WILLIAM J. DAVIS, of Lee township, was born in Adams county, Illinois, in 1845. His father, Washington, was born in Virginia about 1822, and his father, Edward, was a Virginia farmer who emigrated to Illinois in 1837, where he died at an advanced age, in Adams county. They came by land the most of the way. The mother of William J. was Nancy Chipman of North Carolina, a daughter of David Chipman, who came to Illinois in 1835. She survived her husband.

William Davis had a good common school education, was reared to farm life, and this has been his vocation except a little agency as a salesman in fruit trees. He remained at home until twenty-six years of age, when he married Maggie, daughter of George and Hannah (Ferguson) Colgate. She was born in Pike county, of which her parents were early settlers. Her mother died about 1877. Her father is living, at the age of seventy-five.

Mr. and Mrs. Davis settled on a small farm near Clayton in 1874. Three years later they sold there and moved to their present home in Brown county, buying sixty acres for $2,250. He rents part, and farms about 120 acres a year. They have been greatly blessed, and have not lost any of their ten children. They are, Charles E., Adelbert, Walter, Harriet, Jackson, Julia, George, Belle, Mary and Nellie. This family is all comely, bright and dutiful; and are being carefully educated. Mr. Davis is a Missionary Baptist, he is also a Democrat, but is not strongly partizan. While he has been very busy raising stock and engaged in general farming he has had time to become a successful bee-keeper in the last six years. He is School Director and a very active member in his church. His family is highly thought of in the community as is he himself.