Alpheus J. Davis    

DAVIS, ALPHEUS J., was born in Reading, Steuben county, N.Y. He is the fourth son of Greeley and Lucy (Dow) Davis. His mother was born at Watkins, Steuben county, N.Y., on the 10th of October, 1792, and died at Tionesta Forest county, Pa., in 1868. His father was a native of Saratoga county, N.Y., the date of his birth being August 4th, 1787, and of his death at Pleasantville, Venango county, Pa., June 15th, 1863. They were married at Reading, N.Y., in 1811. During the war of 1812 Greeley Davis enlisted in the American army, was stationed principally at Ticonderoga, and for his meritorious services received a soldier’s land warrant. A partial record of his children would read somewhat as follows: Lot B., born in 1812, twice married, first to Susan Cencipaugh, secondly to Julia Hudson, and resides at Watkins, N.Y.; John D., born in 1814, died after the family removed to Warren, Pa.; Barnum, married Manda Wright, died in Illinois ; Alpheus J.; Mary, born in 1822, married Flavius J. Benedict, and resides at Pleasantville, Pa; Meredith and Miranda, twins, born in 1824, the former twice married, first to Amanda Benley, secondly to Anna Evans, and now resides in Clearfield county, Pa.; the latter married Daniel Whitney, and resides in Buffalo, N.Y.; Priscilla Ann married James H. Clark, and resides in New York city; Frances married Marshall Couch, died in 1858; Samuel married Adeline Henderson, and resides at York, Neb.; Luther married Mary Houston, and resides in Warren county, Ill.; Ephraim married Elizabeth Dale, and resides at Tionesta, Pa.

Alpheus J. Davis received his education at Reading and at Warren, Pa., to which place the Davis family moved in 1833. At fifteen years of age, leaving his older brothers to assist on the farm, he was apprenticed to a clothier, and served three years. Then, wishing to continue his education, he passed the next three years at school in Warren. Afterward he engaged in the lumber business, and continued to be most actively and extensively connected with that interest through all his side issues of other business operations. He served a year as constable of Warren borough with such fidelity, that the people earnestly importuned him to serve longer, but the pressure of his private affairs, and his dislike for public office constrained him to refuse. In 1858 he opened a flour and feed store, in which he remained two years. Meantime he was appointed the first express agent of Warren county, and he held that office with signal credit until his resignation in 1861, in favor of his friend, L. D. Crandall. He had always been successful in business enterprises, selling out readily at good opportunities. Upon the first development of petroleum he built on Oil Creek a refinery with a capacity for sixty barrels per diem, which, after successfully managing for three years, he sold, and returned to the lumber business. From 1876 to 1883 he owned the largest drug store in Warren.

Although a strong Democrat, he has never taken any active part in political matters, preferring rather to assist in advancing the material interests of his own town. He is a member of several town and county associations, and has performed the duties which have devolved upon him with credit to himself and advantage to others. He contributes liberally to the support of the Presbyterian Church, of which his wife is a member.

In 1852 he married Nancy J. Miles, daughter of Robert Miles, a sketch of whose life appears in this work. They have two children, Jessie Miles, wife of Dr. A. C. McAlpine, of Warren, and Annie Grace, now residing with her parents.

History of Warren County: With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of some of its Prominent Men and Pioneers, J. S. Schenck, Syracuse, NY: D. Mason & Co., 1887.  More Warren County History Books  Search Hundreds of 1880s-1890s Pennsylvania County History Books for biographies and historical information on your ancestors.  View the book page images on line and print them out for your genealogy file!  Free Access to the old history books - plus birth & death records, census images and ALL other records at ancestry.com.