marion Evening Post; Marion Daily Republican; Marion Monitor; Egyptian Press; Pioneer Folks and Places by Barbara Barr Hubbs; History of Williamson County by Milo Erwin; Events in Egypt by Helen Sutt Lind; compiled by Colleen Norman)