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The correspondence regards the purchasing of American flags for each of West Virginia's fifty-five counties, the composition of a state poem and state song, and the appointment of West Virginia University Professor James Morton Callahan to author a semi-centennial history of West Virginia."],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1911/1913"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1911 August 9–1913 July 26"],"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"component_level_isim":[1],"sort_isi":897,"repository_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"collection_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"containers_ssim":["Box 190"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":1,"parent_access_restrict_tesm":["No special access restriction applies."],"parent_access_terms_tesm":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. 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He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","13, 717, 1028","Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom","Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.","West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center","West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  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He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHe was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026amp;O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026amp;O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026amp;C). The P\u0026amp;C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026amp;C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026amp;I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026amp;I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026amp;C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026amp;C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026amp;C, and C\u0026amp;I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026amp;C was absorbed by the B\u0026amp;O.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eEarly on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eReluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAlthough retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDaughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSources:\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eClarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHicks, W. Raymond. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/43518154\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe West Virginia Central \u0026amp; Pittsburgh Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRice, Donald L. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1337\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoal \u0026amp; Coke Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRoss, Thomas Richard. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1657\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical / Historical"],"bioghist_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026amp;M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e13, 717, 1028\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related A\u0026M Collections"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["13, 717, 1028"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCorrespondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries include: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAmong Davis's correspondents are: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom\u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom"],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/visit/permissions-and-copyright\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePermissions and Copyright page\u003c/a\u003e on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Use"],"userestrict_tesim":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_bececc3958fd8321627340a6836c39d7\"\u003eWest Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/\"\u003eWest Virginia \u0026amp; Regional History Center\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center"],"corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. 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(Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":990,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c11"}},{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c12","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Series 11. T.B. 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Davis and Brother, as well as other estate related documents."],"_nest_path_":"/components#11","timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","ead_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_root_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_nest_parent_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/WVU/repositories_2_resources_2374.xml","aspace_url_ssi":"https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/ark:/99999/196440","title_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers"],"title_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers"],"unitdate_ssm":["1799-1919"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1799-1919"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1799/1919"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"text":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919","A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374","West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party","Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians","No special access restriction applies.","Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","13, 717, 1028","Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom","Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.","West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center","West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"collection_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374"],"unitid_tesim":["A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374"],"repository_ssm":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"repository_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"geogname_ssm":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"geogname_ssim":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"places_ssim":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"creator_ssm":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916"],"creator_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"creator_corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"creators_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William.","West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"access_terms_ssm":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["105.9 Linear Feet 105 ft. 11 in. (249 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (14 ledgers, 18 in.); (6 oversize folders, 1/2 in.)"],"extent_tesim":["105.9 Linear Feet 105 ft. 11 in. (249 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (14 ledgers, 18 in.); (6 oversize folders, 1/2 in.)"],"date_range_isim":[1799,1800,1801,1802,1803,1804,1805,1806,1807,1808,1809,1810,1811,1812,1813,1814,1815,1816,1817,1818,1819,1820,1821,1822,1823,1824,1825,1826,1827,1828,1829,1830,1831,1832,1833,1834,1835,1836,1837,1838,1839,1840,1841,1842,1843,1844,1845,1846,1847,1848,1849,1850,1851,1852,1853,1854,1855,1856,1857,1858,1859,1860,1861,1862,1863,1864,1865,1866,1867,1868,1869,1870,1871,1872,1873,1874,1875,1876,1877,1878,1879,1880,1881,1882,1883,1884,1885,1886,1887,1888,1889,1890,1891,1892,1893,1894,1895,1896,1897,1898,1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915,1916,1917,1918,1919],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eNo special access restriction applies.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["No special access restriction applies."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHe was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026amp;O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026amp;O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026amp;C). The P\u0026amp;C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026amp;C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026amp;I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026amp;I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026amp;C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026amp;C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026amp;C, and C\u0026amp;I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026amp;C was absorbed by the B\u0026amp;O.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eEarly on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eReluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAlthough retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDaughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSources:\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eClarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHicks, W. Raymond. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/43518154\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe West Virginia Central \u0026amp; Pittsburgh Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRice, Donald L. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1337\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoal \u0026amp; Coke Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRoss, Thomas Richard. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1657\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical / Historical"],"bioghist_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026amp;M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e13, 717, 1028\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related A\u0026M Collections"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["13, 717, 1028"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCorrespondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries include: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAmong Davis's correspondents are: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom\u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom"],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/visit/permissions-and-copyright\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePermissions and Copyright page\u003c/a\u003e on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Use"],"userestrict_tesim":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_bececc3958fd8321627340a6836c39d7\"\u003eWest Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/\"\u003eWest Virginia \u0026amp; Regional History Center\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center"],"corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_coll_ssim":["Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":990,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c12"}},{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c13","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Series 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church (boxes 192-193), 1898/1916","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c13#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003eThe Hospital and Church were both built in memory of H.G. Davis's wife Katherine Bantz Davis. The Hospital papers include financial reports, miscellaneous letters, and various pamphlets from other hospitals. The Church papers include correspondence from architects Harding and Upman, and various catalogs and documents relating to the church organ, seating, light fixtures, roofing, and ironwork.