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Below is a family biography included in The History of Darke County, Ohio published by W. H. Beers & Co. in 1880.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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WILLIAM DAVIS, carpenter, Arcanum; was born in Butler Co., Ohio, in 1821; he is the son of Hugh and Christi Ann Davis; Hugh was born in South Carolina, and his wife in Virginia; they came to Ohio, with their parents, in a very early day, so early that at that time they could enter Government land, near Cincinnati, at $1.25 per acre. Mr. Davis, the subject of this sketch, came to Darke Co. in 1856; he was married in 1849, to Mary Ann Shaffer, daughter of David and Susannah Shaffer, who were born in Pennsylvania; Mary Ann came with her parents to Ohio in an early day; they are the parents of eight children, seven of whom are living, viz., John W., David, Susanna, William H., Pharan, Mary Jane and Thomas. When Mr. Davis first came to this county, he located in Butler Township, where he remained one year, and then moved to Van Buren Township; he located at his present place of residence in 1861; when he came here, he opened out in the woods, and built a small house, and, in order to move into it, had to cut a road through the woods to get to his house; he has 1 acre of land, and since he came there has cleared it up and built a comfortable house and barn, so that he has a pleasant little home. He has always followed the trade of a carpenter, and has had the pleasure of seeing the country improve around him, and the old log buildings of the early settlers disappear, and fine frame and brick buildings take their place; and he, as a good mechanic, has had a goodly share of the work to do.

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This family biography is one of 659 biographies included in The History of Darke County, Ohio published in 1880 by W. H. Beers & Co.  For the complete description, click here: Darke County, Ohio History and Genealogy

View additional Darke County, Ohio family biographies here: Darke County, Ohio Biographies

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