Homer Davenport - Early Years

Early Years

Davenport was born in 1864 in the Waldo Hills, several miles south of Silverton, Oregon. His parents were Timothy W. and Florinda Davenport. His father was one of the founders of the Republican Party in Oregon and served as an Oregon state representative, senator, and Indian agent, and ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Congress in 1874. His mother died of smallpox when he was only three years old, but had encouraged his talent for drawing. She was a subscriber to Harpers Weekly, an illustrated news magazine, and particularly admired the political cartoons of the German immigrant, Thomas Nast, who made his name in part by exposing the corruption of New York City government by way of biting satire. Before she died, Florinda had made it clear that her dream was to have her son become a great cartoonist and that his talent for art was to be encouraged. While he was perceived as idle and aimless by his neighbors during his teen years, and had no formal art training, Davenport ended up becoming one of the highest paid political cartoonists in the world at the time.