Shelby County Indiana Biographies
John N. Davis
John N. Davis
John N. Davis, M. D., one of the most prominent professional men of York, York county, was born in Shelby county, Indiana, June 28, 1844. His father moved to Burlington, Iowa, in the spring of 1845, in which state the Doctor was raised. At the beginning of the Civil war he enlisted first at Fairfield, but was rejected because of his being under age. Later, on January 1, 1864, he again enlisted when he was assigned to Company H, Thirty-sixth Iowa Infantry, in which company and regiment he served until the close of the war. On April 25, 1864, he was taken a prisoner of war at Mark's Mills, Arkansas, and was taken to Tyler, Texas, where he was confined in a stockade; was exchanged at the mouth of Red river, February 26, 1865, and was honorably discharged August 24, 1865, at DeVall's Bluff, Arkansas. Upon reaching his home, he immediately engaged in the general mercantile business, in which he continued for ten years. In the meantime he had taken up the study of medicine, and September 1, 1874, entered the medical department of the State University of Iowa. On the 23d of August, 1875, he engaged in the practice of medicine in Carl, Adams county, Iowa, and on January 10, 1877, he was united in marriage to Miss Anna M. Dean, of Iowa City, one year and a half after entering his professional career. He continued to practice medicine in Carl until September 1, 1878, when he again returned to the State University for a second course in medicine, remaining in Iowa City until September, 1879. He then entered the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati, Ohio, and was graduated in June, 1880. He returned to Iowa City and remained there until June, 1382, when he came to York, Nebraska, where he located in August of the same year, and has since continued in the active practice of medicine and surgery. He served four years as councilman, and in April, 1894, was elected mayor of the city of York, serving one term. In 1893, he was chosen a member of the World's Congress of Eclectic Physicians and Surgeons at the World's Columbian Exposition. He is at the present time a member of the United States examining board of surgeons. The Doctor has enjoyed a profitable business and is comfortably fixed with this world's goods.
He has been blessed with one son, Elroy D., who is now in the clothing business, and one daughter, Iva D., eleven years of age, now in school.
He is a member of the Masonic and Independent Order of Odd Fellows fraternities, and also of the Robert Anderson Post, No. 32, of the Grand Army of the Republic, and has always been identified with the Republican party. The Doctor has always taken an interest in public affairs, and all matters affecting the welfare of the city and county, and all the honors and positions bestowed upon him, have come without any solicitation on his part.
Memorial and Biographical Record and Illustrated Compendium of Biography, containing a Compendium of Local Biographyy, including Biographical Sketches of Hundreds of Prominent Old Settlers and Representative Citizens of Butler, Polk, Seward, York and Fillmore Counties, Nebraska. Chicago: Geo. A Ogle & Co., 1890, p321-322
Contributed by John Addison Ballard
