Pioneer photographer of the Ozarks
This story appeared in the June 5, 1927 issue of the Springfield Republican:
Man Who Brought First Engine to Springfield in 1869 is 82 Years Old
Calvin Davis, Eleventh Oldest Frisco Pensioner, is "Blind As a Bat" But Enjoys Telling Listeners of the "Old Days."
Back in 1869, where there was little but woods where Springfield now stands, the first locomotive was run into "old" Springfield over the Frisco lines.
But the man who brought the little engine, one that burned wood, is living here today and celebrated his eighty-second birthday anniversary last Wednesday.
Calvin Davis, the eleventh oldest pensioner of the Frisco lines, who says he is "as blind as a bat," lives at the Biggs Hotel on Commercial Street, and today tells interested listeners of the old days - events as far back as the railroading days of the Civil War, when he was a fireman on the engine that ran in Vicksburg despite Grants army.
Magazine Tells Story
The June issue of the Frisco Employee's magazine tells the story of Mr. Davis:
Calvin Davis, the eleventh oldest pensioner of the Frisco lines, passed his eighty-second birthday on June 1.
Mr. Davis has one of the most interesting stories of any of the Frisco's veteran employees, besides having the honor of running the first locomotive into "old" Springfield in 1869, when there was little but woods where Springfield stands today.
"You know," he said, "I'm as blind as a bat. Yes sir, I can't see a blamed thing, except of course I know when night comes. But I've lived my life - I've seen many things, and I thought once about writing a book, but there isn't anyone here to dictate it to. I think I can remember back to the time when I was five years of age.
Engine Burned Wood
"Yes, that little old engine that I brought into Springfield the first time in '69 was engine No. 6, and I remember it was made by the Roger Locomotive people. It was an old fashioned engine - and you know we burned wood in those days and there were large stacks of it on either side of the tracks, conveniently located where we could get it."
Mr. Davis served as a fireman during the Civil War and ran an engine into Vicksburg despite Grant's forces. According to the story, he was firing for the Vicksburg-Meridian road. The balance of the crew had fled, and the engineer instructed Davis to stay with the engine until he came back. He stayed for two hours, with bullets skipping around through the air, but when they started to hit the engine, he made up his mind he'd get out of there, so he started the engine and some three or four miles down the road he left it, and made his way to the city.
Hasn't Ridden in Two Years.
He was asked if he had ridden on the Frisco train recently, to which he replied: "About two years ago I visited my mother's people in the south. You see I'm all alone. I've been living at the Biggs Hotel here on Commercial street for many years. My wife died and my adopted son was killed in a railroad accident several years ago."
Mr. Davis has a sunny disposition and he is always happy. He walks up and down in front of the hotel on warm days, and from his wealth of experiences he can always draw a crowd of interested listeners in the hotel lobby. They all know the old white-haired man and love him for his kindly disposition and for his pleasant greetings.
"I hope you'll come and see me again. I'm pretty handicapped without my eyes. I can't read or write, but I can talk and I like visitors. If any of my old friends read this I hope they'll write me or pay me a visit," he said.
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