From the book History of Walworth County Wisconsin, by Albert Clayton Beckwith, 
publ. 1912 - Pages 632 - 635
 
EBENEZER DAVIDSON.  Among the citizens of Walworth county to whom is vouchsafed 
an honored place in local history is the late Ebenezer DAVIDSON, of Lake 
Geneva, who, thorough an extended period, was prominently connected with the 
agricultural interests of this locality, and who is deserving of special 
mention in a work of the nature of the one in hand, for those who have fought 
and suffered for the state and nation in which their lot is cast are certainly 
worthy of having their names perpetuated, and their posterity will turn with 
just pride to these records of the founders and preservers of a prosperous, 
united nation.
 
Ebenezer DAVIDSON was born at New Hartford, New York, on September 13, 1846.  
He was as son of Rev. Hugh and Jane (HAMILTON) DAVIDSON, the father born on May 
8, 1803, and he was the son of Joseph and Isabel (CRAWFORD) DAVIDSON.  Joseph 
DAVIDSON was the son of Hugh and Mary (CONNELL) DAVIDSON.  Isabel CRAWFORD was 
the daughter of William CRAWFORD.  The parents of the subject of this sketch 
were both born and reared in Glasgow, Scotland, where their ancestors for 
generations had lived.  They came to America in 1840 and lived at New Hartford, 
New York, later moving to Utica, thence to Brainard Bridge, about twelve miles 
from Albany.  The father was the superintendent of a cotton and woolen factory 
at Utica and also at Brainard.  In 1849 Hugh DAVIDSON and James M. DAVISON, his 
son, by his first wife, Elizabeth McNAUGHTON, came west and the father 
purchased a farm in Geneva township, Walworth county, Wisconsin, north of Como, 
which farm has been in possession of the family ever since, now owned by 
Ebenezer DAVIDSON.  The family came here in 1850 - thus the subject saw the 
development of the county through a period of sixty-two years, in which he took 
much interest.  Hugh DAVIDSON lived on his farm here until his death.  He was a 
local minister in the Methodist church and did a great deal of good among the 
pioneers.  He was  a man of many fine traits, scrupulously honest, charitable, 
always ready to help someone in need, and he had a lively and cheerful 
disposition.  His death occurred on July 26, 1895. 
 
Ebenezer DAVIDSON lived on his father's farm until he went into the Union army 
on January 12, 1864, enlisting in Company F, Fourth Wisconsin Volunteer 
Cavalry.  He proved to be a most faithful and efficient soldier and he was in 
the service until he was honorably discharged on March 27, 1866.  He was at the 
capture of Mobile and Spanish Fort, then accompanied the army through Alabama 
and Georgia, to Macon, then back to Shreveport in July 1865, thence into Texas 
and put in the winter along the Rio Grande, watching Mexico and Maximilian.
 
After his career as a soldier, Mr. DAVIDSON returned home and farmed the 
homestead.  When the family first located here there was ten acres of 
unimproved land.  This was increased to two hundred acres, nearly all under 
cultivation and an excellent state of improvement.  The land is productive, and 
he was very successful as a general farmer and stock raiser.  There were no 
railroads here when the DAVIDSONs located in the county, and in fact, there 
were few good dirt roads; they could drive uninterruptedly across the country 
to Elkhorn.  The father of the subject frequently hauled his products to 
Milwaukee or Racine with oxen, the trips each requiring four or five days, 
often selling his pork for two dollars per one hundred pounds.
 
In 1874 Ebenezer DAVIDSON went to Eureka, Nevada, and engaged with the mine 
operators as receiver and time-keeper for the Eureka Consolidated Mining 
Company.  While there he served in the Nevada state militia and was paymaster 
of the Second Brigade under General Sabin and later under General Conklin.
 
Mr. DAVIDSON returned to Walworth county  in 1885 and resumed farming, which he 
continued with his usual success until  1895.  His father having died in July 
of that year, the son left the farm in August following and located in Lake 
Geneva where he had a pleasant home and where he resided, until his death, 
March 18, 1912.  He had been a member of the firm of BURTON, DENISON & DAVISON 
since the fall of 1903.  They have built up a large and growing business as 
wholesale dealers in flour, feed and grain.
 
Mr. DAVIDSON was married on September 23, 1869 to Ellen A. STEVENS, of Toledo, 
Ohio.  She is the daughter of James and Betsy (SCOTT) STEVENS, and she was born 
in Geneva township, this county, in 1849.  When she was three years old her 
parents moved to Toledo, Ohio, where they had previously resided.  They were 
natives of Herkimer county, New York, the father of German and the mother of 
Scotch ancestry.  Mr. and Mrs. STEVENS spent the rest of their lives in Toledo.
 
Two daughters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. DAVISON, Florence, who married D. 
H. CRAMER, who lives at Globe, Arizona, where he is connected with a mining 
company.  They have one son, Harold Davidson CRAMER.  Mabel died in infancy.
 
Ebenezer DAVISON was always an ardent Republican  While in the army in 1864 he 
was only eighteen years old, yet he voted for Lincoln, as did most of the 
soldiers, whether the age or not.  He belonged to the Grand Army of the 
Republic, and fraternally was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
also the Masonic order, having attained the thirty-second degree, and he 
belonged to the Knights Templar.  He was many times commander of the local post 
of the Grand Army of the Republican and the post in Nevada, and he has been 
frequent delegate to the national encampments.  At the time of his death he was 
commander of the post at Lake Geneva.
 
Mr. DAVIDSON was mayor of Lake Geneva for a period of six years, during which 
time he did much for the permanent good of the city.  He was president of the 
Walworth County Agricultural Society in 1893 and again in 1911, filling this 
important post in a manner that brought forth the praises of all concerned.  He 
was also alderman here for several terms, and he held a number of the township 
offices.  He was well known and highly esteemed, frank and straightforward in 
his relations with the world, a man in whom the people had every confidence - a 
worthy son of a worthy sire, from whom he seemed to have inherited many 
praiseworthy qualities.
 
Joseph DAVIDSON, grandfather of the subject, came to America in 1847, joining 
other members of the family at New Hartford, New York, and he came west with 
his son, the Rev. Hugh DAVIDSON, and lived on the farm here until his death, in 
1861, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years.  When Hugh DAVIDSON came here 
he started a Sunday school in North Geneva which he kept going during the rest 
of his life.  He had been reared a Presbyterian, but there were none of this 
denomination here so he joined the Methodist church and became a local minister 
in the same.  He was born in 1803 and his death occurred at the age of ninety-
three years; his wife, who was born in 1807, lived to be ninety years old.  
They were a grand old couple, and were highly esteemed by all who knew them.

Submitted By:  Carol
(carolann612@charter.net)