\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c13#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c13","ref_ssm":["wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c13"],"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c13","ead_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_root_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_nest_parent_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","parent_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","parent_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"parent_ids_ssim":["wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374"],"title_filing_ssi":"Series 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church (boxes 192-193)","title_ssm":["Series 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church (boxes 192-193)"],"title_tesim":["Series 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church (boxes 192-193)"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Series 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church (boxes 192-193), 1898/1916"],"text":["Series 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church (boxes 192-193), 1898/1916","Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919","Box 192","Box 193","The Hospital and Church were both built in memory of H.G. Davis's wife Katherine Bantz Davis. The Hospital papers include financial reports, miscellaneous letters, and various pamphlets from other hospitals. The Church papers include correspondence from architects Harding and Upman, and various catalogs and documents relating to the church organ, seating, light fixtures, roofing, and ironwork."],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1898/1916"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1898–1916"],"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"component_level_isim":[1],"sort_isi":901,"repository_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"collection_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"containers_ssim":["Box 192","Box 193"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":4,"parent_access_restrict_tesm":["No special access restriction applies."],"parent_access_terms_tesm":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"date_range_isim":[1898,1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915,1916],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Hospital and Church were both built in memory of H.G. Davis's wife Katherine Bantz Davis. The Hospital papers include financial reports, miscellaneous letters, and various pamphlets from other hospitals. The Church papers include correspondence from architects Harding and Upman, and various catalogs and documents relating to the church organ, seating, light fixtures, roofing, and ironwork.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Hospital and Church were both built in memory of H.G. Davis's wife Katherine Bantz Davis. The Hospital papers include financial reports, miscellaneous letters, and various pamphlets from other hospitals. The Church papers include correspondence from architects Harding and Upman, and various catalogs and documents relating to the church organ, seating, light fixtures, roofing, and ironwork."],"_nest_path_":"/components#12","timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","ead_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_root_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_nest_parent_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/WVU/repositories_2_resources_2374.xml","aspace_url_ssi":"https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/ark:/99999/196440","title_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers"],"title_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers"],"unitdate_ssm":["1799-1919"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1799-1919"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1799/1919"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"text":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919","A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374","West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party","Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians","No special access restriction applies.","Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","13, 717, 1028","Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom","Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.","West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center","West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"collection_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374"],"unitid_tesim":["A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374"],"repository_ssm":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"repository_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"geogname_ssm":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"geogname_ssim":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"places_ssim":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"creator_ssm":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916"],"creator_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"creator_corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"creators_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William.","West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"access_terms_ssm":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["105.9 Linear Feet 105 ft. 11 in. (249 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (14 ledgers, 18 in.); (6 oversize folders, 1/2 in.)"],"extent_tesim":["105.9 Linear Feet 105 ft. 11 in. (249 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (14 ledgers, 18 in.); (6 oversize folders, 1/2 in.)"],"date_range_isim":[1799,1800,1801,1802,1803,1804,1805,1806,1807,1808,1809,1810,1811,1812,1813,1814,1815,1816,1817,1818,1819,1820,1821,1822,1823,1824,1825,1826,1827,1828,1829,1830,1831,1832,1833,1834,1835,1836,1837,1838,1839,1840,1841,1842,1843,1844,1845,1846,1847,1848,1849,1850,1851,1852,1853,1854,1855,1856,1857,1858,1859,1860,1861,1862,1863,1864,1865,1866,1867,1868,1869,1870,1871,1872,1873,1874,1875,1876,1877,1878,1879,1880,1881,1882,1883,1884,1885,1886,1887,1888,1889,1890,1891,1892,1893,1894,1895,1896,1897,1898,1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915,1916,1917,1918,1919],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eNo special access restriction applies.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["No special access restriction applies."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHe was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026amp;O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026amp;O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026amp;C). The P\u0026amp;C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026amp;C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026amp;I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026amp;I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026amp;C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026amp;C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026amp;C, and C\u0026amp;I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026amp;C was absorbed by the B\u0026amp;O.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eEarly on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eReluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAlthough retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDaughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSources:\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eClarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHicks, W. Raymond. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/43518154\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe West Virginia Central \u0026amp; Pittsburgh Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRice, Donald L. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1337\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoal \u0026amp; Coke Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRoss, Thomas Richard. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1657\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical / Historical"],"bioghist_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026amp;M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e13, 717, 1028\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related A\u0026M Collections"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["13, 717, 1028"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCorrespondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries include: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAmong Davis's correspondents are: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom\u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom"],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/visit/permissions-and-copyright\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePermissions and Copyright page\u003c/a\u003e on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Use"],"userestrict_tesim":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_bececc3958fd8321627340a6836c39d7\"\u003eWest Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/\"\u003eWest Virginia \u0026amp; Regional History Center\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center"],"corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_coll_ssim":["Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":990,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c13"}},{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c14","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Series 13. H.G. Davis and Brother (boxes 194-197), 1867/1905","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c14#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003eThese papers are related to the business concerns of H.G. Davis and his brother Thomas B. Davis. Materials include correspondence related to the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway, deeds for their various railroads, railroad survey proposals and cost estimates, and real estate tax records. There are also employee rosters and payrolls for the Deer Park sawmill.\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c14#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c14","ref_ssm":["wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c14"],"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c14","ead_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_root_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_nest_parent_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","parent_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","parent_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"parent_ids_ssim":["wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374"],"title_filing_ssi":"Series 13. H.G. Davis and Brother (boxes 194-197)","title_ssm":["Series 13. H.G. Davis and Brother (boxes 194-197)"],"title_tesim":["Series 13. H.G. Davis and Brother (boxes 194-197)"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Series 13. H.G. Davis and Brother (boxes 194-197), 1867/1905"],"text":["Series 13. H.G. Davis and Brother (boxes 194-197), 1867/1905","Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919","Box 194","Box 195","Box 196","Box 197","These papers are related to the business concerns of H.G. Davis and his brother Thomas B. Davis. Materials include correspondence related to the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway, deeds for their various railroads, railroad survey proposals and cost estimates, and real estate tax records. There are also employee rosters and payrolls for the Deer Park sawmill."],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1867/1905"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1867–1905"],"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"component_level_isim":[1],"sort_isi":906,"repository_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"collection_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"containers_ssim":["Box 194","Box 195","Box 196","Box 197"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":10,"parent_access_restrict_tesm":["No special access restriction applies."],"parent_access_terms_tesm":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"date_range_isim":[1867,1868,1869,1870,1871,1872,1873,1874,1875,1876,1877,1878,1879,1880,1881,1882,1883,1884,1885,1886,1887,1888,1889,1890,1891,1892,1893,1894,1895,1896,1897,1898,1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThese papers are related to the business concerns of H.G. Davis and his brother Thomas B. Davis. Materials include correspondence related to the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway, deeds for their various railroads, railroad survey proposals and cost estimates, and real estate tax records. There are also employee rosters and payrolls for the Deer Park sawmill.