Blair County PA Archives Biographies.....Davis, Harry Irvin December 7, 1860 - ???? ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Judy Banja http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00004.html#0000757 December 11, 2024, 6:17 pm Source: Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Blair Co, PA: Philadelphia, 1892. Author: Samuel T. Wiley HARRY IRVIN DAVIS, one of the leading druggists of Hollidaysburg, is a son of Guyan Irvin and Mary (Barnhart) Davis, and was born at Freeport, Illinois, December 17, 1860. His paternal grandfather, Thomas Davis, was born in 1793, in Cecil county, Maryland, and removed, in 1823, to Penn's valley, near Bellefonte, Centre county, this State, where he followed his trade of carpenter and farming until his death. He was an old-line whig and republican in polities, and a Presbyterian in religious belief, and served as a soldier in Captain Sample's militia company, which participated in the defense of Baltimore during the war of 1812. His son, Guyan Irvin Davis (father), was born in Penn's valley, January 28, 1827, and, after receiving a fair common school education, entered as a clerk in a retail country store. After serving three years in one place and two years in another, he, with an elder brother, started in business for themselves in Bellefonte, this State, and two years later, the California gold fever getting up, Guyan I. Davis sold out to his brother and started for California, via Cape Horn, in February, 1852. He spent one year mining for gold, and, not succeeding as he expected, entered into the express and banking business in the firm of Everts, Davis & Co., in which enterprise he was fairly successful. In a few years he sold out and returned to the Atlantic states, settled at Freeport, Illinois, in 1857, and was engaged in merchandising until the breaking out of the rebellion in 1861, when he entered the service of the United States as quartermaster of the 11th Illinois infantry. He served for three months, re-enlisted and served for three years, and at the expiration of his service settled in Hollidaysburg and engaged in merchandising, and has up to this time followed the same calling. During the war he participated in all the important events of the war in the Army of the Tennessee, from the battle of Fort Donaldson to the fall of Vicksburg, and after that event was in the Red River expedition as aid-de-camp to the commander of the 13th army corps, which position he held for nearly two years. He married Mary Barnhart, of Centre county, who was born in 1832. To their Union have been born two children: Harry Irvin and Julia Curtin, wife of Edward Stone, a merchant of Bellwood, and who was born May 30, 1857, and has three children. Mrs. Davis is a daughter of Judge Henry Barnhart, who was born in 1792, in Lycoming county, and afterwards removed to Centre county, which he represented in the legislature from 1830 to 1834, and of which he was associate judge for several years. Judge Barnhart was a democrat and a Methodist, and followed the iron shipping business at Bellefonte for several years. Harry Irvin Davis was reared principally in Blair county, received his education at Hollidaysburg academy, and in 1881 entered the Philadelphia college of pharmacy, from which he was graduated in the class of 1883. After graduation he came to Hollidaysburg where he established his present drug store. He carries a large stock of fresh and pure drugs, Makes a specialty of filling physicians' prescriptions and has a very remunerative and flattering patronage. In politics Mr. Davis is a republican. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, ranks as a successful business man, and enjoys the respect and confidence of his many patrons. Additional Comments: Originally submitted 2001. Transcribed by Eileen This file has been created by a form at http://www.usgwarchives.net/pafiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb