With his one horse he dragged logs to build his house. He raised nine children of his own, three girls and six boys, and two of his grandchildren: John M. Davis and Clarissa C. Davis, children of his son Oliver Jr. He raised cattle, horses, sheep and hogs. He walked through the wilderness to Old Frankfort, and would make 100 rails a day and walk back home at night. Wolves were very common in those days and would howl around the house and frighten his wife, and she would climb up on the house with the children and throw the ladder down. Then when he returned home he would put it back up for them to come down.
Three of their sons were soldiers in the Civil War. The youngest son, Hezekiah, slipped away at the age of 18 to join the army. Both he and Thomas returned home at the close of the war, but Oliver died in prison. He was wounded in action, and is buried in the National Cemetery at Marietta Georgia.
Oliver Davis Sr. was a member of Old Squat Church built in 1819. William Burns was one of the founders of the church and was there when the census was taken in 1818 and 1820. Old Squat church was located between the Jefferson Sanders and Samuel Sherertz homes, near what is now Union Grove Church, which was built in 1859. There being many Indians and wolves in the vicinity of the church at that time, the members would carry rifles to church with them.
Oliver Davis was the son of David Davis of Tennessee, and a brother of David Davis, Jr. (1801-1873), who also came to Williamson County, Illinois, in 1828, and settled near what is now Pittsburg Illinois.
In 1850 Oliver was a farmer; he and Ann were both born in Tennessee. Oliver and Ann could not read and write. Their children; William, 13; Susan, 12; Thomas, 10; and Robert, 9, were in school. Andrew, 18, and Phoebe, 14, did not attend school and Hezekiah was only 5.
In 1860 Thomas was 19, his brother Oliver was 27, and Hezekiah was 13. The three boys joined the Union forces in the Civil War. Thomas joined the Civil War in Williamson County Jan 25, 1862. When mustered into service he was 5’10 with light hair, blue eyes and fair complexion. In 1864 Thomas re-enlisted in Rossville, Georgia for a period of three years. The war ended and he was mustered out on July 31, 1865.
He belonged to Co. F, 60th Infantry Illinois Volunteers. That unit was organized at Camp Dubois, Anna, Illinois, Feb. 17, 1862, by Colonel Silas C. Toler. “February 22nd, ordered to Cairo, Illinois. March 14, moved to Island No. 10. After the surrender, returned to Columbus and to Cairo. On May 7th they moved up Tennessee River to Hamburg Landing, arriving on the 12th and were assigned to Second Brigade, First Division, Army of the Mississippi, Colonel Charles M. Lynn, Tenth Michigan, commanding Brigade.
The regiment was engaged in the siege of Corinth, May 1862, and was in pursuit of the enemy beyond Booneville, Miss. They camped at Big Springs, three miles from Corinth and on July 21st were ordered to Tuscumbia, Ala. And later ordered to Nashville on August 28th where they arrived on September 12th.
The regiment remained there during the siege with all communications being cut off until November 8th. On the 7th of November, they were engaged in repelling the attack of General Morgan on Edgefield. December 12th they transferred to the Second Brigade, Third Division, Fourth Army Corps.
On January 5, 1863, they had a skirmish with Wheeler’s cavalry, between Nashville and Murfreesboro, repulsing them. After the battle of Murfreesboro they returned to Nashville.
On the 2nd of March, Colonel Toler died.
July 20th they moved to Murfreesboro, Lieutenant Colonel W. B. Anderson commanding. On the 26th of August they moved, via Columbia, Athens, Huntsville and Stevenson, arriving at Dallas, Tenn., Nov. 12. The Regiment was here assigned to First Brigade, Second Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, and participated in the battle of Chattanooga and the memorable march to Knoxville, Tenn. The ragged and footsore Regiment arrived again at Chattanooga, Dec. 24, and went into winter quarters at Rossville.
By Feb. 22, 1864, three-fourths of the Regiment having reenlisted as veteran volunteers were mustered. On the 26th they took part in the reconnaissance toward Dalton, Ga., which resulted in the battle of Buzzard Roost. In this battle, the Sixtieth lost heavily, 42 being killed and wounded.
On March 6th, they were ordered to Illinois on veteran furlough. The men were furloughed from Centralia, Ill., March 15, 1864.
On the 18th of April 1864 they moved, via Louisville, Nashville and Chattanooga, to Rossville. On May 2nd they commenced the Atlanta campaign, and participated in the battles of Ringgold, Dalton, Resaca, Rome, Dallas, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain, Nickajack, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta and Jonesboro. The Regiment was complimented by Division and Corps commanders for its gallantry at Jonesboro on Sept. 1. They remained in camp at Atlanta until Sept. 29, 1864, when it moved, by rail, via Athens, Ala., to Florence where they had a skirmish with the enemy, driving him across the Tennessee River, at Florence.
October 10th they moved to Chattanooga and on October 18th, marched from Lafayette, Ga., to Galesville, Ala., and from thence to Atlanta, via Rome, Kingston, Carterville and Marietta.
November 16th, they marched from Atlanta, on the Augusta road, via Covington, Milledgeville, Sandersville, Louisville, and thence to Savannah, Ga., arriving at the outer defenses December 11, 1864. During the march they foraged liberally off the country, and captured many mules and horses. “Many Negroes left the plantation and followed us.” When the war ended, he was mustered out on July 31, 1865.