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["These papers are related to the business concerns of H.G. Davis and his brother Thomas B. Davis. Materials include correspondence related to the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway, deeds for their various railroads, railroad survey proposals and cost estimates, and real estate tax records. There are also employee rosters and payrolls for the Deer Park sawmill."],"_nest_path_":"/components#13","timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","ead_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_root_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_nest_parent_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/WVU/repositories_2_resources_2374.xml","aspace_url_ssi":"https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/ark:/99999/196440","title_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers"],"title_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers"],"unitdate_ssm":["1799-1919"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1799-1919"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1799/1919"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"text":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919","A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374","West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party","Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians","No special access restriction applies.","Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","13, 717, 1028","Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom","Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.","West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center","West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"collection_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374"],"unitid_tesim":["A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374"],"repository_ssm":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"repository_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"geogname_ssm":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"geogname_ssim":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"places_ssim":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"creator_ssm":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916"],"creator_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"creator_corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"creators_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William.","West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"access_terms_ssm":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["105.9 Linear Feet 105 ft. 11 in. (249 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (14 ledgers, 18 in.); (6 oversize folders, 1/2 in.)"],"extent_tesim":["105.9 Linear Feet 105 ft. 11 in. (249 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (14 ledgers, 18 in.); (6 oversize folders, 1/2 in.)"],"date_range_isim":[1799,1800,1801,1802,1803,1804,1805,1806,1807,1808,1809,1810,1811,1812,1813,1814,1815,1816,1817,1818,1819,1820,1821,1822,1823,1824,1825,1826,1827,1828,1829,1830,1831,1832,1833,1834,1835,1836,1837,1838,1839,1840,1841,1842,1843,1844,1845,1846,1847,1848,1849,1850,1851,1852,1853,1854,1855,1856,1857,1858,1859,1860,1861,1862,1863,1864,1865,1866,1867,1868,1869,1870,1871,1872,1873,1874,1875,1876,1877,1878,1879,1880,1881,1882,1883,1884,1885,1886,1887,1888,1889,1890,1891,1892,1893,1894,1895,1896,1897,1898,1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915,1916,1917,1918,1919],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eNo special access restriction applies.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["No special access restriction applies."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHe was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026amp;O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026amp;O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026amp;C). The P\u0026amp;C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026amp;C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026amp;I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026amp;I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026amp;C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026amp;C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026amp;C, and C\u0026amp;I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026amp;C was absorbed by the B\u0026amp;O.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eEarly on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eReluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAlthough retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDaughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSources:\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eClarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHicks, W. Raymond. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/43518154\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe West Virginia Central \u0026amp; Pittsburgh Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRice, Donald L. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1337\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoal \u0026amp; Coke Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRoss, Thomas Richard. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1657\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical / Historical"],"bioghist_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026amp;M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e13, 717, 1028\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related A\u0026M Collections"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["13, 717, 1028"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCorrespondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries include: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAmong Davis's correspondents are: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom\u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom"],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/visit/permissions-and-copyright\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePermissions and Copyright page\u003c/a\u003e on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Use"],"userestrict_tesim":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_bececc3958fd8321627340a6836c39d7\"\u003eWest Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/\"\u003eWest Virginia \u0026amp; Regional History Center\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center"],"corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_coll_ssim":["Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":990,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c14"}},{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c15","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Series 14. 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For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"date_range_isim":[1869,1870,1871,1872,1873,1874,1875,1876,1877,1878,1879,1880,1881,1882,1883,1884,1885,1886,1887,1888,1889,1890,1891,1892,1893,1894,1895,1896,1897,1898,1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThese materials include correspondence related to the acquisition and sale of real estate, including timber and coal lands.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["These materials include correspondence related to the acquisition and sale of real estate, including timber and coal lands."],"_nest_path_":"/components#14","timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","ead_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_root_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_nest_parent_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/WVU/repositories_2_resources_2374.xml","aspace_url_ssi":"https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/ark:/99999/196440","title_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers"],"title_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers"],"unitdate_ssm":["1799-1919"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1799-1919"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1799/1919"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"text":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919","A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374","West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party","Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians","No special access restriction applies.","Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","13, 717, 1028","Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom","Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.","West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center","West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"collection_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374"],"unitid_tesim":["A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374"],"repository_ssm":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"repository_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"geogname_ssm":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"geogname_ssim":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"places_ssim":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"creator_ssm":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916"],"creator_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"creator_corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"creators_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William.","West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"access_terms_ssm":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["105.9 Linear Feet 105 ft. 11 in. (249 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (14 ledgers, 18 in.); (6 oversize folders, 1/2 in.)"],"extent_tesim":["105.9 Linear Feet 105 ft. 11 in. (249 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (14 ledgers, 18 in.); (6 oversize folders, 1/2 in.)"],"date_range_isim":[1799,1800,1801,1802,1803,1804,1805,1806,1807,1808,1809,1810,1811,1812,1813,1814,1815,1816,1817,1818,1819,1820,1821,1822,1823,1824,1825,1826,1827,1828,1829,1830,1831,1832,1833,1834,1835,1836,1837,1838,1839,1840,1841,1842,1843,1844,1845,1846,1847,1848,1849,1850,1851,1852,1853,1854,1855,1856,1857,1858,1859,1860,1861,1862,1863,1864,1865,1866,1867,1868,1869,1870,1871,1872,1873,1874,1875,1876,1877,1878,1879,1880,1881,1882,1883,1884,1885,1886,1887,1888,1889,1890,1891,1892,1893,1894,1895,1896,1897,1898,1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915,1916,1917,1918,1919],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eNo special access restriction applies.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["No special access restriction applies."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHe was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026amp;O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026amp;O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026amp;C). The P\u0026amp;C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026amp;C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026amp;I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026amp;I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026amp;C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026amp;C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026amp;C, and C\u0026amp;I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026amp;C was absorbed by the B\u0026amp;O.