Joseph T. Davis
Joseph T. Davis, son of Thomas Davis and Unknown Female Davis, was born on 4 Aug 1834 in District of Columbia and died on 29 Aug 1906 in Denver, Colorado at age 72.
General Notes
J. T. Davis: So attested in the 1860 census entry.
Joseph T. Davis: So attested in the 1870 census entry.
His Birth-Place
According to information his son provided for his death certificate, Joseph T. Davis was born in the District of Columbia on the date given. Some previous census entries affirm the birth place (e.g. 1860), others state Maryland. Evidence dissenting from this picture includes Izetta George’s 1910 census record, which lists her father’s birth place as Missouri.
Chronology
1850: Joseph should appear in this federal census. Searching for Joseph T. Davis gives no obvious matches. Searching for Joseph Davis alone gives over 1300. Narrowing that group to those born in the District of Columbia returns only one in the right decade, a black man aged 18. Narrowing it instead to Maryland, possible matches include a 15 year old Joseph in Howard, Missouri, with parents born in Maryland and Kentucky; a 15 year old black man in Baltimore.
Before 1860: Joseph moves to Missouri prior to 1860, judging from census entries described below. Was he moving with his parents? If Joseph’s father’s name was Thomas, does Joseph’s middle initial stand for Thomas?
1860: J.T. and Caroline appear together in the 1860 federal census in Missouri; Atchison Co.; Buchanan. His age is perhaps given as 25, although the reading is doubtful, and his occupation "Merchant" with a personal estate valued at $1500. His birthplace there appears to be listed as "D.C." although this reading is also doubtful. (It appears elsewhere on the page.)
1862-1866: Since J.T. Davis and Caroline had Izetta in Missouri in 1862, he must have moved to Iowa between 1862 and 1866, when Rowena is born there. Perhaps the family went to Iowa to be near Caroline’s family, as she was born there. On a pure guess, did they leave Missouri after his parents had died?
1870: The 1870 federal census for Iowa; Fremont; Hamburg lists a Joseph T. Davis in "Dry Goods Sales" by profession, having real estate worth 29,000 and personal estate worth 5,000. His birth-place is given as MD, and his age 36. (This entry shows him with "Celia" [sic], Isetta, Rowena, Alma, and James [?], the latter not otherwise known.)
1880: I first discovered him and Caroline through the 1880 Hamburg, Fremont, Iowa federal census, where he is listed as J.T., appearing with his family immediately above Goodwin and Izetta George. Since J.T. has Izetta’s maiden name, and he and his wife have the same birth-places as those listed for Izetta’s parents (Missouri and Iowa respectively), I assume this family to be Izetta’s.
However, this birthplace for Izetta’s father (Missouri) contradicts earlier census records, which give DC and MD respectively. Unfortunately, no place of birth is given for either of his parents.
I do not find Joseph or J.T. Davis in the 1885 Iowa census. Nor does he appear in the 1895 census. (The 1890 federal is fragmentary.)
1900: Joseph T. and his son Joseph E. appear in the 1900 federal census living alone together in Denver. His occupation is given as a ’peddler’. His birthplace and that of his parents are both explicitly indicated as ’D of Columbia’. 1835 is given as his year of birth. His exact death date and particulars come from a Denver, Colorado, death certificate, in which his son, Joseph E., gives Joseph T.’s occupation as a ’chemist’. He died of ’senility’ with ’cystitis’ as a contributory cause. He had been living with his son at 325 NiHassan (sp.?) Avenue. He died at St. Anthony’s Hospital. Joseph T. was buried at River Side on August 31, 1906.
Research Notes
Birth Certificate: Washington DC’s DOH reports birth certificates on record only since 1874.
Death Certificate: Attempt to order his death certificate from the State of CO, 12/12/04, resulted in a response stating I need to "submit documentation to establish my legal interest in obtaining" the document. I resubmitted the application and received a copy on 6/10/05. Death records are available for the entire state from 1900 on.
Family
Joseph married Caroline (or Celia) Kimer Davis.
Children from this marriage were:
Rowena Davis was born circa 1866 in Iowa.
Alma? Anna? Davis was born circa 1868 in Iowa.
Amelia Davis was born circa 1874 in Iowa.
Matty? Davis was born in 1876 in Iowa.
Joseph E. Davis was born circa 1878 in Iowa.
James Davis was born circa 1870.
