Ira Davenport (June 28, 1841 – October 6, 1904) was an American businessman, politician and philanthropist. He was most notable for his service in the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...

(1878-1881), as New York State Comptroller (1882-1883), and a member of Congress from New York's 29th congressional district (1885-1889).

Early life

Davenport was born in Hornellsville, New York, the son of Ira Davenport (1795-1868) and Lydia Cameron (1800-1842). His family moved to

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

in 1847, and Davenport attended Bath's Haverling Academy and the Russell Collegiate School in New Haven, Connecticut. Davenport's father owned and operated a large estate and was active in numerous business ventures including stores, farms, lumber, freight transportation, and real estate speculation. After his father's death, Davenport took over management of these enterprises.

Political career

He was a member of the

(27th D.) from 1878 to 1881, sitting in the 101st, 102nd, 103rd and

104th New York State Legislature The 104th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4 to July 23, 1881, during the second year of Alonzo B. Cornell's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the pro ...

s. He was New York State Comptroller from 1882 to 1883, elected in 1881, but defeated for re-election in 1883 by Democrat Alfred C. Chapin. Davenport was a member of the 49th and

50th United States Congress The 50th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1887, ...

es, holding office from March 4, 1885 to March 3, 1889. He was the Republican candidate for

Governor of New York The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has ...

in the 1885 election, and was defeated by Democrat David B. Hill.

Death and burial

Davenport died in Bath on October 6, 1904. He was buried at the Davenport Family Cemetery in Bath.

Family

On April 27, 1887 in Kingston, New York, Davenport married Katherine Lawrence Sharpe (1860-1945), the daughter of

George H. Sharpe George Henry Sharpe (February 26, 1828 – January 13, 1900) was an American lawyer, soldier, United States Secret Service, Secret Service officer, diplomat, politician, and Member of the Board of General Appraisers. Sharpe was born in 1828, in ...

. She was the granddaughter of Abraham Bruyn Hasbrouck, great-granddaughter of

Abraham J. Hasbrouck Abraham Joseph Hasbrouck (October 16, 1773 – January 12, 1845) was a United States representative from New York (state), New York and a slaveholder. Biography Hasbrouck was born in "Guilford" (now Libertyville in Gardiner, New York, Gard ...

and a descendant of Louis DuBois. They had no children.

Legacy

The Davenport family's charitable donations included founding a home for orphaned girls, which was financed by the senior Ira Davenport and his brother Charles, and supported by Ira Davenport Jr. Once closed after 94 years of operation, the orphanage's assets endowed Bath's

Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital is a century-old medical facility in upstate New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a stat ...

, which was named after the senior Ira Davenport. The younger Ira Davenport was a founder of the Bath Soldiers' and Sailors' Home and the town's public library. From 1906 to 1999 (when a new facility opened), the library was named for Ira Junior. The Davenports also made substantial contributions to fund Bath's monumental First Presbyterian Church, with its Tiffany sanctuary. A small Davenport Park in Bath is named for the family, and a squash court at Amherst College is named for Ira Junior's brother John.House, Kirk, "Steuben County People on the Maps of Two Worlds, ''Steuben Echoes'' 44:4, November 2018'

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External links

Ira Davenport
at The Political Graveyard * {{DEFAULTSORT:Davenport, Ira 1841 births 1904 deaths New York State Comptrollers Republican Party New York (state) state senators People from Hornellsville, New York Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) People from Bath, New York 19th-century American politicians