BIOGRAPHY: Dr. M. H. DAVIS, Cambria County, PA 

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From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 358-9
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DR. M. H. DAVIS, the oldest resident physician of Conemaugh, and who has been in 
active practice for over a quarter of a century, is a son of Samuel and Eliza 
(Miller) Davis, and was born on the home farm in Indiana county, Pennsylvania, 
April 15, 1850. The name of Davis has long been known in Wales, from which 
Samuel Davis, Sr., came to Indiana county, in times of Indian troubles along its 
western border. He purchased land and cleared out a large farm, and lived to a 
ripe old age. He married and reared a family of sons and daughters, and his son, 
Samuel Davis, the father of Dr. Davis, was born 1806. Samuel Davis grew to 
manhood in a day when the people of his section suffered all the trials and 
privations of a thinly settled region, destitute of good roads and almost beyond 
the reach of markets. He received the limited education of his day, and then 
learned the trade of carpenter, which he followed continuously for thirty-five 
years. His health becoming impaired, he quit carpentering and took up the 
lighter and less laborious pursuit of acting as an agent for a fruit-tree 
nursery, in which line he was active until a few years before his death, which 
occurred September, 1892. He was a deacon and elder for many years of the old 
Ebenezer Presbyterian church, whose pastors in early times carried their gun 
with them into the pulpit, on account of Indians that were then infesting that 
locality.
     Mr. Davis was an old-line whig, who believed in protection for American 
citizens as well as for American manufactures, and when the whigs gave up their 
party organization he went into the ranks of the then newly-organized Republican 
party.
     He married Eliza Miller. Their children living are: Margaret, wife of 
William Lewis; McClain Stewart, of Indiana State Normal school of Pennsylvania; 
Rev. Samuel M., D. D., a Presbyterian minister, of Kansas; Dr. M. H.; and 
Martha, wife of S. M. Nesbit.
     M. H. Davis was reared on the paternal acres, received his education in the 
common schools and the academy at Paroe, now Lewisville, Indiana county, and 
then commenced teaching when but fifteen years of age. He taught his first term 
in Canoe township; his second, in Rayne township; his third and fourth terms, in 
Burrell township; his fifth, in White township; his sixth, in Conemaugh 
township; his seventh, at Jacksonville; and his eighth term at Covode, and all 
in Indiana county. During his last terms of teaching he commenced the study of 
medicine with Dr. J. M. Shields, of Covode, and read with him for four years, a 
part of which he served as clerk in the doctor's drug store. At the close of his 
course of medical study and reading with Dr. Shields, in 1868, he became a 
partner with the doctor, and the partnership lasted four years. He then, in 
1874, removed to New Florence, Westmoreland county, where he practiced with good 
success until 1881, in which year he came to Conemaugh, where he has been in 
active and remunerative practice ever since. He does a general practice, and at 
times is called quite a distance from home.
     In 1874 Dr. Davis married Kate Allison, a daughter of Dr. Allison, of 
Saltsburg, Indiana county. To Dr. and Mrs. Davis have been born six children: 
Charles E., who died at sixteen years of age; Arthur, who died in infancy; Ross 
M., Grace H., Bessie and Virginia.
     Dr. Davis is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church; Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows and Washington Camp of Patriotic Order Sons of America. A 
republican in politics, and in full accord with his party, yet Dr. Davis rarely 
interests himself actively in local political issues, but gives his time mainly 
to his practice.