D. W. Davis
| D. W. Davis | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 12th Governor of Idaho | |
|
In office January 6, 1919 – January 1, 1923 |
|
| Lieutenant | Charles C. Moore |
| Preceded by | Moses Alexander |
| Succeeded by | Charles C. Moore |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 23, 1873 Cardiff, Wales |
| Died | August 5, 1959 (aged 86) Boise, Idaho |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Florence Gilliland (widowed), Nellie Johnson |
| Residence | American Falls |
| Profession | Banker |
| Religion | Methodist |
David William Davis (April 23, 1873 – August 5, 1959) was the 12th Governor of Idaho, serving from 1919 to 1923. He later served briefly as Commissioner of the U. S. Bureau of Reclamation. From that, he became a Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Department of Interior.
Davis was born in Cardiff, Wales. His family immigrated to the United States in 1875, and settled near Rippey, Iowa. Rippey, 35–40 miles northwest of Des Moines, was then a major coal-mining region. This was before strict child labor laws, and Davis began working in the coal mines in 1885 when he was twelve years old.
After a few years in the mines, Davis landed a job in the mining company store in Dawson, about five miles south of Rippey. Personable and hard-working, Davis showed a talent for the retail business. That led to a position as the manager of a local Farmer's Cooperative Association. Almost immediately thereafter, he became Cashier at a bank in Rippey. At that time, the Cashier in a small bank could be more than what is known simply as a Teller in the United States. A Chief Cashier was a very high-level position, able to – among other duties – issue cashier's checks against the bank's reserves. In view of his later career in banking, it seems likely that Davis attained that level of responsibility. It is known that, lacking much formal schooling, he also followed a program of diligent self-education.
He reportedly spent a brief stint in the United States Navy, attaining the rank of Petty Officer, First Class after distinguished service in the Philippines. According to later accounts, Davis continued to suffer the ill effects of his time in the mines. Coupled with his intense efforts on and off the job, deteriorating health finally forced him to take a year or so off for a rest cure.
In 1903, Davis's first wife, the former Florence O. Gilliland, died. Two years later, he married Nellie Johnson, whose father owned a bank that merged with the one where Davis worked. The following year, the couple moved to American Falls, Idaho, which he had apparently observed during his rest cure.
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