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eEarly on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eReluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAlthough retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDaughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSources:\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eClarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHicks, W. Raymond. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/43518154\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe West Virginia Central \u0026amp; Pittsburgh Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRice, Donald L. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1337\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoal \u0026amp; Coke Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRoss, Thomas Richard. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1657\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical / Historical"],"bioghist_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026amp;M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e13, 717, 1028\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related A\u0026M Collections"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["13, 717, 1028"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCorrespondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries include: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAmong Davis's correspondents are: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom\u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom"],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/visit/permissions-and-copyright\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePermissions and Copyright page\u003c/a\u003e on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Use"],"userestrict_tesim":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_bececc3958fd8321627340a6836c39d7\"\u003eWest Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/\"\u003eWest Virginia \u0026amp; Regional History Center\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center"],"corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_coll_ssim":["Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":990,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c15"}},{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c16","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Series 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books (boxes 203-231), 1865/1916","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c16#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003eThis series contains letter books of outgoing correspondence.\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c16#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c16","ref_ssm":["wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c16"],"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c16","ead_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_root_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_nest_parent_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","parent_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","parent_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"parent_ids_ssim":["wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374"],"title_filing_ssi":"Series 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books (boxes 203-231)","title_ssm":["Series 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books (boxes 203-231)"],"title_tesim":["Series 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books (boxes 203-231)"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Series 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books (boxes 203-231), 1865/1916"],"text":["Series 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books (boxes 203-231), 1865/1916","Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919","Box 203","Box 204","Box 205","Box 206","Box 207","Box 208","Box 209","Box 210","Box 211","Box 212","Box 213","Box 214","Box 215","Box 216","Box 217","Box 218","Box 219","Box 220","Box 221","Box 222","Box 223","Box 224","Box 225","Box 226","Box 227","Box 228","Box 229","Box 230","Box 231","This series contains letter books of outgoing correspondence."],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1865/1916"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1865–1916"],"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"component_level_isim":[1],"sort_isi":923,"repository_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"collection_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"containers_ssim":["Box 203","Box 204","Box 205","Box 206","Box 207","Box 208","Box 209","Box 210","Box 211","Box 212","Box 213","Box 214","Box 215","Box 216","Box 217","Box 218","Box 219","Box 220","Box 221","Box 222","Box 223","Box 224","Box 225","Box 226","Box 227","Box 228","Box 229","Box 230","Box 231"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":29,"parent_access_restrict_tesm":["No special access restriction applies."],"parent_access_terms_tesm":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. 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He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","13, 717, 1028","Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom","Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.","West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center","West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  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D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"creator_corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"creators_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. 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He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHe was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026amp;O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026amp;O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026amp;C). The P\u0026amp;C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026amp;C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026amp;I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026amp;I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026amp;C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026amp;C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026amp;C, and C\u0026amp;I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026amp;C was absorbed by the B\u0026amp;O.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eEarly on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eReluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAlthough retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDaughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSources:\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eClarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHicks, W. Raymond. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/43518154\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe West Virginia Central \u0026amp; Pittsburgh Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRice, Donald L. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1337\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoal \u0026amp; Coke Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRoss, Thomas Richard. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1657\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical / Historical"],"bioghist_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026amp;M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e13, 717, 1028\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related A\u0026M Collections"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["13, 717, 1028"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCorrespondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries include: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAmong Davis's correspondents are: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom\u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom"],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/visit/permissions-and-copyright\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePermissions and Copyright page\u003c/a\u003e on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Use"],"userestrict_tesim":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_bececc3958fd8321627340a6836c39d7\"\u003eWest Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/\"\u003eWest Virginia \u0026amp; Regional History Center\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center"],"corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_coll_ssim":["Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. 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He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","13, 717, 1028","Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom","Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.","West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center","West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  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He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHe was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026amp;O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026amp;O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026amp;C). The P\u0026amp;C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026amp;C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026amp;I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026amp;I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026amp;C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026amp;C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026amp;C, and C\u0026amp;I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026amp;C was absorbed by the B\u0026amp;O.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eEarly on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eReluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAlthough retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDaughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSources:\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eClarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHicks, W. Raymond. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/43518154\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe West Virginia Central \u0026amp; Pittsburgh Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRice, Donald L. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1337\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoal \u0026amp; Coke Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRoss, Thomas Richard. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1657\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical / Historical"],"bioghist_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026amp;M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e13, 717, 1028\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related A\u0026M Collections"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["13, 717, 1028"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCorrespondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries include: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAmong Davis's correspondents are: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom\u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom"],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/visit/permissions-and-copyright\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePermissions and Copyright page\u003c/a\u003e on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Use"],"userestrict_tesim":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_bececc3958fd8321627340a6836c39d7\"\u003eWest Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/\"\u003eWest Virginia \u0026amp; Regional History Center\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center"],"corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_coll_ssim":["Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":990,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c17"}},{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c18","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Series 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books (boxes 241-247), 1881/1914","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c18#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003eThese materials include H.G. Davis check stubs, 1896 Intercontinental Railway Commission Report, Hamilton Coal Company Stock Certificate Book, Hamilton Coal Company Minute Book, Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company letter books, Gassaway Development Company correspondence, and Gassaway Church correspondence. There are also C.M. Headley (assistant to the president) outgoing letters regarding Hamilton Coal Company, the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company, the Coal and Iron Railroad, and the Coal and Coke Railway.