DAVIDSON, Robert Paul

DAVIDSON, Robert Paul. (Lafayette, IN, Nov. 30, 1886--Morris, IL, March 11, 1940). Baseball player. Outfielder Paul Davidson played eight seasons from 1904 to 1911 in the minor leagues, mostly in the Class B Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League, also known as the Three-I or Three-Eye League. He played BASEBALL for the Dubuque Shamrocks in 1905, the Dubuque Dubs in 1906, and the Dubuque Hustlers in 1911. During his entire career, Davidson played in 911 games, was at bat 3,402 times, and had a batting average of .260.<ref>Paul Davidson Minor League Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference.com. December 14, 2012: http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=davids001pau</ref><ref>Paul Davidson is Only Miner Who Has So Far Been Signed 'Above'. Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, September 9, 1906: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ufhCAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-KsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2301%2C2226431</ref>

A well-known player, Davidson's image appeared on a baseball card in the T206 set issued by the American Tobacco Company in cigarette and loose tobacco packs from 1909 to 1911. On the card, Davidson is shown in his 1909 Indianapolis Indians uniform.<ref>Paul Davidson, Indianapolis Team, Baseball Card Portrait. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. December 14, 2012: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2008676939/</ref> Davidson's brother, William S. Davidson, was also an outfielder.<ref>Robert P Davidson in Household of C Joseph Davidson, ED 1136 Precinct 6 West Town Chicago City Ward 35, Cook, Illinois, United States. United States Census, 1900. FamilySearch. December 14, 2012: https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MS7D-91P</ref><ref>Rockford Has Sold Paul Davidson. Davenport Republican (Iowa), August 5, 1904: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2RpcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ElUNAAAAIBAJ&pg=1636%2C5510963</ref><ref>Simply Drifted Into Game. Outfielder "Bill" Davidson, Outfielder of the Brooklyn Team, Tells of His Early Start. The Kendall Miner (Montana), November 11, 1910: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=37plAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Go4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=744%2C345273</ref> Bill Davidson played for the Chicago Cubs in 1909, the Brooklyn Superbas in 1910, and the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1911, as well as several minor league teams.<ref>Bill Davidson [Major League] Statistics and History. Baseball-Reference.com. December 14, 2012: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/davidbi01.shtml</ref><ref>Bill Davidson Minor League Statistics & History. Baseball-Reference.com. December 14, 2012: http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=davids007wil</ref>

Paul Davidson was born on November 30, 1886 in Lafayette, Indiana. He married Dubuque native Margaret Evelyn Halpin at ST. RAPHAEL'S CATHEDRAL in 1910. After Margaret died in 1933, Davidson married Agnes Barrows of Morris, Illinois in 1938. Besides playing baseball, Davidson was a telegraph operator and station agent at Seneca, Illinois for the Rock Island Railroad, a motion-picture theater operator, and owner of Davidson Motors, an auto dealership in Morris, Illinois. He died in Morris on March 11, 1940, where he was buried in Evergreen Cemetery.<ref name="obit">Paul Davidson, 53, Died Last Night. Morris Daily Herald (Illinois), March 12, 1940. Print.</ref><ref>A Wedding of the Past Week. Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, September 25, 1910: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=aEyKTaVlRPYC&dat=19100925&dq=davidson&printsec=frontpage&hl=en</ref><ref>Mrs. Margaret Evelyn Davidson. Telegraph-Herald and Times-Journal (Dubuque), April 19, 1933: http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bgVRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QL4MAAAAIBAJ&pg=3999%2C1729526</ref>

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Thank you to Dave Sonnenberg for help with this article.