History of Ebensburg, (Cambria County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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Webster Davis, politician, was born in Ebensburg, Pa., June 1, 1861; son of Daniel J. and Elizabeth Davis. His father emigrated from Wales, and his mother was a native of Pennsylvania. His parents removed to Davies county, Mo., in 1868, where his father purchased a farm and also carried on his trade as shoemaker. The family removed to Chillicothe in 1874 and in 1875 to Gallatin, Mo., where Webster learned the shoemaker's trade. He went to Chicago in 1881 where his earnings as a shoemaker gave him one year's tuition at Lake Forest university. Subsequently, while working at his trade in Gallatin, he studied law, giving his services as bookkeeper and copyist for his tuition. In 1884 he removed with his mother to Lawrence, Kan.. and was a student at the State university, 1884-86. He was admitted to the bar in 1886 and practised in Garden City, Kan. He was graduated in law at the University of Michigan in 1887, and then located in Kansas City, Mo., where he continued the practice of law. He was defeated for representative in the 53d congress in 1892; was mayor of Kansas City, 1894-96, and was a candidate before the Republican state convention of Missouri for governor in 1896, but was defeated by three votes. In June, 1897, President McKinley appointed him assistant secretary of the interior. Mr. Davis was chosen as orator on the occasion of the semi-centennial of the University of Michigan in 1887, although the youngest member of his class, and in 1896 delivered the annual address of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity of his Alma Mater. He was also orator at the Steubenville (Ohio) centennial, 1897; at the League convention of Republican clubs at Detroit, Mich., in 1897; at the Memorial day ceremonies at Arlington, Va., in 1897, and on Memorial day at Gettysburg, Pa., in 1898. In the Congressional campaign of 1898, under the auspices of the Republican national committee, he traveled 14,000 miles, from ocean to ocean, and made fifty speeches on the tour of eight weeks' duration.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Ebensburg, (Cambria County) Pennsylvania

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