Wallace's fifth birthday was the day the family left their home in Tompkins County, N.Y., for Michigan, where Wallace's mother Eunice's family lived. In fact, Wallace's father Nathaniel wanted to rear his family away from a heavily drinking family member, hence the move. (See details about the move on Nathaniel's memorial.) They made it to Fallasburg, Mich., in Jan. 1841 and stayed with Wesley Fallass, Eunice's brother, until they could build a log cabin.
The Davenports had some hard times at first. Once all they had to eat was cornmeal mush and milk. Then the cow went dry and they had mush without milk.
Although things were difficult at first, Wallace's father was industrious and thrifty, and Nathaniel built for his family the first clapboard house in the township, which continued to be a good house for more than a century after Nathaniel's death. He also built a timber-framed barn, and owned 240 acres of good land (except for 20 acres of sandy soil), becoming one of the most prosperous men in the township. In addition to farming, Nathaniel and brother-in-law Wesley built and operated a mill on the Flat River in Fallasburg, each working it alternately two weeks at a time. Nathaniel eventually sold his half to Wesley.
The Davenports had friendly relations with the Native Americans who lived in a village at Lowell. As a boy, Wallace played with the indigenous children down by the Flat River. Although forbidden by his parents to go swimming, Wallace quickly learned to swim like a duck.
Wallace met his future wife Elizabeth "Libbie" Flavilla Fassett when she came home to visit from Albion College with Wallace's sister Jennie, also an Albion student. Libbie's first preference was for Wallace's brother Nathaniel but he died in the Civil War. Wallace and Libbie married on June 2, 1864 in Eaton County, Mich. Their children would include Mary Luella (b. 1865), Charles Nathaniel (b. 1867), infant son (born and died the same day in 1869), Emerson (b. 1870) and Lura Elizabeth (b. 1881).
Wallace was a farmer. Although Nathaniel had given his son 80 acres to start out married life, unfortunately Wallace became involved in lawsuits and his net worth was diminished.
Once, Wallace gave a Native American man a sack of buckwheat flour and told him, "I give this to your squaw." Some time later the indigenous man brought a venison hindquarters, threw it on the floor of the mill, and said, "I give this to your squaw."
When things got tight, Wallace peddled milk safes (cupboards), fanning mills, etc. One day he stopped by a home wherein a white woman was married to an African-American man. He asked the woman if her parents had disowned her for marrying outside her race. She said, "Well they did at first. Then my sister did so much worse that they took me back. She married a peddler." There was no sale there that day.
Libbie died April 18, 1903. Wallace married Helen Amelia Avery on July 13, 1911.
Most of the information in this biography was received from Wallace's grandson, Charles Nelson Davenport (1905-1993).
The Davenports had some hard times at first. Once all they had to eat was cornmeal mush and milk. Then the cow went dry and they had mush without milk.
Although things were difficult at first, Wallace's father was industrious and thrifty, and Nathaniel built for his family the first clapboard house in the township, which continued to be a good house for more than a century after Nathaniel's death. He also built a timber-framed barn, and owned 240 acres of good land (except for 20 acres of sandy soil), becoming one of the most prosperous men in the township. In addition to farming, Nathaniel and brother-in-law Wesley built and operated a mill on the Flat River in Fallasburg, each working it alternately two weeks at a time. Nathaniel eventually sold his half to Wesley.
The Davenports had friendly relations with the Native Americans who lived in a village at Lowell. As a boy, Wallace played with the indigenous children down by the Flat River. Although forbidden by his parents to go swimming, Wallace quickly learned to swim like a duck.
Wallace met his future wife Elizabeth "Libbie" Flavilla Fassett when she came home to visit from Albion College with Wallace's sister Jennie, also an Albion student. Libbie's first preference was for Wallace's brother Nathaniel but he died in the Civil War. Wallace and Libbie married on June 2, 1864 in Eaton County, Mich. Their children would include Mary Luella (b. 1865), Charles Nathaniel (b. 1867), infant son (born and died the same day in 1869), Emerson (b. 1870) and Lura Elizabeth (b. 1881).
Wallace was a farmer. Although Nathaniel had given his son 80 acres to start out married life, unfortunately Wallace became involved in lawsuits and his net worth was diminished.
Once, Wallace gave a Native American man a sack of buckwheat flour and told him, "I give this to your squaw." Some time later the indigenous man brought a venison hindquarters, threw it on the floor of the mill, and said, "I give this to your squaw."
When things got tight, Wallace peddled milk safes (cupboards), fanning mills, etc. One day he stopped by a home wherein a white woman was married to an African-American man. He asked the woman if her parents had disowned her for marrying outside her race. She said, "Well they did at first. Then my sister did so much worse that they took me back. She married a peddler." There was no sale there that day.
Libbie died April 18, 1903. Wallace married Helen Amelia Avery on July 13, 1911.
Most of the information in this biography was received from Wallace's grandson, Charles Nelson Davenport (1905-1993).
