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The author(s) of the various bold notes are also unknown, unless otherwise noted.
These beige backed notes are mine – Van Blakeman.

 


DAVIDSON FAMILY HISTORY

 

 

ROBERT DAVIDSON 1784-1871 age 87 was born at Kelso, Roxburyshire, Scotland, sailed for America in 1812, landed in Canada and eventually located at Saratoga, N.Y. where he married Helen Kelly daughter of William Kelly. They had five children.

In 1829 he moved to Greenfield Twp. Lackawanna Co. Penna. where he purchased a large farm of 238 acres and became a prominent citizen. He was a millwright by trade, set up machinery in many grist mills, also a civil and mechanical engineer, surveying many Lackawanna County roads and farms. He was an active member of the Tompkinsville Methodist Church and helped to erect its church building in 1851 and often led in its services.

Late in life he retired from farming, moved to Carbondale, Pa. where he died in 1871. They had:

I have added punctuation and paragraphs, as needed, for readability and to aid the search engines in finding this information. Otherwise, it remains as it was in the original (see PDF).

Jane Davidson          1825 -          John Stewart

Esther Davidson          1827 -          Robert Muir

Helen Davidson          died in infancy.

Margaret Davidson          died age 16

Peter Davidson          1831-1908 - Charlotte Parker

Some documents refer to Jane Davidson's husband as John Stuart.

JANE DAVIDSON married John Stewart, lived at Carbondale, Pa. and had one

daughter: Helen Stewart who married David Gendall and lived at Bethlehem, Pa.

ESTHER DAVIDSON married Robert Muir. They lived at Carbondale, later moved

to Brownsville, Nebraska and had one son: Downey Davidson Muir - lives Boston, Mass.

PETER DAVIDSON was born March 12, 1831 Greenfield Twp,. died Nov. 28, 1908 age 77. Married May 9, 1854 Charlotte Ophelia Parker, born Oct. 1, 1833 died May 27, 1913 aged 80, daughter of Rev. Charles and Susan Hall Parker of Waverly. They met while students at Madison Academy in Waverly.

For several years they resided on the large 700 acre farm in Greenfield Twp. Then they lived in Waverly for six years 1869-1876 so that their children would be able to attend Madison Academy, then they returned to the Greenfield farm.

In 1885 they moved to Scranton, Pa. where Mr. Davidson engaged in lumbering and real estate business. About 1904 he retired and they spent their last Lived 1630 N. Washington Ave. years in Philadelphia where they died.

They are buried in Hickory Grove Cemetery, Waverly and had:

Belle 28 when she married Frank
-	18 when she had Beatrice
Charles Parker Davidson          1855-1919

Frank Robert Davidson          1856-1933

William Maurice Davidson 1858-1922

George Bruce Davidson          1860-1939

Effie Esther Davidson          1863-1948

John Merenas Davidson          1864-1880

Mary Emily Davidson          1872-1958

Edwin L. Davidson          died 1969 age 3 months


 


 

-2-

 

 

CHARLES PARKER DAVIDSON, born April 12, 1855 in Greenfield Twp, died June 22, 1919 in Scranton. He was educated at Madison Academy, Cornell University Class of '78 and University of Penna.

He married Nov. 13, 1888 Anna Broadwell, born March 27, 1861, died July 25, 1942. Dau. of William H.

and Mary Ann Cochrane Broadwell of Jacksonville, Illinois.

 

Parker Davidson was a real estate promoter, lumberman and builder at Scranton, Pa. where he bought and sold large tracts of land and developed them as business districts and residential areas. He had large interests in the Peck Lumber Co., Lackawanna Lumber Co., Cherry River Boom and Lumber Co. and U.S. Lumber Co., timbering off lands in Potter Co. Pa. and Mississippi, West Virginia, Etc.


During all of this time he managed the family farm of 425 acres in Greenfield. He resided at 1525 Adams Ave. Scranton in the winters and spent summers on the farm in Greenfield where he erected a stone summer residence in 1906. Mrs. Davidson continued to live on the farm until her death and it was sold in 1945 to Adolphus Hohensee.

 

Parker and Anna Davidson had ten children:

 

Charles Parker Davidson

Oct. 20, 1889 - 1979

 

William Harold Davidson

Mar. 4, 1891

 

Margaret Davidson

Dec. 7, 1893 - June 1954

 

Philip Langford Davidson

Oct. 22, 1895 - 1976

 

Robert Bruce Davidson

Feb 10, 1897 - Feb 5, 1983

 

Eleanor Baxter Davidson

Mar. 6, 1898 - Apr. 7, 1974

 

Anna Parker Davidson

Mar. 26, 1902 - 1989

 

Norman Lindsley Davidson

July 12, 1903 - 1985

 

Louise Broadwell Davidson

Dec. 24, 1904 – Oct. 19 68 ?

 

Virginia Downie Davidson

Jan. 16, 1909 - Feb 21, 1989

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHARLES PARKER DAVIDSON II was educated at Cornell University, served in World War I and married August 3, 1917 to Olive Sheldon, born Aug. 8, 1895, died Feb. 6, 1970. Dau. of Edward and Harriet Manning of Hartford, Conn.

He is an engineer and farmer and they live on a large farm near Clarks Green, Pa and have four children:

 

 

Harriet Sheldon Davidson

July 23, 1918 - married Nov. 15, 1945 to

 

 

Dr. Alfred Day Hersey[sic], a physicist. They live Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.

