from The History of Hendricks County (Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen & Co., 1914)--pages 820-822
The history of the branch of the Davis family, which is represented in Hendricks County goes back to a period which antedates the organization of Indiana Territory in 1800. Before the name Indiana was ever coined and while George Washington was still in his prime, Evan Davis was born June 8, 1796, near Raleigh, North Carolina. In that same state, on June 17, 1797, was born a girl by the name of Rebecca Marshall and in the historic state of North Carolina these two children grew to young manhood and young womanhood. They were married when very young and shortly after their marriage made the long overland trip from North Carolina to Indiana, and settled in Hendricks County a year before the county was organized, in 1822. Evan Davis entered six hundred and forty acres of land in this county as soon as the land was opened by the government for sale, and added to this from time to time until, at his death, he was the owner of about two thousand acres of excellent land in this county. He died on November 9, 1854, and his wife in the year following. Evan Davis and two of his neighbors founded the first Methodist Church in this county, the Salem Camp-meeting Church, and contributed both spiritually and financially to its success. He was a large raiser of stock, principally hogs and cattle, and drove his stock overland to Madison, on the Ohio River. He brought the first shorthorned bull into this state and introduced this excellent breed of cattle to the farmer. He also raised sheep and the wool from his own sheep made the clothing for the family. In North Carolina Evan Davis owned slaves, but the girl he married was a Quaker and she was very much opposed to slavery. When they were married he promised to free all of his slaves, and before they left North Carolina for Indiana he gave them their freedom. Evan Davis built the first grist-mill in this county and later built two others, but none of them are now standing. He laid out the first graveyard in the county on his own farm and called it the Davis graveyard. At first it was devoted to the immediate family and relatives, but later charity bodies were allowed to be placed in the graveyard, through the courtesy of Mr. Davis. He was a Democrat in politics, but never held office; he was a power spiritually in his community, and never seemed to weary of doing good for his fellow men.
David Wesley Davis, the father of Arthur M. Davis, whose history is here portrayed, received his education in the schools of his township and later attended Antioch College, in New York state, where he took a literary course, specializing in mental psychology and general literary subjects. He also attended DePauw University at Greencastle, Indiana, and pursued literary subjects. David Davis was married September 9, 1858, to Amanda E. Newby, and to this marriage were born six children: Alva E., Arthur M., Emmett T, Evan B., and two who died in infancy. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, David W. Davis enlisted in Company I, Ninety-ninth Regiment of Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and served under Sherman and Thomas, participating in the famous march to the sea in the summer of 1864. He served through the Rebellion with much courage and loyalty and was mustered out of the service, without being wounded or having himself impaired. He was a charter member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Belleville, Indiana, and a member of the Grand Army post at Danville. He is a charter member of the Methodist Church at Belleville and has helped to build two or three churches in the county. In 1911 Mr. and Mrs. David W. Davis moved to Fairhope, Alabama, near Mobile, where they are now making their home. They celebrated their golden wedding anniversary September 9, 1913, at the home of Arthur M. Davis, their son.
Arthur M. Davis has lived on the old homestead farm all his life with the exception of ten years which he spent in Mexico as a mining engineer. While in Mexico, he was chosen as general manager of a group of silver mines at Parral, and learned the business by hard knocks and practical experience. He is an authority on the subject of silver mining, and has a great capacity for the detail work which naturally accompanies work of this nature. He received a common school education in his home schools and later spent one year of study in Germany. This was followed by six years of practical study in the mines of this country and Mexico. He came back from Mexico and settled on his farm on June 30, 1908, where he is now living the quiet life of a farmer. He now farms three hundred and twenty acres, the farm being a part of the same which his grandfather entered in 1822. Everything about his farm is kept in a very attractive manner, showing that its owner is a man of discriminating taste and good judgment. He raises a great deal of stock and specializes in Duroc hogs and Guernsey cattle, and ships much of his stock to distant points. He also raises shorthorn cattle and is considered a good judge of all kinds of live stock.
Mr. Davis was married August 9, 1905, to Minnie F. Little, the daughter of Thomas H. and Louisa A. (Parsons) Little, and to this marriage has been born one son, Arthur Marshall, Jr. Mr. Davis is a member of the Masonic fraternity at Plainfield and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at same place. In politics, he is stanch and active Republican and has lent his influence to the support of the candidates of that party. The nature of his business has kept him from taking any active part in politics, or aspiring to any public position. Mr. Davis is a conservative business man who has proved as successful in the farming business as he did in his mining business. He has built up a name for himself in the county and township as a man who does things. He is well liked by all his neighbors and there is no one in the county who is quicker to lend a helping hand in time of trouble than he, and for this reason he is justly regarded as one of the representative men of his county.