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Silverton Oregon's famous son, Homer
Davenport, became an internationally renowned cartoonist
in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Born in the
Waldo Hills region south of Silverton on March 8, 1867
Homer was raised on
GeerCrest Farm, his mother's family
homestead.
ABOUT HOMER DAVENPORT
The Davenports and the Geers lived in the area since the
pioneer settlement days, but Homer left Silverton to
make his way in the world, fulfilling his desire to
become an editorial cartoonist... inspired by his
mother's appreciation for that art form. From
Oregon, he headed to San Francisco where he worked his
way up as a newspaper artist for
William Randolph Hearst's syndicate.
Davenport followed in the
footsteps of the pioneering political cartoonist
Thomas Nast. As noted in Davenport's
obituary, the Silverton native "did for San Francisco
what Thomas Nast did for New York," helping bring down
corrupt political bosses.
 Later, Davenport
transferred to New York himself, taking on the political
establishment. His cartoons frequently focused on the
tobacco and oil trusts taking advantage of Uncle Sam and
the average man. His drawings' bite struck a chord with
the public and dismay with his opponents. Such
opposition came in the form of Senator Thomas Platt of
New York who proposed an "Anti-Cartoon
Bill." The bill did not move forward, perhaps
due in no small part to Davenport's own retaliation: "No
Honest Man Need Fear Cartoons."
Homer's work also had a
profound effect on the direction of America's highest
office. His cartoon depicting Uncle Sam and Theodore
Roosevelt ("He's Good Enough For Me") has been assessed
as one of the determining factors of Roosevelt's
election as president.
It was Roosevelt who pulled
strings to allow Homer to travel across the world to
pursue
his interest in Arabian Horses. Davenport's "quest" to
the lands of the Bedouin Tribe (in what is now Syria)
has been fruitful for the entire American horse
community...
Many Arabian Horses in the United States are
descended from the 27 he was "gifted" in 1906 by the
Bedouin leaders he befriended. His horses were kept at
his farm in Morris Plains, New Jersey.
Homer Davenport authored
several
successful books, including a collection of
his cartoons in 1898. My Quest of the Arab Horse (1909)
profiled his journey to the desert. The Country Boy
(1910) detailed his life growing up in Silverton.
Tragically,
Davenport died at the age of 45 to pneumonia.
In 1912, he died three days after drawing a cartoon
about the sinking of the Titanic. His headstone is
located in the Silverton Cemetery.
By continuing public awareness of Homer Davenport's
craft and creativity, a piece of unique American culture
is kept alive for future generations to learn from. |
