Perry 200 Memorial Tribute
On Sunday, September 23rd the Jefferson Educational Society held a Memorial Tribute at the Erie Maritime Museum as part of the Perry 200 Commemoration. It was designed to honor citizens of Erie County who volunteered their service to the building, guarding and sailing of the naval fleet in 1812-13. Six citizens were honored; one of them was the great, great, great grandfather of Nancy Richards Brown (pictured), a Harborcreek Historical Society director. Her ancestor, Arthur Davison, came with his two brothers, Robert and George, from their home at Lake Pleasant to volunteer for the militia. Captain Dickson was so impressed with their marksmanship that he made Robert a lieutenant, Arthur a sergeant and George a corporal before giving them their assignment to guard the ships being built in Erie Harbor.
Nancy learned some interesting facts about Arthur at the tribute. Her ancestor had been assigned to guard the storehouse in Harborcreek. Early in the War of 1812, the stone schoolhouse near Old Shades Beach Road and East Lake Road was closed by the militia and used for storing arms and ammunition. It was the duty of Arthur and his men to protect them; British spies made this difficult. The British knew the fleet was being built here and sent spies. The men traveled the creeks in Harborcreek, walked to Erie and volunteered to help. The spies soon discovered the storehouse and made plans to blow it up. That never happened! Did Arthur Davison and his men do such a great job that the British failed or was the fleet finished and sailing before the British had a chance to destroy the arms?
Nancy, whose mother is Lillian Davison Richards, received a Star Spangled Banner with fifteen stars and fifteen stripes in gratitude for her ancestor’s service. By the way, while Arthur Davison was assigned to Harborcreek, he stayed at Wilson’s Inn. There he met the Wilson’s second daughter, Elisabeth. She became Nancy’s great, great, great grandmother and they settled one branch of the Davison Family in Harborcreek.
