Dr. John Elkanah Davis (1844-1905)

Dr. Davis has purchased Mr. Barlow's beautiful homestead. That is a brilliant advertising card for a likely bachelor. . . .

Copied from newspaper articles in a scrapbook owned by Richard C. Schmal, Lowell Town Historian. Unknown source. News article was undated.

Dr. J.E. Davis

Friday night, August 4th, Dr. Davis was attacked by a severe pain in the region of the kidneys. In a few hours he got the pain under control and the next day was able to be around and attend to his usual business. Late in the afternoon of Saturday he made a professional call in the country, and in the evening he attended a meeting of the directors of the State National Bank. About 11 p.m. Saturday he was again attacked in the same manner as on Friday night. This time the pain refused to yield to treatment, but continued Sunday and Monday to such a degree that he had to be kept under the influence of opiates, so severe was the pain. It was decided to take him to the hospital in Chicago, and on Monday evening he was taken by the 4:45 train to the city and to the Wesleyan hospital. He was accompanied by his son, Dr. Achilles Davis, and Dr. Willits. A diagnosis showed the kidneys to be badly affected, and an operation was had Wednesday afternoon. He stood the operation well and seemed to be getting along all right until 11 a.m. Saturday, when heart trouble developed. He continued to grow worse until 10 a.m. Tuesday, August 15th, when he quietly fell asleep. His wife and son Achilles were present when the husband and father breathed his last. He retained consciousness up to the last moment. His body was shipped to Lowell and arrived by the 5:14 p.m. train Tuesday.

Obituary

DR. JOHN ELKANAH DAVIS was born near Harrodsburg, Mercer county, Ky, May 21, 1844. He attended school at McAfee, Ky., until he was prepared to enter the medical college at Louisville from which institution he graduated early in 1869. He came immediately to Lowell, where he located, where he has since remained, building up a widely extended practice. In about a year after coming to Lowell he associated himself with Charles Post, under the firm name of Post & Davis, in the drug business, but in a few years his practice became so heavy that he was compelled to give up the drug business. He has filled the office of school trustee of Lowell, and at the time of his death was Secretary of the Board of Health and President of the State National Bank of Lowell, he being elected to that position about two months ago, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John Lynch.

October 8, 1873, he was joined in marriage with Miss Etta Himebaugh, at Rochelle, Illinois. This union was blessed with five children, Achilles, Judson and William; two dying in infancy. In 1888 he united with the M.E. church under the pastorate of Rev. Demetrius Tillotson, and has since that time been an active worker in the church and lived the life of a true Christian gentleman. As husband, father and citizen he has done his duty well. In the words of the text, "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord., for they rest from their labors and their works do follow them."

Funeral of Dr. Davis

The body of Dr. Davis was taken to the M.E. church, Lowell, at 12:00 noon Thursday, August 17th, where it lay in state until 2 p.m. when hundreds of his old neighbors and friends took their last look upon one whom they had loved and respected in life. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m., Rev. Dunning Idle officiating. A choir composed of Mrs. Katie Handley, and Messrs. S. C. Pletcher and Gilbert McNay, furnished the music. Funeral director John Castle had charge of the burial services. The following Masonic brethern acted as pall bearers: Dan Lynch, A.S. Hull, F.L. Hunt, J.H. Spindler, H.M. Johnson and Dr. A.J. Willits. The floral tributes were many and very beautiful as follows: State National Band of Lowell, star; M.E. Church, sheaf of wheat and crescent; Colfax Lodge No. 378 A.F. & A.M., wreath and emblem; Doctors Quincy, Bacon, Willits, Rigg, and Dinwiddie, wreath; Mr. and Mrs. S.C. Dwyer, wreath; Miss Elizabeth Hughes, spray of American Beauty roses; Mr. and Mrs. John Hack and son Will, spray of roses; Mr. and Mrs. E.R. Lynch, lillies; Mrs. Phelps and son, roses; Doctors D.A. Peck, G.B. Butt, C.A. Yensen and E. Hall, of Chicago, triple bouquet; Mr and Mrs. John D. Trelease, China asters; Mr. and Mrs. Justin Trelease, roses; Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Braughman and Mr. and Mrs. H.L. Braughman, China asters and tube roses; Miss Vessie Mahler, spray of flowers.

The attendance at the funeral was very large, not over half of those present being able to gain admittance to the church. After services at the church the body was escorted by seventy-five members of Colfax Lodge and visiting brethern to the Lowell cemetery, where the beautiful ceremonies of the Masonic order were performed by Past Master Ed. P. Ames, of Hammond, assisted by the brethern, after which all that was mortal of our belived brother was lowered to its last resting place, there to rest until the morning of the final resurrection.

He leaves his wife, three sons, Achilles, Judson and William; two brothers, Dr. H.C. Davis, Harrodsburg, Ky., Harrison Davis, Louisville, Ky.; four sisters, Mrs. Sanders and Mrs. Bond, Louisville, Ky., Mrs. McMinimy, Pretty Prairie, Kansas, Mrs. McConnell, Strusburg, Nebr., to mourn his departure to that better land. The bereaved family has the sympathy of the entire community in their great bereavement.

Lowell Doctors of the past….

A Series of Articles contributed by Attorney Schuyler C. Dwyer, lifelong resident of Lowell

DR. J.E. DAVIS

This pleasant mannered practitioner established his home and office here according to memory of this narrator within the decade of the 1870's, the early location of which was on the south side of the County Road, facing the Dr. Bacon home. He reared a fine family, the elder of which was appropriately named Achilles (giant-like mentally) who followed the profession of his father, but who established his practice in Chicago, and was recognized as a leading surgeon. His father, who is the subject of this sketch was often associated with his near neighbor, Dr. Bacon, in some extreme cases, which either one may have had, and it is remembered that these two established a liquor curing establishment in the 1890's, a further benefit to addicts.

Dr. Davis was recognized as was his usual associate, Dr. Bacon, as a careful and tender manipulator in anatomy.

One simple instance of the former is remembered by the personal presence of this narrator, when a very young girl in an accident wrenched her little arm evidently displacing a certain ligament. This doctor gently examined the sprain, then handed her a silver coin and told her she cold have it by reaching quickly for it with the hand of her injured arm, in such a manner as to replace the ligaments, and she responded according to his suggestion, and "presto!" the arm was cured the same day the accident occurred.

This doctor passed away in the first quarter of the present century.