Davis Genealogy 

Some information I found on the Davis Family in the Wilderness Chronicle (Spring 1988, Issue No. 15, Page 13-14.) is as follows:

• Cir. 1873 - First African American Family to live in Oscoda County, Michigan.

• June of 1885 - George M. Davis received patent for 160 acre homestead in Oscoda County, MI.

• June 1889 - George M. Davis purchased land up river from McKinley - where Davis Landing is now located.

• 1890 & 1891 - Tax records show they lived in McKinley, Oscoda County, MI.

• 1893 - Sold homestead to Egbert E. Bird.

• 1900 - Jimmy Davis died.  Conflicting story on this one, the Wilderness Chronicle says, "Jimmy, working as a cook's assistant on the wanigan during a log drive on the AuSable river some drunken lumber jacks hauled him out and made him dance for them on the back deck.  Jimmy fell into the turbulent, log-filled river & disappeared.  Witnesses on the river bank looked for him, but without success.  Some accounts state that his body was found near Lumberman's Monument & was buried there.  Others claim that Jimmy was never found & that is why George Davis built a home near the river bank in hopes of some day finding his son."  However, when I spoke to people around the Mio area, they believe that Jimmy was lynched by the KKK.

• Cir. 1903 to 1909 - George M. Davis purchased land near McKinley.

• Cir. 1904 to 1909 - Family moved to Mio, Oscoda County, MI

• 1910 - George sold lands to the EASTERN MICHIGAN POWER COMPANY. (He made a "nice profit" but, he died a few months later).

• During all this time George M. Davis worked as a cook in the lumber camp wanigan, homestead land for 5 years, & was the treasurer for Mentor Township, Oscoda County, MI for "a number of years."

Photo from: Wilderness Chronicle. Fall-Spring 1985, Issue No. 6, Page 60.

Sitting: George M. & Isabelle Davis Children Standing: Jimmy, Cora, Emma & Jenny Davis Click on photo for larger version

 

Davis Landing From the River

          

Davis Landing Parking Lot

           

 

             Land Patent - Oscoda County, 1885
                   

Obituary of Jimmy Davis (found in the Grayling, Crawford County, MI Newspaper "Avalanche" on November 2, 1899).

James Davis' body found (found in the Grayling, Crawford County, MI Newspaper "Avalanche" on April 25, 1901).

Ok, both articles say they found Jimmy's body, but actually, Jimmy's body can only be found once.  More mystery to this mystery...hmmm.