\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c18#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c18","ref_ssm":["wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c18"],"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c18","ead_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_root_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_nest_parent_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","parent_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","parent_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"parent_ids_ssim":["wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374"],"title_filing_ssi":"Series 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books (boxes 241-247)","title_ssm":["Series 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books (boxes 241-247)"],"title_tesim":["Series 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books (boxes 241-247)"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Series 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books (boxes 241-247), 1881/1914"],"text":["Series 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books (boxes 241-247), 1881/1914","Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919","Box 241","Box 242","Box 243","Box 244","Box 245","Box 246","Box 247","These materials include H.G. Davis check stubs, 1896 Intercontinental Railway Commission Report, Hamilton Coal Company Stock Certificate Book, Hamilton Coal Company Minute Book, Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company letter books, Gassaway Development Company correspondence, and Gassaway Church correspondence. There are also C.M. Headley (assistant to the president) outgoing letters regarding Hamilton Coal Company, the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company, the Coal and Iron Railroad, and the Coal and Coke Railway."],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1881/1914"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1881–1914"],"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"component_level_isim":[1],"sort_isi":963,"repository_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"collection_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"containers_ssim":["Box 241","Box 242","Box 243","Box 244","Box 245","Box 246","Box 247"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":14,"parent_access_restrict_tesm":["No special access restriction applies."],"parent_access_terms_tesm":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"date_range_isim":[1881,1882,1883,1884,1885,1886,1887,1888,1889,1890,1891,1892,1893,1894,1895,1896,1897,1898,1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThese materials include H.G. Davis check stubs, 1896 Intercontinental Railway Commission Report, Hamilton Coal Company Stock Certificate Book, Hamilton Coal Company Minute Book, Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company letter books, Gassaway Development Company correspondence, and Gassaway Church correspondence. There are also C.M. Headley (assistant to the president) outgoing letters regarding Hamilton Coal Company, the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company, the Coal and Iron Railroad, and the Coal and Coke Railway.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["These materials include H.G. Davis check stubs, 1896 Intercontinental Railway Commission Report, Hamilton Coal Company Stock Certificate Book, Hamilton Coal Company Minute Book, Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company letter books, Gassaway Development Company correspondence, and Gassaway Church correspondence. There are also C.M. Headley (assistant to the president) outgoing letters regarding Hamilton Coal Company, the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company, the Coal and Iron Railroad, and the Coal and Coke Railway."],"_nest_path_":"/components#17","timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","ead_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_root_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_nest_parent_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/WVU/repositories_2_resources_2374.xml","aspace_url_ssi":"https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/ark:/99999/196440","title_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers"],"title_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers"],"unitdate_ssm":["1799-1919"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1799-1919"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1799/1919"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"text":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919","A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374","West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party","Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians","No special access restriction applies.","Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","13, 717, 1028","Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom","Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.","West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center","West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"collection_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374"],"unitid_tesim":["A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374"],"repository_ssm":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"repository_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"geogname_ssm":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"geogname_ssim":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"places_ssim":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"creator_ssm":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916"],"creator_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"creator_corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"creators_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William.","West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"access_terms_ssm":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["105.9 Linear Feet 105 ft. 11 in. (249 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (14 ledgers, 18 in.); (6 oversize folders, 1/2 in.)"],"extent_tesim":["105.9 Linear Feet 105 ft. 11 in. (249 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (14 ledgers, 18 in.); (6 oversize folders, 1/2 in.)"],"date_range_isim":[1799,1800,1801,1802,1803,1804,1805,1806,1807,1808,1809,1810,1811,1812,1813,1814,1815,1816,1817,1818,1819,1820,1821,1822,1823,1824,1825,1826,1827,1828,1829,1830,1831,1832,1833,1834,1835,1836,1837,1838,1839,1840,1841,1842,1843,1844,1845,1846,1847,1848,1849,1850,1851,1852,1853,1854,1855,1856,1857,1858,1859,1860,1861,1862,1863,1864,1865,1866,1867,1868,1869,1870,1871,1872,1873,1874,1875,1876,1877,1878,1879,1880,1881,1882,1883,1884,1885,1886,1887,1888,1889,1890,1891,1892,1893,1894,1895,1896,1897,1898,1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915,1916,1917,1918,1919],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eNo special access restriction applies.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["No special access restriction applies."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHe was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026amp;O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026amp;O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026amp;C). The P\u0026amp;C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026amp;C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026amp;I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026amp;I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026amp;C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026amp;C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026amp;C, and C\u0026amp;I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026amp;C was absorbed by the B\u0026amp;O.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eEarly on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eReluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAlthough retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDaughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSources:\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eClarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHicks, W. Raymond. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/43518154\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe West Virginia Central \u0026amp; Pittsburgh Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRice, Donald L. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1337\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoal \u0026amp; Coke Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRoss, Thomas Richard. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1657\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical / Historical"],"bioghist_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026amp;M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e13, 717, 1028\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related A\u0026M Collections"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["13, 717, 1028"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCorrespondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries include: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAmong Davis's correspondents are: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom\u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom"],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/visit/permissions-and-copyright\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePermissions and Copyright page\u003c/a\u003e on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Use"],"userestrict_tesim":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_bececc3958fd8321627340a6836c39d7\"\u003eWest Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/\"\u003eWest Virginia \u0026amp; Regional History Center\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center"],"corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_coll_ssim":["Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":990,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c18"}},{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c19","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Series 18. Oversized Ledgers (unboxed), 1884/1913","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c19#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003eOversized volumes include the Central Railway of Virginia (unrelated to the Virginia Central Railroad) Board of Directors ledger and route survey reports; Central Railroad of West Virginia (unrelated to the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway) ledger and stockholders' minutes; newspaper clippings scrapbook (1884-1894); H.G. Davis's personal name and address books; C.M. Headley's (assistant to the president) outgoing correspondence (1893-1894); and West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission letter book (1911-1913).