Ira Davenport | |
---|---|
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 29th district | |
In office March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889 | |
Preceded by | John Arnot Jr. |
Succeeded by | John Raines |
New York State Comptroller | |
In office 1882–1883 | |
Governor |
Alonzo B. Cornell Grover Cleveland |
Preceded by | James Wolcott Wadsworth |
Succeeded by | Alfred C. Chapin |
New York State Senate (27th Dist.) | |
In office 1878–1881 | |
Preceded by | George B. Bradley |
Succeeded by | Sumner Baldwin |
Personal details | |
Born | Hornellsville, New York | June 28, 1841
Died | October 6, 1904 Bath, New York | (aged 63)
Resting place | Davenport Family Cemetery, Bath, New York |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Katherine L. Sharpe (m. 1887-1904, his death) |
Relations | George H. Sharpe (father in law) |
Education | Russell Collegiate School |
Occupation | Businessman |
Ira Davenport (June 28, 1841 – October 6, 1904) was an American businessman, politician and philanthropist. He was most notable for his service in the New York State Senate (1878-1881), as New York State Comptroller (1882-1883), and a member of Congress from New York's 29th congressional district (1885-1889).
Davenport was born in Hornellsville, New York, the son of Ira Davenport (1795-1868) and Lydia Cameron (1800-1842). [1] His family moved to Bath in 1847, [1] and Davenport attended Bath's Haverling Academy and the Russell Collegiate School in New Haven, Connecticut. [2]
Davenport's father owned and operated a large estate and was active in numerous business ventures including stores, farms, lumber, freight transportation, and real estate speculation. [1] After his father's death, Davenport took over management of these enterprises. [1]
He was a member of the New York State Senate (27th D.) from 1878 to 1881, sitting in the 101st, 102nd, 103rd and 104th New York State Legislatures. [3] He was New York State Comptroller from 1882 to 1883, elected in 1881, but defeated for re-election in 1883 by Democrat Alfred C. Chapin. [3]
Davenport was a member of the 49th and 50th United States Congresses, holding office from March 4, 1885 to March 3, 1889. [3] He was the Republican candidate for Governor of New York in the 1885 election, and was defeated by Democrat David B. Hill. [3]
Davenport died in Bath on October 6, 1904. [4] He was buried at the Davenport Family Cemetery in Bath. [5]
On April 27, 1887 in Kingston, New York, Davenport married Katherine Lawrence Sharpe (1860-1945), the daughter of George H. Sharpe. [1] She was the granddaughter of Abraham Bruyn Hasbrouck, great-granddaughter of Abraham J. Hasbrouck and a descendant of Louis DuBois. [6] They had no children. [4]
The Davenport family's charitable donations included founding a home for orphaned girls, which was financed by the senior Ira Davenport and his brother Charles, and supported by Ira Davenport Jr. [1] Once closed after 94 years of operation, the orphanage's assets endowed Bath's Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital, which was named after the senior Ira Davenport. [7] The younger Ira Davenport was a founder of the Bath Soldiers' and Sailors' Home and the town's public library. [8] From 1906 to 1999 (when a new facility opened), the library was named for Ira Junior. The Davenports also made substantial contributions to fund Bath's monumental First Presbyterian Church, with its Tiffany sanctuary. A small Davenport Park in Bath is named for the family, and a squash court at Amherst College is named for Ira Junior's brother John. [9]