Camden People - William C. Davis

From
South Jersey: A History 1624-1924

WILLIAM C. DAVIS—Of the leading Camden men who have been born and bred here and grown up into many of the city's most prominent and substantial business relationships, Mr. Davis throughout his career has upon many occasions proven his loyalty to Camden's industrial projects, and his public-spiritedness is always a dependable quality. Throughout his life he has been chiefly associated with the baking business whose repute for excellence of management and of product was not confined to Camden and its neighborhood. Also in his present executive and other official positions with companies of large territorial interests in realty, and with other concerns that have the stamp of Camden enterprise and progress upon their activities, Mr. Davis notably represents the highest type of the city's business citizenship. He is the son of Samuel W. Davis, a railroad man, who was born in 1845, in Roadstown, and died in February, 1924, in Camden, and of Mary (Elwell) Davis, who was born in Shiloh in 1845, and died in Camden, March 1, 1925.

William C. Davis was born November 27, 1871, in Camden, where he graduated at the grammar schools in July, 1890, afterwards attending Palm's Business College, in Philadelphia. He then entered business in Camden, and in December, 1892, he established his own bakeshop with but one baker, at No. 411 South Sixth Street. In 1896, with the increase of business, he removed to No. 514 Berkley Street, where he purchased an entire block, as well as a part of the block on the opposite side of the street. He then organized the William C. Davis Home Baking Company, incorporating with William C. Davis as president, and John Mickle as secretary and treasurer, so continuing until 1902, when H. Mary Walters became secretary and treasurer. In 1920, this firm sold out to the Freihofer Baking Company of Philadelphia.

Mr. Davis holds a number of offices of large responsibility with realty and other firms; he is president of the Camden Realty Company; president of the Victoria Finance Company, of Florida; member of the board of directors of the Parkside Trust Company, and chairman of the building committee that was formed for the purpose of building the company's new home at Haddon and Kaighn avenues, Camden; former member of Camden City's Planning Commission occupying that office from the time of the formation to the disbandment of the commission. Mr. Davis's fraternal affiliations are with Camden Lodge, No. 15, Free and Accepted Masons; Siloam Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; Crusade Commandery, Knights Templar; Tall Cedars of Lebanon; and he served as trustee for fifteen years, up to 1924, of Lodge No. 293, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is also a member of the Tavistock Country Club.

William C. Davis married, November 22, 1899, Caroline Holl, who was born in Camden, daughter of Lewis F. and Wilhelmina (Tener) Holl, and they are the parents of three children: Dorothy, born December 1, 1900; William, born October 29, 1902, died in 1921; Lewis, born March 17, 1905.

Mr. Davis's progenitors came here in the seventeenth century and are buried in Shiloh Cemetery, New Jersey. One brother settled in South Jersey, one in New York, and one went West.

*Camden Post-Telegram December 16, 1912**

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	George Boone - Roy A. Smith Daniel M. Stevens - George Leathwhite George Pine - John Barnett William C. Davis - John J. Welsh Adam Urbin - Zion Church Berkley Street - William Street

	Philadelphia Inquirer September 7, 1919 Click on Images for PDF File of Complete Article Admiral Henry Wilson - Charles H. Ellis Elisha A. Gravenor - Edward S. Hyde William E. Albert - James H. Long Frank S. Van Hart - William D. Sayrs Jr. Frank S. Fithian - A. Benjamin Sparks Kessel Webster - William H. Iszard Robert D. Clow - Andrew B.F. Smith William H. Lorigan - Charles Austermuhl David Doane - William C. Davis William Vanaman - David Baird Sr. J. Wesley Sell - William D. Brown Charles A. Wolverton - William J. Browning

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