\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c19#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c19","ref_ssm":["wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c19"],"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c19","ead_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_root_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_nest_parent_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","parent_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","parent_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"parent_ids_ssim":["wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374"],"title_filing_ssi":"Series 18. Oversized Ledgers (unboxed)","title_ssm":["Series 18. Oversized Ledgers (unboxed)"],"title_tesim":["Series 18. Oversized Ledgers (unboxed)"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Series 18. Oversized Ledgers (unboxed), 1884/1913"],"text":["Series 18. Oversized Ledgers (unboxed), 1884/1913","Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919","Box Unboxed","Object 4-17","Oversized volumes include the Central Railway of Virginia (unrelated to the Virginia Central Railroad) Board of Directors ledger and route survey reports; Central Railroad of West Virginia (unrelated to the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway) ledger and stockholders' minutes; newspaper clippings scrapbook (1884-1894); H.G. Davis's personal name and address books; C.M. Headley's (assistant to the president) outgoing correspondence (1893-1894); and West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission letter book (1911-1913)."],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1884/1913"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1884–1913"],"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"component_level_isim":[1],"sort_isi":978,"repository_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"collection_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"containers_ssim":["Box Unboxed","Object 4-17"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":12,"parent_access_restrict_tesm":["No special access restriction applies."],"parent_access_terms_tesm":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"date_range_isim":[1884,1885,1886,1887,1888,1889,1890,1891,1892,1893,1894,1895,1896,1897,1898,1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eOversized volumes include the Central Railway of Virginia (unrelated to the Virginia Central Railroad) Board of Directors ledger and route survey reports; Central Railroad of West Virginia (unrelated to the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway) ledger and stockholders' minutes; newspaper clippings scrapbook (1884-1894); H.G. Davis's personal name and address books; C.M. Headley's (assistant to the president) outgoing correspondence (1893-1894); and West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission letter book (1911-1913).\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Oversized volumes include the Central Railway of Virginia (unrelated to the Virginia Central Railroad) Board of Directors ledger and route survey reports; Central Railroad of West Virginia (unrelated to the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway) ledger and stockholders' minutes; newspaper clippings scrapbook (1884-1894); H.G. Davis's personal name and address books; C.M. Headley's (assistant to the president) outgoing correspondence (1893-1894); and West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission letter book (1911-1913)."],"_nest_path_":"/components#18","timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","ead_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_root_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_nest_parent_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/WVU/repositories_2_resources_2374.xml","aspace_url_ssi":"https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/ark:/99999/196440","title_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers"],"title_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers"],"unitdate_ssm":["1799-1919"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1799-1919"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1799/1919"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"text":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919","A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374","West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party","Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians","No special access restriction applies.","Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","13, 717, 1028","Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom","Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.","West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center","West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"collection_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374"],"unitid_tesim":["A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374"],"repository_ssm":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"repository_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"geogname_ssm":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"geogname_ssim":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"places_ssim":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"creator_ssm":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916"],"creator_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"creator_corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"creators_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William.","West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"access_terms_ssm":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["105.9 Linear Feet 105 ft. 11 in. (249 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (14 ledgers, 18 in.); (6 oversize folders, 1/2 in.)"],"extent_tesim":["105.9 Linear Feet 105 ft. 11 in. (249 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (14 ledgers, 18 in.); (6 oversize folders, 1/2 in.)"],"date_range_isim":[1799,1800,1801,1802,1803,1804,1805,1806,1807,1808,1809,1810,1811,1812,1813,1814,1815,1816,1817,1818,1819,1820,1821,1822,1823,1824,1825,1826,1827,1828,1829,1830,1831,1832,1833,1834,1835,1836,1837,1838,1839,1840,1841,1842,1843,1844,1845,1846,1847,1848,1849,1850,1851,1852,1853,1854,1855,1856,1857,1858,1859,1860,1861,1862,1863,1864,1865,1866,1867,1868,1869,1870,1871,1872,1873,1874,1875,1876,1877,1878,1879,1880,1881,1882,1883,1884,1885,1886,1887,1888,1889,1890,1891,1892,1893,1894,1895,1896,1897,1898,1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915,1916,1917,1918,1919],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eNo special access restriction applies.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["No special access restriction applies."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHe was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026amp;O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026amp;O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026amp;C). The P\u0026amp;C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026amp;C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026amp;I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026amp;I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026amp;C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026amp;C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026amp;C, and C\u0026amp;I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026amp;C was absorbed by the B\u0026amp;O.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eEarly on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eReluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAlthough retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDaughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSources:\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eClarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHicks, W. Raymond. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/43518154\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe West Virginia Central \u0026amp; Pittsburgh Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRice, Donald L. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1337\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoal \u0026amp; Coke Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRoss, Thomas Richard. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1657\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical / Historical"],"bioghist_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026amp;M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e13, 717, 1028\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related A\u0026M Collections"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["13, 717, 1028"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCorrespondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries include: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAmong Davis's correspondents are: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom\u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom"],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/visit/permissions-and-copyright\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePermissions and Copyright page\u003c/a\u003e on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Use"],"userestrict_tesim":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_bececc3958fd8321627340a6836c39d7\"\u003eWest Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/\"\u003eWest Virginia \u0026amp; Regional History Center\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center"],"corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_coll_ssim":["Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":990,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c19"}},{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c01","type":"Series","attributes":{"title":"Series 1a. Business Papers (boxes 1-29), 1882/1909","abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c01#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"\u003cp\u003eThis series includes H.G. Davis's incoming business correspondence. It consists of daily communications from his managers related to the day-to-day operations of the Buxton and Landstreet Store (the company store), Coal and Coke Railroad, Davis Coal and Coke Company, Davis Colliery Company, the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway, and his other business concerns. There is also incoming correspondence from the Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore and Ohio railroads, and numerous manufacturers and vendors. In addition to the business correspondence, some of Davis's personal and family correspondence is filed in this series as well, including materials regarding charity, financial solicitations, and other topics.