Biography of Franklin E. Davenport, pages 376/ 367.  Memorial Record of 
Northeastern Indiana, The Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, 1896.

	Franklin E. Davenport, the popular druggist of Auburn, Indiana, for 
a quarter of a century has been identified with the business interests of 
this place, and as one of its leading citizens is held in high esteem.  
Figuring thus prominently, it is but fitting that, biographical honors 
should be accorded him in connection with personal mention of other 
representative men and women of this county.
	Mr. Davenport comes from an old and honored ancestry.  He is a 
direct descendant of the Rev. John Davenport of old Puritan fame who has 
gone down in history as the founder of New Haven, Connecticut. John G. 
Davenport, the father of our subject, was born in New Haven, June 16, 
1822. He was a machinist. About 1856 he made a trip to various portions of 
the West; the last heard of him was near Portland, Oregon, and it is 
supposed that he was drowned in the Pacific ocean.  He was married in 1844 
to Miss Rosanna Wilcox, who bore him three children, viz: Franklin E., 
whose name appears at the head of this article; Dr. Almira M., widow of 
William Percy, is engaged in the practice of medicine in Tacoma, 
Washington; and John Pierpont, an employe of the Nicholson Arm Company, 
Providence, Rhode Island.  
	Franklin E. Davenport is a native of Hartford, Connecticut, and 
first saw the light of day on the twenty-first of May, 1845. There his 
early boyhood was spent, his education being received in the public 
school.  Deprived of his father at the age when he most needed a father’s 
care and protection, he was early thrown upon his own resources and made 
his way in the world from the time he was fourteen. From his fourteenth to 
his seventeenth year he was in the employ of Charles Lockwood of New Haven, 
next spent one year in the Colt Fire Arm factory and one year in the  
employ of his grandfather, a manufacturer of edge tools, and from this 
business he turned his attention to that of patent medicine. He visited 
all the principal cities in the United States in the interest of the firm 
of Curtis & Brown, manufacturers of patent medicine, and later was salesman 
over the territory of Indiana and Michigan. He continued on the road until 
1870. At this time, tired of the unsettled life of a commercial traveler, 
he came to Auburn, purchased the drug store of Dr. Elson, took in as a 
partner Albert Totton, a practical druggist, and established himself 
permanently in business here.  Three years later he bought our Mr. 
Totton’s interest and has since continued alone.  In 1874, at the time of 
the boom in Garrett, Indiana, he opened a branch store there, which about 
a year later he closed up as it did not prove a paying investment.  Mr. 
Davenport is a stockholder and treasurer and secretary of the Auburn 
Mining Company.  
	He has been twice married.  In 1870, immediately before his coming 
to Auburn, he was united in marriage to Miss Carry M. Bulkley, who was 
born at Hartford, Connecticut, March 4, 1846, daughter of Burage Bulkley, 
of that place. In 1879, after only a few brief years of happy married life, 
she passed away, leaving a husband and little children to mourn their loss.  
In 1881 Mr. Davenport wedded a Miss Ford, daughter of Henry Ford, of Auburn.  
He had three children by his first wife, and has three by the present Mrs. 
Davenport. His eldest child, Frank B., now has a Government position in 
the custom-house of Chicago.  He was married July 11, 1893, to Miss Minnie 
Zimmerman, daughter of Sylvester Zimmerman, of Auburn, and one of the early 
settlers of De Kalb county.  They are the proud parents of a little daughter, 
Ruth, born April 20, 1894.
	Mr. Davenport has for a number of years maintained a membership in the 
Masonic fraternity.  He was advanced in the order to thirty-second degree, 
has filled most of the chairs, and is now Past High Priest. He takes a deep 
interest in politics and keeps himself well posted on the issues of the day, 
but is not radical in his views. He is a Democrat.

Submitted by:
Arlene Goodwin
Auburn, Indiana
Agoodwin@ctlnet.com