The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-08-27
NOTED LAWYER WAS
A NATIVE OF ATHENS
Park Davis, Who Died in Sioux Falls
Recently, Was Able Member of the
Bar Half a Century.

! Park Davis, for fifty years a prac
ticlng attorney, and veteran of the |
Sioux Falls South Dakota bar, died in |
| his home in Sioux Falls the morning of |
| Aug. 30. after long illness With him |
at the time of his death were his daugh- |
ter, May Davis Knowles, who has been |
constant in her ministrations during the |
last two years, and his only son, Henry
| p. Davis, who arrived from Portland, |
Ore. Mrs. Davis passed away on Sep |
TENDER IS, last year.
| Park Davis was born in Athens, Sept.
"A, 1887, the only child of Elijah and
Miriam park Davis. His father died
when he was | / years DID, and his moth
er a little more than year later. Left
thus early in life, without parents, the
succeeding years of his minority were
attended by many struggles and diff
cuties. He was compelled to work
out by the month for different persons,
as opportunity for employment occurred,
laboring upon farm.
In his early boyhood he attended dis
trict school, and at the age of Is years
with a desire to obtain a liberal educa
ton, he attended Leland Seminary at
Townshend, where he took his prepare
tory course for college. He attended the
seminary during the fall and spring
| terms, doing farm work during the sum
mers and teaching district school dur
ing the winters. In the fall of 1858
he entered Middlebury college and grad
uated in due course in the summer of
/ 1862 Immediately thereafter, he en-
tered upon the study of his chosen pro-
fession of law in the office of Butler
& Wheeler in Jamaica. He was adj
mitted to practice at the fall term of the
Windham county court, 1864.
On the 3rd day of February, 1865, he
entered into partnership for the prae-
tice of law with Dara r. Bailey at St.
Adams, under the firm name of Bailey
& Davis. In the spring of 1868, Henry
G. Adams was added to the firm. Aft
erwards he was associated in practice
! with Guy G.. Noble and George Smith,
and later with Hiram +. Stevens. In
1879, seeking n wider field he with his
partner, Mr.. Stevens, went to st. Paul,
Mimi, and opened a law office there,
where he continued to practice until
September, 1881. At this time his
brother in law, A. f. GRAY, was engaged
in the wholesale provision business IN
Albany, \. Y, and had been successful.
He offered Mr. Davis a partnership, and
Mr. Davis was engaged in that busl-
ness five years. He formed no liking
for mercantile pursuits, but on the
81 contrary had a constant desire to re-
turn to his profession. This desire be-
coming known to his first partner, Mr.
j Bailey, who was then located at Sioux
Falls, the latter offered Mr.. Davis an
equal partnership in the extensive law
practice which he then had here. Mr.
Davis avaled himself of this offer, and
on the first day of November, 1885
he again entered into partnership rela
tons with Mr.. Bailey, renewing the
firm of Bailey & Davis. Later they tooh
into the firm W. II. Lyon and on De
cember 1890. Mr.. Bailey retired from
the firm to engage in the duties o.
state g attorney, to which office he hat
been elected ut the first general elec
ton under the constitution of the new
state of South Dakota. At that tim'
liz. II. Gates came into the firm, wher
he remained until he went upon tn
supreme bench. Mr.. Davis retired from
active practice three years ago, atte
fifty years of fine service.
&i Mr.. Davis s ambition was never in tn
line of politics and he never sOugh
Office He, however, represented tn
II town of St Adams in the legislator
of 1874 serving with recognized IL
j fuence and ability. He was always
z staunch Republicans
n He was a member of the Masoni
. fraternity, which he joined as soon c
~s he reached the age of majority. He ha
{ been honored with nearly all the in
portant Masonic offices, and was eleete
I grand master of the grand lodge We
mont in 1872, being the youngest mast'
at that time in the Union. He VIZ
II Ii ;nI Of
kota at the first regular session of thu
body and prepared its constitution. II
annual addresses to the grand bodi
were models of Masonic literature, al
received favorable comments among OF
err grand bodies of the country.
He was married to Della s Gray,
Townshend. on the 9th day of Oetobe
1868. He has two children, Henry
and Nav. His home here has alwa
been a pleasant and hospitable OF
and he delighted in entertaining /
friends.
Deeply imbued with the spirit a.
PRINCIPLES Of the common law, N
Davis became sound and through la
yer. He had habit of carefully
Il yestigating a subiec before reachi
a conclusion Divesting himself of
Influences except that of duty, he W
noted for giving honest advice. Ca
B full of his client s interest, he frequel
lv advised settlement rather than
lawsuit, but when once engaged IN
case, with confidence that the right
timatelv prevailed, he was persistc
and unyielding, frequently winning ca
after defeat in the lower courts, in
kteourts of final resort.
During his 50 years of residence
Sioux Falls, Park Davis made rect
as a lawyer, as a citizen and as a m
which will long be a heritage to
children and the other surviving re
tives.