\u003c/p\u003e","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c01#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"ref_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c01","ref_ssm":["wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c01"],"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c01","ead_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_root_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_nest_parent_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","parent_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","parent_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"parent_ids_ssim":["wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374"],"title_filing_ssi":"Series 1a. Business Papers (boxes 1-29)","title_ssm":["Series 1a. Business Papers (boxes 1-29)"],"title_tesim":["Series 1a. Business Papers (boxes 1-29)"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Series 1a. Business Papers (boxes 1-29), 1882/1909"],"text":["Series 1a. Business Papers (boxes 1-29), 1882/1909","Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919","Box 1","Box 2","Box 3a","Box 3b","Box 4","Box 5","Box 6a","Box 6b","Box 7","Box 8","Box 9","Box 10a","Box 10b","Box 11a","Box 11b","Box 12","Box 13a","Box 13b","Box 14","Box 15","Box 16","Box 17","Box 18","Box 19","Box 20","Box 21","Box 22","Box 23","Box 24","Box 25","Box 26","Box 28","Box 29","This series includes H.G. Davis's incoming business correspondence. It consists of daily communications from his managers related to the day-to-day operations of the Buxton and Landstreet Store (the company store), Coal and Coke Railroad, Davis Coal and Coke Company, Davis Colliery Company, the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway, and his other business concerns. There is also incoming correspondence from the Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore and Ohio railroads, and numerous manufacturers and vendors. In addition to the business correspondence, some of Davis's personal and family correspondence is filed in this series as well, including materials regarding charity, financial solicitations, and other topics."],"parent_unittitles_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"parent_unittitles_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1882/1909"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1882–1909"],"level_ssm":["Series"],"level_ssim":["Series"],"component_level_isim":[1],"sort_isi":1,"repository_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"collection_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"containers_ssim":["Box 1","Box 2","Box 3a","Box 3b","Box 4","Box 5","Box 6a","Box 6b","Box 7","Box 8","Box 9","Box 10a","Box 10b","Box 11a","Box 11b","Box 12","Box 13a","Box 13b","Box 14","Box 15","Box 16","Box 17","Box 18","Box 19","Box 20","Box 21","Box 22","Box 23","Box 24","Box 25","Box 26","Box 28","Box 29"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"child_component_count_isi":208,"parent_access_restrict_tesm":["No special access restriction applies."],"parent_access_terms_tesm":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"date_range_isim":[1882,1883,1884,1885,1886,1887,1888,1889,1890,1891,1892,1893,1894,1895,1896,1897,1898,1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThis series includes H.G. Davis's incoming business correspondence. It consists of daily communications from his managers related to the day-to-day operations of the Buxton and Landstreet Store (the company store), Coal and Coke Railroad, Davis Coal and Coke Company, Davis Colliery Company, the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway, and his other business concerns. There is also incoming correspondence from the Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore and Ohio railroads, and numerous manufacturers and vendors. In addition to the business correspondence, some of Davis's personal and family correspondence is filed in this series as well, including materials regarding charity, financial solicitations, and other topics.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["This series includes H.G. Davis's incoming business correspondence. It consists of daily communications from his managers related to the day-to-day operations of the Buxton and Landstreet Store (the company store), Coal and Coke Railroad, Davis Coal and Coke Company, Davis Colliery Company, the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway, and his other business concerns. There is also incoming correspondence from the Cumberland Valley, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore and Ohio railroads, and numerous manufacturers and vendors. In addition to the business correspondence, some of Davis's personal and family correspondence is filed in this series as well, including materials regarding charity, financial solicitations, and other topics."],"_nest_path_":"/components#0","timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","ead_ssi":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_root_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","_nest_parent_":"wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/WVU/repositories_2_resources_2374.xml","aspace_url_ssi":"https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/ark:/99999/196440","title_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers"],"title_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers"],"unitdate_ssm":["1799-1919"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1799-1919"],"normalized_date_ssm":["1799/1919"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"text":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919","A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374","West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party","Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians","No special access restriction applies.","Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","13, 717, 1028","Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom","Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.","West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center","West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William.","English"],"collection_title_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"collection_ssim":["Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, 1799/1919"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374"],"unitid_tesim":["A\u0026M 0013","Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","Previous Archival Resource Key","/repositories/2/resources/2374"],"repository_ssm":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"repository_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"geogname_ssm":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"geogname_ssim":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"places_ssim":["West Virginia -- Politics and government","United States -- Politics and government","Democratic Party"],"creator_ssm":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916"],"creator_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"creator_corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"creators_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William.","West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"access_terms_ssm":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Banks and banking","Coal mining.","Elk Garden Coal Field.","Lumber trade","Railroads - West Virginia Central and Pittsburgh Railway.","Railroads","Lumber industry and timber.","Politics and government.","Politicians -- United States","Politicians"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["105.9 Linear Feet 105 ft. 11 in. (249 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (14 ledgers, 18 in.); (6 oversize folders, 1/2 in.)"],"extent_tesim":["105.9 Linear Feet 105 ft. 11 in. (249 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (14 ledgers, 18 in.); (6 oversize folders, 1/2 in.)"],"date_range_isim":[1799,1800,1801,1802,1803,1804,1805,1806,1807,1808,1809,1810,1811,1812,1813,1814,1815,1816,1817,1818,1819,1820,1821,1822,1823,1824,1825,1826,1827,1828,1829,1830,1831,1832,1833,1834,1835,1836,1837,1838,1839,1840,1841,1842,1843,1844,1845,1846,1847,1848,1849,1850,1851,1852,1853,1854,1855,1856,1857,1858,1859,1860,1861,1862,1863,1864,1865,1866,1867,1868,1869,1870,1871,1872,1873,1874,1875,1876,1877,1878,1879,1880,1881,1882,1883,1884,1885,1886,1887,1888,1889,1890,1891,1892,1893,1894,1895,1896,1897,1898,1899,1900,1901,1902,1903,1904,1905,1906,1907,1908,1909,1910,1911,1912,1913,1914,1915,1916,1917,1918,1919],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eNo special access restriction applies.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Access"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["No special access restriction applies."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHe was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026amp;O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026amp;O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026amp;C). The P\u0026amp;C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026amp;C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026amp;I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026amp;I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026amp;C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026amp;C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026amp;C, and C\u0026amp;I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026amp;C was absorbed by the B\u0026amp;O.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eEarly on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eReluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAlthough retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDavis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eDaughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSources:\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eClarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eHicks, W. Raymond. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.jstor.org/stable/43518154\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe West Virginia Central \u0026amp; Pittsburgh Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRice, Donald L. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1337\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCoal \u0026amp; Coke Railway.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRoss, Thomas Richard. \"\u003ca href=\"https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1657\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHenry Gassaway Davis.\u003c/a\u003e\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Biographical / Historical"],"bioghist_tesim":["Henry Gassaway Davis","Henry Gassaway Davis (11/16/1823-03/11/1916) was a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.","He was born near Woodstock, Maryland on November 16, 1823, and was the second son of four children. He received a limited public-school education and left school at age 15 to support his family after his father's contracting business failed and left the family destitute. Davis first worked at a local quarry, as a water boy, and then as the caretaker of the Waverly Farm, the nearby farm owned by former Maryland Governor George Howard.","Davis began his railroading career in 1842 at age nineteen as a brakeman for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, then still under construction. He eventually advanced to the position of freight conductor, and then passenger conductor. Reportedly at Davis's request, he was appointed station agent for the Piedmont Station at Piedmont, [West] Virginia, because he wanted to explore the timber and coal resources of the Upper Potomac River region. About this same time, Davis established a mercantile lumber and coal business with his younger brothers Thomas B. Davis and William R. Davis at Piedmont. This business was known as H.G. Davis and Company (later H.G. Davis and Brother). Davis left the B\u0026O in 1858 to focus on his business concerns. One of these concerns was the Piedmont Savings Bank, which he founded in 1858 and for which he served as president. Davis, like so many entrepreneurs, made extraordinary profits during the Civil War. Profits from the sale of horses to the federal government and timber and ties to the B\u0026O Railroad enabled H.G. Davis and Company to invest in several thousand acres of coal and timber lands in the Upper Potomac and Cheat rivers region, at a cost said to be as cheap as one dollar per acre.","Davis founded the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company to provide railroad access to his coal and timber lands. In 1866 the West Virginia State Legislature, by a special act, incorporated the Cumberland and Piedmont Coal and Railway Company, granting the incorporators the right to mine coal, build factories and sawmills, buy and sell real estate, and build a railroad. It would be several years before Davis acted on the charter. Construction of the railroad finally began in 1880 at Bloomington, Maryland, and by 1881 the line had reached his mines at Elk Garden, West Virginia. Davis shipped the first Elk Garden coal to Baltimore in October 1881. A new railroad charter was granted in 1881 and Davis renamed the line the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway (WVC). By 1884 the line had reached present-day Davis, then Parsons in 1888, and Elkins (then Leadville) in 1889. Meanwhile in 1886, Davis created a subsidiary railroad, the Piedmont and Cumberland Railway Company (P\u0026C). The P\u0026C connected the WVC with the Pennsylvania Railroad at Cumberland. In 1902 Davis sold the WVC and P\u0026C to George J. Gould, a railroad magnate, who was purchasing and consolidating rail lines to create an intercontinental railroad.","Davis desired to expand his rail network and in 1899 decided to construct a rail line connecting the WVC at Elkins with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad at Durbin, West Virginia. This line became the Coal and Iron Railway (C\u0026I) and was completed in 1902. Davis used the profits of the sale of the WVC to fund construction of the C\u0026I. Not finished yet with railroad construction, Davis incorporated the Coal and Coke Railway Company (C\u0026C) in 1902 to exploit his Roaring Creek coal properties located in Randolph County. This new line ran from Elkins to Charleston via the Elk River through some of West Virginia's most difficult terrain. The C\u0026C connected the Western Maryland at Elkins with the Kanawha and Michigan Railroad at Charleston, providing new markets for West Virginia coal. Construction commenced in 1903 and was completed in 1905, requiring twelve tunnels and thirty steel bridges. The town Gassaway, in Braxton County, was located at the mid-point of the rail line and became the divisional headquarters of the line. Ultimately, the WVC, P\u0026C, and C\u0026I were acquired by the Western Maryland Railroad and the C\u0026C was absorbed by the B\u0026O.","Early on in his career, Davis recognized that being in politics would further his business. Consequently, Davis ran for office on the democratic platform and was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1865 representing Hampshire County. Davis was very influential in the creation of Mineral and Grant counties in 1866, an effort which advanced his business interests. