Santa Clara County
Biographies
ROBERT RAY DAVISON
Distinguished alike as an important factor in promoting the industrial growth of San Jose, and as a brave participant in the Spanish-American war, Robert Ray Davison is well worthy of more than passing mention in this biographical volume. Having paddled his own canoe since boyhood, he has been in truth the architect of his own fortunes, and is a typical representative of the self-made men who, by their own heroic efforts, have achieved success in the various walks of life and are now numbered among the most valued and respected of California’s citizens. A son of the late John Davison, he was born April 26, 1876, in Homestead county, Minn., being on the paternal side of thrifty Scotch ancestry.
Born and reared in Scotland, John Davison immigrated to America when a young man, and settled first in Iowa, where he was employed as a tiller of the soil for several years. Removing with his family to Homestead, Minn., he took up land, and there followed general farming until his death, in 1876. He was an active assistant in the upbuilding of the new town in which he located, and was an influential member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His wife, whose maiden name was Urilla Feay, was born in Virginia, and now resides in Kampeska, S. Dak. The eleven children born of their marriage are all living, three of them being residents of California.
Being left fatherless in infancy, Robert Ray Davison was taken by his mother to South Dakota in 1878, and was brought up in Watertown, living on a farm, and attending the district schools. At the age of twelve years he began to be self-supporting, and from that time earned his own living. During the summer seasons he worked as a farm laborer or cattle herder in Dakota, while during the winter terms he attended school. In 1896, with his brother, J. N. Davison, he came to Santa Clara county, Cal., where for nearly two years he filled contracts for clearing timber lands at Morgan Hill. In 1898, when the First South Dakota Regiment, United State Volunteer Infantry, came to Camp Merritt, San Francisco, Mr. Davison enlisted in that regiment, was mustered into Company H, and with his companions started for the Philippine Islands, embarking on the transport St. Paul July 31, 1898. An expert marksman, he won the second best score of his company at target practice, and was detailed as sharpshooter on the gunboat Laguna de Bay, which was sent up the rivers to clean out the Filipinos, and continued thus employed until the regiment returned home, July 12, 1899. As soon as he landed in San Francisco Mr. Davison was commissioned as corporal of his company, and was stationed at the Presidio until receiving his honorable discharge from the service, October 5, 1899.
Again taking up his residence at Morgan Hill, Mr. Davison was there engaged in the livery business until February, 1900, when he went to Gaviota, Santa Barbara county, where he served as fireman on the Southern Pacific Rock Crusher for about three months. Locating in Prescott, Ariz., May 6, 1900, he was fireman in a cold storage plant for about a year. Becoming associated with a Government Geological Surveying party in January, 1901, he traveled through the mountains of Arizona until the following May, when the party disbanded. Coming then to San Jose, Mr. Davison spent the following summer in the Santa Cruz mountains operating a saw mill. Entering then the employ of the Pacific Manufacturing Company, at Santa Clara, he remained as fireman until the spring of 1902. During all of this time he had been taking a mechanical course with the International Correspondence School of Scranton, Pa., from which he was graduated with the degree of Stationary Engineer in February, 1904. In December, 1903, prior to his receiving his diploma, Mr. Davison had accepted his present responsible position as chief engineer of the Santa Clara Valley Mill & Lumber Company’s plant on San Carlos street, San Jose, which is finely equipped with a cone hundred and seventy-five horse-power engine.
At Morgan Hill, Santa Clara county, Mr. Davison married Mildred Coulter, who was born and bred in Pennsylvania. Mr. Davison is connected with many of the prominent organizations of the city and county, belonging to Santa Clara Lodge, I. O. O. F.; to San Jose Local Union No. 6, N. A. S. E.; and to Local Union No. 171, I. U. S. E. Mrs. Davison is a most estimable woman, an a faithful member of the Presbyterian Church.
Transcribed by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 1370-1371. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
© 2016 Joyce Rugeroni.