Husband Joshua Davis 1 2
Born: 6 Feb 1843 - Ebensburg, Cambria Co, PA 3
Christened:
Died: 26 Nov 1907 - Kane, McKean Co, PA 4
Buried:
Father: Joshua Davis ( -1842) 4
Mother: Ann James (1809-1884) 4
Marriage: 1 Nov 1866 - Ebensburg, Cambria Co, PA 5
Wife Hannah Howells 1 2 5
Born: 10 Jun 1847 - near Ebensburg, Cambria Co, PA 5
Christened:
Died: Aft 1913
Buried:
Father: Daniel Howells (1813-1858) 6
Mother: Rachel Jones (1808-1883) 6
Children
1 M William Herman Davis 2
Born: 29 Sep 1867 - Kane, McKean Co, PA 7
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Neta Maude Long (1872- ) 2 7
Marr: 14 Oct 1896 7
2 F Cora May Davis 8
Born: 19 Nov 1872 - Kane, McKean Co, PA 8
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: John Danforth ( -1905) 8
3 F Ann Rachel Davis 7
Born: 27 Feb 1879 - Kane, McKean Co, PA 7
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: George E. Bender ( - ) 7
General Notes: Husband - Joshua Davis
He was educated in the common schools of Ebensburg, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, and began business life in 1867. He soon settled at Kane, McKean County, where he was at first a dealer in general merchandise. But in 1888 he disposed of this business and gave his attention to banking and other interests. It was in this year that he purchased from the Holgate brothers the handle plant previously operated by them. The company engaged in this line of manufacture, known as Holgate Brothers Company, and it was the largest concern of this kind in the world. It was also the oldest, at least in the United States, its history covering more than one and a quarter centuries. The factory was first established by Cornelius Holgate at some time between 1775 and 1782; in Roxboro, near Philadelphia. The product was carried to Philadelphia in wagons and sold among the brushmakers in that city. In 1800 the factory was removed to Wilkes-Barre, where John Holgate, son of the founder, continued the business. In 1825 he moved to the beech woods about fifteen miles from the site of the present city of Scranton, where he carried on the business until his death. Then his son, Silas G. Holgate, moved the plant to Daleville, Pennsylvania. At the outbreak of the civil war he added buckets to his line of manufactures; these he sold mostly to the United States government. In 1870 the first of their factories to use steam power was built.
Five years later Silas G. Holgate retired from the business, and his sons, A. H. and W. A. Holgate, continued it under the name of Holgate Brothers. In 1884 the plant was moved to Kane, and four years later the Holgate Brothers sold it to Joshua Davis, as previously stated. Mr. Davis controlled and financed the new company until its incorporaton, and was its president from its incorporation until the time of his death. The incorporation of Holgate Brothers Company was formed under the laws of Pennsylvania in 1892. The plant was commodious, consisting of three large buildings, which were designated as Factories Number One, Number Two and Number Three. These buildings and the lumber yards, also owned by the company, covered about five acres of ground. Brush handles of all descriptions were manufactured, the products being shipped throughout the United States, also to Canada, South America, Cuba and Great Britain. Two hundred and fifty skilled woodworkers were given employment in the several departments of the plant. Joshua Davis was also interested in the manufacture of clothes pins, and was one of the firm of Howells, Moffitt & Company, and in the LaMont Chemical Works. Besides these industries he was president of the Kane Bank & Trust Company from the time of its organization, and treasurer of the Kane Gas Light & Heating Company. Beginning life with but twenty-five cents of cash capital he became one of the most prominent and able business men of McKean County. He built the first house in the business part of Kane, and afterwards erected many business and residential buildings. The lands in which he was interested became valuable in the first development of oil in that district, and he made other large investments of the same character, which also proved to be remunerative. In the civil war he served in the Union army with Company C, Two Hundred and Ninth Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, Army of the Potomac. He was also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He was a member of Kane Lodge, No. 566, Free and Accepted Masons; Kane Chapter, No. 279, Royal Arch Masons; Bradford Council, No. 43, Royal and Select Masters; Knapp Commandery, No. 40, Knights Templar, at Ridgway; Williamsport Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite; and of Zem Zem Temple, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, Erie, Pennsylvania. For years he was treasurer and president of the board of trustees of the Congregational church, and was one of the organizers of the church in Kane in 1887.