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1868 and served in that capacity until 1871, when he was elected to the United States Senate. Davis served as a West Virginia Senator from 1871 to 1883.","Davis retired from politics in 1883 and returned to West Virginia to oversee his coal and banking interests. He then formed the Davis Coal and Coke Company with his son-in-law Stephen B. Elkins in 1886. The company controlled 135,000 acres of coal and timber lands, employed 1600 workers, operated nine mines, and furnished coal to be coked in its more than 1000 coke ovens. By 1892 Davis Coal and Coke was one of the largest coal producers world-wide.","Reluctantly, Davis was nominated as the vice-presidential candidate in the 1904 presidential election with Alton B. Parker as his running mate and presidential candidate. They lost to the Roosevelt-Fairbanks ticket by a wide margin. In running for office at the age of 80 Davis had become, and remains, one of the oldest candidates to have ever run for vice president of the United States.","Although retired from public service, Davis was appointed to represent the United States at the Pan-American Conferences (1889-1902) and later was appointed permanent chairman of the Pan-American Railway Committee, which he served from 1901 to his death in 1916. (The Pan-American Railway was a failed intercontinental railroad scheme. Promoters wanted to connect the capitals and principle cities of South and Central America with North America by rail). Davis also served as Chairman of the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission in 1913, the group tasked with planning the \"Golden Jubilee\" or 50th anniversary of West Virginia statehood.","Davis's philanthropic legacy was notable. His charitable activities included funding the Davis Children's Shelter in Charleston, West Virginia, a shelter for orphaned and neglected children (1896); the Davis Memorial Presbyterian Church, a church built in memory of his wife Katherine Bantz Davis; and the Davis Memorial Hospital in Davis, also constructed as a memorial to his deceased wife.  Perhaps most notably, he donated the land for Davis and Elkins College in 1904, a liberal arts college named in honor of H.G. Davis and Stephen B. Elkins.","Davis married Katherine Ann Salome Bantz on 22 February 1853. The couple had eight children, three of whom died in infancy. The oldest child, Mary Louise \"Hallie\" Davis, married US Senator Stephen B. Elkins on 14 April 1875, linking the names Davis and Elkins forever.","Daughter Grace Thomas Davis became the namesake of Graceland, Davis's country mansion in Davis, West Virginia, and after his wife died she became his hostess for events held at the mansion. His older son Henry Gassaway Davis was something of a troubled soul, and was lost at sea in 1896. His youngest son John Thomas Davis worked closely with his father, was later associated with Davis and Elkins College, and became a coal operator and banker.","Henry Gassaway Davis passed in Washington D.C. on 11 March 1916 at the age of 93. He is interred at Maplewood Cemetery, Elkins, West Virginia.","Sources:","Clarke, Alan. The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg: a Western Maryland Predecessor. Lynchburg: TLC Publishing. 2003.","Hicks, W. Raymond. \"The West Virginia Central \u0026 Pittsburgh Railway.\" The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin. JSTOR.","Lewis, Ronald L. Transforming the Appalachian Countryside: Railroads, Deforestation, and Social Change in West Virginia, 1880-1920. Chapel Hill: University off North Carolina Press, 1998.","Rice, Donald L. \"Coal \u0026 Coke Railway.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia.","Ross, Thomas Richard. \"Henry Gassaway Davis.\" The West Virginia Encyclopedia."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026amp;M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"prefercite_tesim":["[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916) Papers, A\u0026M 0013, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia."],"relatedmaterial_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e13, 717, 1028\u003c/p\u003e  "],"relatedmaterial_heading_ssm":["Related A\u0026M Collections"],"relatedmaterial_tesim":["13, 717, 1028"],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCorrespondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries include: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eAmong Davis's correspondents are: \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \u003clb\u003e\u003c/lb\u003e\nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom\u003c/p\u003e  "],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia.  He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904.  The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well.  His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads.  Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material.  Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically.  The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.","Series include: \nSeries 1a. Business Papers, 1882-1909 (boxes 1-29) \nSeries 1b. Banking Records, 1886-1916 (boxes 30-33) \nSeries 2. Coal Company Operations, 1799-1915 (boxes 34-48) \nSeries 3. Miscellaneous Papers, 1855-1916 (boxes 49-62) \nSeries 4. Miscellaneous Letters, 1872-1915 (boxes 63-65) \nSeries 5. Miscellaneous Bills and Receipts, 1872-1918 (boxes 66-82) \nSeries 6. Miscellaneous, 1872-1916 (boxes 83-115) \nSeries 7. Alexander Shaw Lawsuit, 1880-1894 (boxes 116-118) \nSeries 8. Personal and Political Papers, 1870-1916 (boxes 119-145) \nSeries 9. Railroads, 1862-1916 (boxes 146-189) \nSeries 10. West Virginia Semi-Centennial Commission, 1911 August 9–1913 July 26 (box 190) \nSeries 11. T.B. Davis Papers, 1879-1915 (box 191) \nSeries 12. Davis Memorial Hospital and Church, 1898-1916 (boxes 192-193) \nSeries 13. H.G. Davis and Brother, 1868-1905 (boxes 194-197) \nSeries 14. Real Estate and Timber, 1869-1915 (boxes 198-202) \nSeries 15. H.G. Davis Letter Books, 1865-1916 (boxes 203-231) \nSeries 16. West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railway Company Letter Books, 1880-1903 (boxes 232-240) \nSeries 17. Minute, Letter, and Other Books, 1881-1914 (boxes 241-247) \nSeries 18. Oversized Ledgers, 1884-1913 (boxes 248-260)","Among Davis's correspondents are: \nU.S. Representative John D. Alderson \nWest Virginia Governor George W. Atkinson \nU.S. Senator William Henry Barnum \nU.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Thomas F. Bayard \nU.S. Minister to the Netherlands August Belmont, Sr. \nU.S. Senator James G. Blaine \nU.S. Senator Calvin S. Brice \nU.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan \nU.S. Senator Johnson N. Camden \nindustrialist Andrew Carnegie \nPresident of Mexico General Porfirio Díaz \nU.S. Secretary of War Stephen Benton Elkins \nU.S. Minister to France Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President John W. Garrett \nOlympian Robert S. Garrett \nJames Cardinal Gibbons (Cardinal, Archbishop of Baltimore) \nU.S. Senator Arthur Pue Gorman \nU.S. President Benjamin Harrison \nConfederate cartographer Jedidiah (Jed) Hotchkiss \nMaryland Governor Elihu Emory Jackson \nU.S. Senator John E. Kenna \nU.S. Secretary of War Daniel S. Lamont \nU.S. Congressman Adam Brown Littlepage \nU.S. Representative James Tilghman Lloyd \nPresident of the WV Supreme Court of Appeals Daniel Bedinger Lucas \nConsul General of Wurttemberg Charles F. Mayer \nWest Virginia Governor William A. McCorkle \nU.S. Senator John R. McPherson \nU.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue Joseph S. Miller \nBaltimore and Ohio Railroad President Oscar G. Murray \nPennsylvania Railroad President George Brooke Roberts \nSouthern Railway President Samuel Spencer \nU.S. Senator Thomas Taggart \nU.S. Senator Daniel W. Voorhees \nU.S. Senator Thomas J. Walsh \nU.S. Secretary of the Navy William Collins Whitney \nMaryland Governor William Pinkney Whyte \nU.S. Secretary of the Treasury William Windom"],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003ePermission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/visit/permissions-and-copyright\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePermissions and Copyright page\u003c/a\u003e on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.\u003c/p\u003e  "],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Conditions Governing Use"],"userestrict_tesim":["Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_bececc3958fd8321627340a6836c39d7\"\u003eWest Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: \u003ca href=\"https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/\"\u003eWest Virginia \u0026amp; Regional History Center\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/physloc\u003e\n    "],"physloc_tesim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536  / URL: West Virginia \u0026 Regional History Center"],"corpname_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center"],"persname_ssim":["Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_coll_ssim":["Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"names_ssim":["West Virginia and Regional History Center","Davis, Henry Gassaway, 1823-1916","Alderson, J. D. (John Duffy), 1854-1910","Atkinson, Geo. W. (George Wesley), 1845-1925","Bayard, Thomas F.","Belmont, August.","Blaine, James Gillespie, 1830-1893","Bryan, William Jennings, 1860-1925","Camden, J. N. (Johnson Newlon), 1828-1908","Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919","Dayton, Spencer","Díaz, Porfirio, 1830-1915","Elkins, Stephen B.  (Stephen Benton), 1841-1911","Faulkner, Charles James, 1806-1884","Faulkner, Charles J. (Charles James), 1847-1929","Garrett, John W.","Gibbons, James, 1834-1921","Gorman, Arthur P. (Arthur Pue), 1839-1906","Harrison, Benjamin, 1833-1901","Kenna, John E.","Lamont, Daniel Scott, 1851-1905","Lucas, Daniel B.","MacCorkle, William Alexander, 1857-1930","Mason, James M. II.","Voorhees, Daniel W. (Daniel Wolsey), 1827-1897","Walsh, Thomas J.","Whitney, William C.","Windom, William."],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":990,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-09-17T13:58:30.859Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/wvmturhc_repositories_2_resources_2374_c01"}}],"included":[{"type":"facet","id":"repository_ssim","attributes":{"label":"Repository","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"West Virginia and Regional History Center","value":"West Virginia and Regional History 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