Wallace's fifth birthday was the day the family left their home in Tompkins County, N.Y., for Michigan, where Wallace's mother Eunice's family lived. In fact, Wallace's father Nathaniel wanted to rear his family away from a heavily drinking family member, hence the move. (See details about the move on Nathaniel's memorial.) They made it to Fallasburg, Mich., in Jan. 1841 and stayed with Wesley Fallass, Eunice's brother, until they could build a log cabin.
The Davenports had some hard times at first. Once all they had to eat was cornmeal mush and milk. Then the cow went dry and they had mush without milk.
Although things were difficult at first, Wallace's father was industrious and thrifty, and Nathaniel built for his family the first clapboard house in the township, which continued to be a good house for more than a century after Nathaniel's death. He also built a timber-framed barn, and owned 240 acres of good land (except for 20 acres of sandy soil), becoming one of the most prosperous men in the township. In addition to farming, Nathaniel and brother-in-law Wesley built and operated a mill on the Flat River in Fallasburg, each working it alternately two weeks at a time. Nathaniel eventually sold his half to Wesley.
The Davenports had friendly relations with the Native Americans who lived in a village at Lowell. As a boy, Wallace played with the indigenous children down by the Flat River. Although forbidden by his parents to go swimming, Wallace quickly learned to swim like a duck.
Wallace met his future wife Elizabeth "Libbie" Flavilla Fassett when she came home to visit from Albion College with Wallace's sister Jennie, also an Albion student. Libbie's first preference was for Wallace's brother Nathaniel but he died in the Civil War. Wallace and Libbie married on June 2, 1864 in Eaton County, Mich. Their children would include Mary Luella (b. 1865), Charles Nathaniel (b. 1867), infant son (born and died the same day in 1869), Emerson (b. 1870) and Lura Elizabeth (b. 1881).
Wallace was a farmer. Although Nathaniel had given his son 80 acres to start out married life, unfortunately Wallace became involved in lawsuits and his net worth was diminished.
Once, Wallace gave a Native American man a sack of buckwheat flour and told him, "I give this to your squaw." Some time later the indigenous man brought a venison hindquarters, threw it on the floor of the mill, and said, "I give this to your squaw."
When things got tight, Wallace peddled milk safes (cupboards), fanning mills, etc. One day he stopped by a home wherein a white woman was married to an African-American man. He asked the woman if her parents had disowned her for marrying outside her race. She said, "Well they did at first. Then my sister did so much worse that they took me back. She married a peddler." There was no sale there that day.
Libbie died April 18, 1903. Wallace married Helen Amelia Avery on July 13, 1911.
Most of the information in this biography was received from Wallace's grandson, Charles Nelson Davenport (1905-1993).
The Davenports had some hard times at first. Once all they had to eat was cornmeal mush and milk. Then the cow went dry and they had mush without milk.
Although things were difficult at first, Wallace's father was industrious and thrifty, and Nathaniel built for his family the first clapboard house in the township, which continued to be a good house for more than a century after Nathaniel's death. He also built a timber-framed barn, and owned 240 acres of good land (except for 20 acres of sandy soil), becoming one of the most prosperous men in the township. In addition to farming, Nathaniel and brother-in-law Wesley built and operated a mill on the Flat River in Fallasburg, each working it alternately two weeks at a time. Nathaniel eventually sold his half to Wesley.
The Davenports had friendly relations with the Native Americans who lived in a village at Lowell. As a boy, Wallace played with the indigenous children down by the Flat River. Although forbidden by his parents to go swimming, Wallace quickly learned to swim like a duck.
Wallace met his future wife Elizabeth "Libbie" Flavilla Fassett when she came home to visit from Albion College with Wallace's sister Jennie, also an Albion student. Libbie's first preference was for Wallace's brother Nathaniel but he died in the Civil War. Wallace and Libbie married on June 2, 1864 in Eaton County, Mich. Their children would include Mary Luella (b. 1865), Charles Nathaniel (b. 1867), infant son (born and died the same day in 1869), Emerson (b. 1870) and Lura Elizabeth (b. 1881).
Wallace was a farmer. Although Nathaniel had given his son 80 acres to start out married life, unfortunately Wallace became involved in lawsuits and his net worth was diminished.
Once, Wallace gave a Native American man a sack of buckwheat flour and told him, "I give this to your squaw." Some time later the indigenous man brought a venison hindquarters, threw it on the floor of the mill, and said, "I give this to your squaw."
When things got tight, Wallace peddled milk safes (cupboards), fanning mills, etc. One day he stopped by a home wherein a white woman was married to an African-American man. He asked the woman if her parents had disowned her for marrying outside her race. She said, "Well they did at first. Then my sister did so much worse that they took me back. She married a peddler." There was no sale there that day.
Libbie died April 18, 1903. Wallace married Helen Amelia Avery on July 13, 1911.
Most of the information in this biography was received from Wallace's grandson, Charles Nelson Davenport (1905-1993).
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