Jeremiah Davis (June 12, 1826 – September 22, 1910) was an American pioneer, politician, and farmer from

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 state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He achieved significant wealth in the

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...

and invested his money in a large tract of land in

Ogle County, Illinois Ogle County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 53,497. Its county seat is Oregon, and its largest city is Rochelle. Ogle County comprises Rochelle, ...

. The town of Davis Junction there was named in his honor. Davis also served a term in the

Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

Biography

Davis was born in Hornellsville, New York on June 12, 1826. He moved with his parents to Milton, Wisconsin, attending the public schools. Upon graduating, he purchased a farm, which he cultivated until 1850. He participated in the

and became wealthy after discovering a gold vein near

Georgetown, California Georgetown (formerly Growlersburg) is a census-designated place (CDP) in El Dorado County, California. It is the northeasternmost town in the California Mother Lode. The population was 2,367 at the 2010 census, up from 962 in 2000. The town is reg ...

. He returned to Milton after a year, again maintaining his farm. Davis married Jane Goodrich on April 20, 1852, and co-founded Milton Academy with her father, Joseph Goodrich, in 1853. In 1859, Davis purchased a tract of land in

. He served on the Scott Township Board of Supervisors for ten years. In 1870, he was elected as a Republican to the

, serving one two-year term. Davis managed to convince the Chicago & Iowa Railroad and the

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), often referred to as the "Milwaukee Road" , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest and Northwest of the United States from 1847 until 1986. The company experience ...

(Milwaukee Road) to run their tracks through his land. The town of Davis Junction was founded and named after him in 1875. In 1881, Davis moved to Rockford where he became director of the Forest City Insurance Company and the Rockford National Bank. Davis also served as treasurer of the Rock River Butter Company. He was elected to the Rockford

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as alderman from the first ward in 1885. He served on the original board of the

Rockford Memorial Hospital Rockford or Rockfords may refer to: Places United States * Rockford, Illinois, a city, the largest municipality of this name *Rockford, Alabama, a town * Rockford, Idaho, a census-designated place * Rockford metropolitan area, Illinois, a United St ...

. Davis had eight children. He was active in

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ry and was a member of the Western Society of California Pioneers. He died on September 22, 1910.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Jeremiah 1826 births 1910 deaths Republican Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives People from Hornellsville, New York People from Ogle County, Illinois People of the California Gold Rush American city founders 19th-century American politicians People from Milton, Wisconsin