 

 

Ann Rebecca Hershey

Sept. 26, 1946 - Oct. 27, 1946

 

 

Peter Manning Hershey

Aug. 7, 1956, Graduate of Oberlin College

 

Peter M Hershey's gravestone:

“Jul. 8, 1956” to “Aug 16, 1999”

Laurel Hollow, Nassau Cty, NY

 

Charles Parker Davidson III

Feb. 20, 1920 married Nov. 1942 to

 

 

Virginia Gunther. They live at Schenectady, N.Y, and have:

Yalesville,

 

Carol ELIZB. Davidson

Jan. 28, 1945 - Yale Univ. grad. RN -

Michael Tessman-Conn.

Grad. West Point 1970 – Rose Watts

Charles Parker Davidson IV

Dec. 11, 1947 - West Point Military Academy

Jan

Stephen C. Davidson

October 19, 1950-ATLANTA

 

MARSHA GOTT

-AMANDA-

 

Charlotte Parker Davidson

March 14, 1922 married Dec. 20, 1942 to

 

 

William Henry Dennen. He is a college professor, they lived at Lexington, Mass and now at Lexington, Kentucky. They have three Ch.

 

 

William Sheldon Dennen

Feb. 11, 1950 - Herndon Chantilly, Va.

Kristin Opserkuch     No ch.

 

Peter Davidson Dennen

October 16, 1951 - Carol McGuire Masterson

1986 m. Cathy S Eaves; not CMM

 

Susan Olding Dennen

July 12, 1957 - DR.Fernando Rodriguez -O.

 

 

 

Edward Sheldon Davidson

Nov, 17, 1926 married Ruth Garretson, div.

 

 

married again May 1962 Lucy Wolfe Hahn. He is with the U.S. Geological service and resides in Tucson, Arizona and has:

 

 

Denise Davidson

April 12, 1949

 

 

Russell G. Davidson

Nov. 29, 1952

 

 

Brett Parker Davidson

Dec. 31, 1956 - Sharon Cheryl

Timothy -

Christopher -

Jamie -

 

 


CHARI.ES PARKER DAVIDSON

 

Charles Parker Davidson was born in Greenfield Twp. Pa. 1855 son of Peter and Charlotte Parker Davidson. He was educated at Madison Academy and attended Cornell University two years 1874-76, later studied Real Estate Law at the University of Penna. In 1881 he entered the Real Estate business in Scranton, Pa. There he bought and sold large tracts of lands developing them for residential and business purposes. He was a director of the Peck Lumber Co. the Lackawanna Lumber Co; the J.J. Newman Lumber Co. and the U.S. Lumber Co.

In 1888 he married Miss Anna Broadwell of Jacksonville, Illinois and established a family home at 1525 Adams Ave. Scranton, living during the summer and managing the family farm in Greenfield Twp. They were the parents of ten children. He died in Scranton in 1919, age 64. Business notices for C.P. Davidson in Scranton City Directories for years 1880 to 1920 are as follows:

 

1880 C.P. Davidson, Milk dealer 607 Linden St.

1883-1884 C.P. Davidson, milk dealer 333 Penn Ave.

1885-1886 Not Listed

1887-1888 Real Estate agent 134 Wyoming Ave. Bds. 1630 N. Washington Ave.

1889 Real Estate 512 Spruce St. Bds. 1630 N. Washington Ave.

1890 Real Estate 512 Spruce St. Bds. 1630 N. Washington Ave.

1891 Real Estate 512 Spruce St. House 1525 Adams Ave.

1892-1896 ditto

1897 Real Estate - Bd. of Trade Bld. 1525 Adams Ave.

1898-1900 ditto

1901 C.P. Davidson, Sect. J.J. Newman Lumber Co. Bd. of Trade Bid.

1902 ditto & Lacka. Lumber Co.

1903 ditto

1904 C.P.D. Vice Pres. Peck Lumber Co. and Sect. U.S. Lumber Co. 1525 Adams

1905-1920 C.P.D. Sect. Treas. Lacka. Lumber Co. off Bd. of Trade Bld.

1920 Anna B. Davidson, widow, 1525 Adams Ave.

 

PETER DAVIDSON

Born 1831 in Greenfield Twp, married 1854 to Charlotte 0. Parker 1833-1913. From 1854 to 1885 they resided on the family farm in Greenfield Twp. near Tompkinsville except for six years when they resided in Waverly 1869 to 1876. In 1885 they moved to Scranton, Pa. where Mr. Davidson engaged in real estate and lumbering business, leaving managers to run his farm in Greenfield. About 1904 he retired and moved to Philadelphia where he spent his declining years and died in 1908, age 77. His wife died there in 1913 and the family continued to live there until 1958 when Mary Davidson the last member, died.
Business notices in Scranton Directories for 1887 to 1904 are:

 

1887-1891 Peter Davidson, farmer, 1613 n. Washington Ave. Maurice & Geo. too.

1887 Geo. B. Davidson, Lawyer, 134 Wyoming Ave. Bds. 1630 N. Wash. Ave.

1888-1905 George B. Davidson, lawyer, 1630 N. Washington Ave.

1892-1902 Peter Davidson, Effie and Mary Davidson, retired farmer 1630 N. Wash.

1900-1902 Geo. Davidson, Lawyer, and Maurice Davidson, Civil Engineer " " "

1903 Peter, George, Wm. M. and Effie Davidson 1630 N. Washington Ave

1904 George B. Davidson, 1630 N. Washington Ave. Others not listed.

1906 Geo. B. Davidson, resides 616 Spruce St.

1908-1911 Geo. B. Davidson, lawyer, Connell Bld, resides Clarks Green

1912 GBD, lawyer, 329 Monroe Ave.

1913-1920 GBD, lawyer, Clarks Green

 


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