Description
This collection includes copies of some of Jennie C. Davis' correspondence and poems, as well as copies of photographs and
some biographical material. Correspondence is dated 1893-1908, and includes letters sent to Davis from Charles F. Lummis,
Maynard Dixon, Jack London, and Charmian London (Mrs. Jack London).
Background
Emma Jane Cook Davis (aka Jennie C. Davis, aka J.C. Davis, aka Mrs. Herbert Benton Davis) was born on October 17, 1851 in
White Pigeon, Michigan. Davis lived in various locations growing up. At the age of four, her family moved to Iowa. When she
was fourteen, they moved to Indiana. In 1873 she married a local friend, Herbert Benton Davis. The couple lived in Indiana
from 1874 to 1877 where their first two daughters were born. Winifred Lawrence was born on October 30, 1875 and sometime in
1876 a second daughter was born, Jessie, but she died on August 1, 1877. The Davises moved to Michigan after Herbert Davis
secured a job with the railroad as a relief agent. Jennie Davis earned extra money throughout the 1870s and 1880s as a newspaper
reporter and sketch artist for various local newspapers. In 1879 their last child, Edith, was born. They lived in Chicago
for about a year and then lived in Wisconsin from 1881 to 1887. The Davises moved to California permanently in 1894. Herbert
Davis was able to find work with the Santa Fe railroad and Jennie Davis contributed to the income through her newspaper work.
Between 1894 and 1908, Herbert Davis was employed at various train stations: Los Angeles; Inglewood; Highland; Burcham in
1898 where Jennie was the postmaster; Summit; and Elsinore. Their final station was at Devore, where Herbert was station agent
and Jennie was the postmaster until his retirement in 1928. Jennie C. Davis contributed to various local newspapers and journals
including The Los Angeles Times, The Land of Sunshine, San Bernardino Sun, and Santa Fe Magazine. Her work was praised by
Jack London, Charles F. Lummis, Maynard Dixon, Harry Chandler, John Burroughs, Eugene Field, George Francis Train, and John
Steven McGroarty.
Source: http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15150coll1/id/386/rec/1Idah Meacham Strobridge established the Artemisia Bindery in Los Angeles circa 1901.
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to the Autry Museum of the American West. All requests for permission to publish or quote
from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Research Services and Archives. Permission for publication is
given on behalf of the Autry Museum of the American West as the custodian of the physical items and is not intended to include
or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.