William Preston Davies, known as W.P., was born on a farm in Brant County, Ontario, near Brantford, on October 29, 1862 . His father’s parents immigrated to Pennsylvania from Wales and his mother’s parents from Lancashire, England to Canada between 1830 and 1840. He spent his youth on a farm near the village of Newport, just south of Brantford, and attended a country school until he was fifteen. He then worked as a grocery store clerk, leaving in 1882 for North Dakota where he became a railroad surveyor in the James River Valley.

In 1885, he married Rachel Spence of Ethel, Ontario, and they farmed for several years near Angus, Minnesota. W.P. and Rachel moved to Grand Forks, North Dakota in 1893. W.P. worked as a carpenter and a teacher and then as a reporter in 1896 for the Northwest News. Before he joined the Grand Forks Herald in 1897, he worked briefly for the Grand Forks Plaindealer. Davies was a reporter, managing editor of the Morning Herald, assistant editor and then editor of the combined morning and evening editions of the Herald. Having assumed a slower schedule in 1930, he began writing a daily column called “That Reminds Me.”

Davies was civic minded and active in several community organizations. He was president of the Grand Forks Building & Loan Association and president of the Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce, also called the Civic & Commerce Association, and served as the association’s national councilor from 1933 until 1944. He served on the board of Wesley College and received an honorary degree in 1932. He was active in the I.O.O.F., Kiwanis, and the Franklin and Fortnightly clubs of Grand Forks. Davies was also an avid gardener and was a long time member of the Grand Forks Park Board.

The Davies had two children, both born in Grand Forks, Russell in 1894 and Mabel in 1896. During 1943 through May 1944, Mabel was the Director of UND’s Student Employment Bureau and National Youth Administration. Russell was the Northwest editor for the Grand Forks Herald. The Davies also had three grandchildren. Rachel Davies died August 25, 1939, followed by W.P. on May 19, 1944.

To see more of William P. Davies' work please contact the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections at Chester Fritz Library.

Follow

Submissions from 1944

PDF

April 1944, William Preston Davies

PDF

February 1944, William Preston Davies

PDF

January 1944, William Preston Davies

PDF

March 1944, William Preston Davies

PDF

May 1944, William Preston Davies

Submissions from 1943

PDF

April 1943, William Preston Davies

PDF

August 1943, William Preston Davies

PDF

December 1943, William Preston Davies

PDF

February 1943, William Preston Davies

PDF

January 1943, William Preston Davies

PDF

July 1943, William Preston Davies

PDF

June 1943, William Preston Davies

PDF

March 1943, William Preston Davies

PDF

May 1943, William Preston Davies

PDF

November 1943, William Preston Davies

PDF

October 1943, William Preston Davies

PDF

September 1943, William Preston Davies

Submissions from 1942

PDF

April 1942, William Preston Davies

PDF

August 1942, William Preston Davies

PDF

December 1942, William Preston Davies

PDF

February 1942, William Preston Davies

PDF

January 1942, William Preston Davies

PDF

July 1942, William Preston Davies

PDF

June 1942, William Preston Davies

PDF

March 1942, William Preston Davies

PDF

May 1942, William Preston Davies

PDF

November 1942, William Preston Davies

PDF

October 1942, William Preston Davies

PDF

September 1942, William Preston Davies

Submissions from 1941

PDF

April 1941, William Preston Davies

PDF

August 1941, William Preston Davies

PDF

December 1941, William Preston Davies

PDF

February 1941, William Preston Davies

PDF

January 1941, William Preston Davies

PDF

July 1941, William Preston Davies

PDF

June 1941, William Preston Davies

PDF

March 1941, William Preston Davies

PDF

May 1941, William Preston Davies

PDF

November 1941, William Preston Davies

PDF

October 1941, William Preston Davies

PDF

September 1941, William Preston Davies

Submissions from 1940

PDF

April 1940, William Preston Davies

PDF

August 1940, William Preston Davies

PDF

December 1940, William Preston Davies

PDF

February 1940, William Preston Davies

PDF

January 1940, William Preston Davies

PDF

July 1940, William Preston Davies

PDF

June 1940, William Preston Davies

PDF

March 1940, William Preston Davies

PDF

May 1940, William Preston Davies

PDF

November 1940, William Preston Davies

PDF

October 1940, William Preston Davies

PDF

September 1940, William Preston Davies

Submissions from 1939

PDF

April 1939, William Preston Davies

PDF

August 1939, William Preston Davies

PDF

December 1939, William Preston Davies

PDF

February 1939, William Preston Davies

PDF

January 1939, William Preston Davies

PDF

July 1939, William Preston Davies

PDF

June 1939, William Preston Davies

PDF

March 1939, William Preston Davies

PDF

May 1939, William Preston Davies

PDF

November 1939, William Preston Davies

PDF

October 1939, William Preston Davies

PDF

September 1939, William Preston Davies

Submissions from 1938

PDF

April 1938, William Preston Davies

PDF

August 1938, William Preston Davies

PDF

December 1938, William Preston Davies

PDF

February 1938, William Preston Davies

PDF

January 1938, William Preston Davies

PDF

July 1938, William Preston Davies

PDF

June 1938, William Preston Davies

PDF

March 1938, William Preston Davies

PDF

May 1938, William Preston Davies

PDF

November 1938, William Preston Davies

PDF

October 1938, William Preston Davies

PDF

September 1938, William Preston Davies

Submissions from 1937

PDF

April 1937, William Preston Davies

PDF

August 1937, William Preston Davies

PDF

December 1937, William Preston Davies

PDF

February 1937, William Preston Davies

PDF

January 1937, William Preston Davies

PDF

July 1937, William Preston Davies

PDF

June 1937, William Preston Davies

PDF

March 1937, William Preston Davies

PDF

May 1937, William Preston Davies

PDF

November 1937, William Preston Davies

PDF

October 1937, William Preston Davies

PDF

September 1937, William Preston Davies

Submissions from 1936

PDF

April 1936, William Preston Davies

PDF

August 1936, William Preston Davies

PDF

December 1936, William Preston Davies

PDF

February 1936, William Preston Davies

PDF

January 1936, William Preston Davies

PDF

July 1936, William Preston Davies

PDF

June 1936, William Preston Davies

PDF

March 1936, William Preston Davies

PDF

May 1936, William Preston Davies

PDF

November 1936, William Preston Davies

PDF

October 1936, William Preston Davies