Date of birth was given as “Jul 1845” on the 1900 census. Grave marker at the Kicaster Cemetery gives 27 Apr 1844.1181

According to a family tradition (Mrs. Mae Swift), “William H. Davis, son of James Davis, served in the Cibolo Guards of the Confederate Army. James Davis came to St. Hedwig in 1856 on the Cibolo Creek. He and his oldest daughter Madora Ann and William H. Davis with his twin sister Martha lived on 840 acres of land. As the family was travelling from Mississippi through Arkansas, James Davis’ wife died with the twins were born.” Note added June 22, 2011: This tradition is probably wrong as the 1850 census (see below) shows that the family lived in Arkansas and had probably been there for some time since Medora was born in Arkansas in 1840.

Per 1867-1869 Registration of Voters, Bexar County, TX: Wm. H.H. Davis on November 17, 1869 had lived in the state of Texas for 15Y and the County of Bexar for 12Y.

1850 Census of Douglas, Arkansas Co AR
Name Age
S H Davis 53, m, farmer, KY
Charles Davis 28, m, farmer, KY
Edward Davis 23, m, farmer, KY
John Davis 20, m, farmer, KY
Samuel Davis 17, m, farmer, KY
Medora Davis 10, f, AR
William Davis 4, m, AR
Martha Davis 4, f, AR

1860 census San Antonio, Bexar Co TX
Name Age
S H Davis 64 m w farmer b KY
Sarah J Davis 28 f w b MS
W H H Davis 15 m w b AR
N P C Davis 15 f w b AR
Lucy R Davis 4 f w b TX

1880 Wilson Co TX census
Name Age
William H. H. Davis 34 MS KY --
Phoebe Davis 22 wife MO TN TN
Samuel J. Davis 2 son TX MS MO
Chas. R. E. Tyner 12 nephew TX -- MS
Thomas Mc Cage 16 employee

1900 Census of Justice Precinct 7, Bexar, Texas
William H. S. Davis, Head, w, m, July 1845, 54, married 23 years, Ark, KY, KY
Phoebe L. Davis, Wife, w, f, Apr 1857, 43, married 23 years, mother of 8 children, 6 living, MO, TN, TN
Thomas J. Davis, Son, w, m, May 1887, 13, single, TX, MO, TN
David F. Davis, Son, w, m, Nov 1890, 9, single, TX, MO, TN
Daisy M. Davis, Daughter, w, f, Nov 1890, 9, single, TX, MO, TN
James S. Davis, Son, w, m, June 1893, 6, single, TX, MO, TN

1910 Census of San Antonio Ward 4, Bexar, TX
William H. Davis, Head, m, w, 64, married 32 years, Ark, MS, MS
Pheobe L. Davis, Wife, f, w, 53, married 32 years, mother of 8 children, 6 living, MO, TN, TN
David F. Davis, Son, m, w, 19, single, TX, Ark, MO
Daisy M. Davis, Daughter, f, w, 19, single, TX, Ark, MO

Grandma Nee Nee remembers Phoebe Lou telling her how she came to Texas in covered wagons. She thinks that Phoebe Lou said that they came form Missouri.1185

Lived in San Antonio in 1915309 and in 1931.310 In 1920 she was listed in the household of her daughter Daisy and her husband Wilfred E. Wilkins.

Name Age
W E Wilkins 46
Daisy Wilkins 29
Phoebe Davis 63

Her obituary was published in the 2 Nov 1932 issue of “The San Antonio Light” (p14). The obituary said, incorrectly, that she was “born in Texas and was one of San Antonio’s earliest settlers.” It also says that “her parents, the Rev. and Mrs. John F. Green, settled near St. Hedwig when Mrs. Davis was a small child.” We now know that Phoebe was born in Missouri and that her family came to Texas in about 1865.