This article is the first of a two-part series on the Davis Tannery, part of my larger series on the big three industries of Newmarket: the Cane Factory and the Office Specialty.
In this first instalment, I want to provide you with some background on the Davis family; father E.J. Davis Sr. and sons Andrew, E.J. Jr., and Aubrey.
Elihu James Davis Senior (E.J.) was born in Willowdale on Dec. 2, 1851 and died in Newmarket on June 14, 1936, buried in Newmarket Cemetery. Andrew, his father, was the founder of the Kinghorn Tannery called Andrew Davis and Son, the son being E.J. Davis.
E.J. Davis was first and foremost a politician, having spent more than 32 years in politics before he came to Newmarket. He began as a councillor in King Township in 1877 at the tender age of 23 and he was never defeated throughout his political career.
He served as councillor, deputy reeve, reeve and warden of York County. In 1888, he was acclaimed as a representative to the Ontario Legislature for the riding of North York, holding the position until 1902. Of note was the fact he was appointed provincial secretary and then commissioner of public lands in 1899, a post he held until 1904 when he retired from politics. He would continue as president of the Davis Leather Co. in Newmarket and A. Davis & Son in Kingston.
When he arrived in Newmarket, E.J. purchased Woodlawn, a mansion on Bayview Avenue North from the estate of another famous Newmarket businessman, Vincent Denne, who had passed in 1899. The property contained 22 acres of land and a 19-room residence.
The property remained in the Davis family until 1953 when his daughter, Mabel Davis, donated the property to the county in memorial to her parents. The adjoining woods were designated the Mable Davis Conservation Area. A strip of land between Bayview and Lundy Lane was sold to developers in 1951 for housing and the portion at the foot of Bayview, facing Davis Drive, was sold to the Thomas Birrell Ford dealership. It was Brad Walker Ford when I was a youth.
In 1958, the Davis mansion was demolished, and the County Administration Offices were built on the site.
The Hon. E.J. Davis was known for his chauffeur-driven Model T. Ford sedan, which he used around town until his death in June 1936. Mrs. Davis (Margaret Johnson) was a descendent of a pioneer King Township family, born in 1848 in Kinghorn. She was, in later life, an invalid and E.J. had a custom-made MacLaughlan Buick built for her use, one with wide side doors to accommodate a wheelchair with a ramp. She passed in April 1942, in her 94th year.
York County Hospital was built in 1927, as you will remember from my article on Newmarket Today, and in 1945, the Davis family donated $70,000 for the very first addition. The addition was opened on Jan. 1, 1946 and was named the Margaret Johnson Davis Memorial Wing, the Davis wing, to honour their mother.
In my article about Davis Drive / Highway 9 on Newmarket Today, I mentioned in November 1946, bylaw 920 was passed by council renaming Huron Street to Davis Drive as a token of the respect that the community held for the Davis family and their contributions to Newmarket.
Aubrey Davis, oldest son of E.J., served as vice-president of the Davis Tannery from 1904 to 1936, when he became president until 1945. Aubrey was born in Kinghorn in February 1878 and passed here in Newmarket in 1951. S
Some may remember that he lived on the north side of Millard Avenue, facing Lorne Avenue. The estate was a small farm of approximately 14 acres with orchards, open fields, a woodlot and caretaker’s house. There was also a small barn housing pigs, a few chickens and a pony wandered the grounds.
The estate was sold in 1952 to a Toronto group, named Warrendale, which housed delinquent girls. The estate rapidly fell into disrepair due to bad management and neglect and was eventually sold to developers for housing in 1963.
My Grandma and Grandpa lived on Arden Avenue and I can well remember the massive grounds behind their home and, of course, the Warrendale estate.
The main residence and caretaker’s house were demolished, and was extended through to Queen Street. In 1971, Lorne was extended right through to Davis Drive and more building lots were created.
Andrew J. Davis (Andy) was the second son, also born in Kinghorn in April 1885, passing in Newmarket in 1952. His estate was located on the northeast corner of Bolton Avenue and Davis. Like his father, he was a politician, having served on council for a period of 10 years and as our mayor from 1928 to 1930.
Some may remember him as the primary sponsor of the Newmarket Redman hockey club, which won the Memorial Cup in 1933. He served as the treasurer for the Davis Tannery, as well as president and director of several gold mines.
The estate stayed in the family until 1978, when it was sold and became an office building and parking lot across from the hospital.
The youngest of E.J.’s sons, Elihu J. Davis Jr., was born in Kinghorn in May 1889. His estate was located on Park Avenue, just west of Lorne, on the south side. The house is still there today, although I notice that it is being remodelled, having had the six-acre property around it subdivided for housing in 1988-89 after E.J. Jr’s passing in 1969.
E.J. Jr.’s wife died early in life, in 1928, and he ended up raising two boys and two girls by himself. He served as the secretary treasurer of the firm.
E.J. Jr. erected a small office building in 1949, after the Davis family sold the Tannery, at the corner of Superior Street and Davis, where the old Eagle Hotel was once located, property that the Davis Tannery had purchased in 1915. The hotel was eventually torn down in 1927 and E. J. Jr.’s office building was demolished in September 1980, a restaurant (House of York) and parking lot taking its place.
From E.J. Davis Sr. right through to E J. Davis Jr., the Davis family were right in the middle of Newmarket life, patrons of so many projects around town. Like the Cane factory and Office Specialty, they employed huge numbers of the local populace and contributed to the growth of this town in a significant way.
This ends my short account of the Davis family, specifically the generations responsible for the Davis Leather Tannery and its success. In the coming weeks I shall post my history of the Davis Tannery to complete my series on the ‘big three firms of Newmarket’.
Sources: The History of Newmarket by Ethel Trewhella, Stories of Newmarket by Robert Terence Carter, Newmarket Progress by the Pioneers (Development and Evolution) by George Luesby, The History of Early Industry in Newmarket by George Luesby, Toronto Star, Newmarket Era, Newmarket Historical Society Archives, Newmarket: documents and pictures.
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NewmarketToday.ca brings you this weekly feature about our town's history in partnership with Richard MacLeod, the History Hound, a local historian for more than 40 years. He conducts heritage lectures and walking tours of local interest, as well as leads local oral history interviews. You can contact the History Hound at [email protected].