Thomas married 1st Elizabeth Sheretz on November 25, 1865. They had three children: Lavisa (1864), Sarah (1866) and Cora M. (1868). Elizabeth died in 1871. He then married Eliza Ann Pulley on Deptember 21, 1871. They had five children: Clara (1876), Cyrus (1879), Nettie (1882), Hester (1886) and Herman (1888)
In the 1870 census, Thomas and Elizabeth had two children, Sarah and Cora living at home.
In 1868, Thomas was a Trustee to the City Board of Marion and served under Marion President Robert M. Hundley.
Thomas was awarded a contract to carry mail from Marion to Attila in April 1875. In the same year, the local newspaper advertised, ” Thomas Davis Livery Feed and sale stable, one block east, south side East Main Street.” This would be where the U.S. Post Office is currently located.
The Marion Monitor newspaper reported in December 1876 that, “Thomas Davis has erected a wagon house on East Main Street, one block east of the public square.”
An advertisement in the Marion Monitor paper in 1877, stated, “Thomas Davis, farm implements, Studebaker wagon which took the gold medal at the Centennial Exposition, reapers, mowers, spring wagons, plows, riding and walking cultivators, livery stable – East Main Street.” Another ad, also listed his livery stable and farm implements on East Main Street.
Thomas was working on the railroad in 1880. They had five children at home: Lavisa, 16; Sarah, 14; Cora, 12; Clara, 4; and Cyrus who was one. He was 38 and Eliza was 27.
In 1887 Thomas was elected officer of the day at the GAR Marion Post 319 and held membership in the organization until his death.
Thomas again served the city of Marion as an Alderman in 1880 and 1881, both terms under Mayor Leroy A. Goddard.
In November of 1897 Lloyd Sowell, 10 year old son of Jeff Sowell, shot Herman Davis, 7 year old son of Thomas. On Sunday the boys were playing with a gun they didn’t think was loaded. Herman has been unconscious since the accident. Both boys live at Lake Creek and are cousins. Herman apparently survived as he was in the 1900 census three years later.
In the 1900 census, Thomas was and 59 and Lizzie was 54. All five of their joint children were still at home. Their ages ranged from 23 down to 12. Three year old Edith that is living in the household appears to be the daughter of Clara who says she has had one child and that child was living. Lizzie says she has had 9 children and 5 were still living. Thomas was a day laborer. Their son, Cyrus, was a clerk in a store and Nettie was a tobacco stemmer.
On April 12, 1910 Thomas died before the census taker came around. He was buried in Union Grove Cemetery in Pittsburg, Illinois. He had had 17 children and 10 of them lived at that time.
According to a recorded memory of Mrs. Mamie Parks Hartwell, the daughter of one of Thomas’s sisters, Thomas owned a 400 acre farm in close proximity to the Cross Roads community which was located close to what is now the intersection of Khoury League Road and Songbird Road northeast of Marion.
In 1920, his wife, Eliza, was living with her youngest son, Herman, and his family.
In 1930 Herman and Lottie Davis had his mother who was 84 and her father who was 72 living with them. Herman was an auditor in a coal mine.
Notes on the Children:
Lavisa Davis was born in 1864.
Sarah Davis married James Macklin in Saline County on December 14, 1892. They had Maude Irene Macklin in 1896.
Cora Davis married David H. Davis Feb 9, 1883 and she died four months later.
Clara Davis was born Sept. 1, 1876 and died Oct. 1966. She married Willis Hartwell Hendrickson (1874-1956). In the 1930 census his occupation was listed as gob picker in the coal mines. They lived at 404 E Main Street. They had a daughter named Mary Allen Hendrickson.
Cyrus Davis was born March 17, 1879 and died July 26, 1960. He married Blanche Grant (1885-1976) and was an engineer in the coal mines. They had four children: Thomas G. Davis (1910-1911), Ethel Pauline Davis (1912-2007), Kenneth Davis (1914-1997) and Cyrus Davis Jr. (1923-1995)
Nettie Davis was born July 2, 1882 and died May 17, 1985 in Marion. She married Elmer Borum Dec. 25, 1900 in St Clair County, Illinois. They had Leon (1903-1951), Lucille (1907-xxxx), Louise (1908-1996), Sonya (1910-xxxx), Helen (1913-2010.)
Hester Lewis Davis was born on January 2, 1886 on the east side of Marion, Illinois and died in February 1976. Hester served as Marion police Chief in 1953 and operated Davis Grocery where Small’s Meat Market is now located in 2014 on East Main Street. He married Georgia L. Stapleton and they had Hester Louise “Dink” Davis (1907-1993) who married Marion photographer Carl Sorgen (1904-1989). See also, the post Hester Davis and Davis Market.
Herman Thomas Davis was born Feb. 29, 1888 at Crab Orchard. He married Charlotte “Lottie” Eberle (1913-1992). They had Victor Lee Davis (1913-1992). Herman was an auditor in the coal mines.
Thomas and Eliza’s children all lived long lives. Their average lifespan was 88 years.
(Sourced from Federal Census Records; Williamson County Historical Society; Egyptian Press; Marion Monitor; Ancestry.com; compiled by Colleen Norman)