In 1992 preservation copies of the original Davis diary were made. The document in Booth Library’s Special Collections and Archives is a photocopy, generously donated by James Schoonover of the Davis Trust Company.
Mr. Davis began the diary in 1904. The handwritten entries, spanning the years 1823 –1916, are brief and in outline form. He added the final entry approximately one month before his passing. The diary also includes photos and newspaper clippings. Mr. Davis describes activities including the people he saw, places he went, and what he worked on.
The diary was not published, however in the preface of his biography of Mr. Davis, Charles M. Pepper discusses the research material used for The Life and Times of Henry G. Davis (1920).
The source material for this work existed in a mass of contemporary documents relating to public affairs, in newspapers and periodicals extending through more than half a century, and in a large volume of letters and private papers. The thanks of the author are due to the family for the access to these papers and for their assistance in many ways.
Physical Description
Diary : 1 v. : Paper/Photocopy ; 22 x 36 cm.
Citation
Davis, Henry G. Diary of H.G. Davis, 1916. Davis Family Collection. Booth Library Special Collections & Archives, Davis & Elkins College.
Page One, Davis Diary
