James A. Davidson
                            A Biography
                         Terry A. Henderson
                             June 2021
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     Table of Contents
                 Introduction 
     CHAPTER 1:  Origins and Early Life in Scotland
     CHAPTER 2:  Coming to America
                 The Steerage Experience—Four Steps to Immigration
     CHAPTER 3:  The Russells—in Scotland and America
                 Experiment Station Farm 
     CHAPTER 4:  Early Work in Washington DC and New York City
                 First jobs in construction 
                 Marriage and early life 
     CHAPTER 5:  Life and Work in Raleigh—the Early Years
                 The Spanish Flu
                 Becoming an American Citizen 
                 Progressive Professional
                 Luck and Timing Help Davidson Survive the Depression 
     CHAPTER 6:  Work Philosophy and Approach to Building 
     CHAPTER 7:  Major Undertakings—Essential Building Projects
                 Davidson’s Early Work; Major building projects
                 Relationships with Architects
                 Davidson’s Competition
     CHAPTER 8:  Changes in the Industry; Turning Point in the Company
                 Davidson Becomes Davidson & Jones
                 The Importance of Family in Davidson’s Life and Career
                 Social, Civic, Charitable Work and Business Associations
     CHAPTER 9:  Personal Recollections of Davidson
     CHAPTER 10: Funny, Odd, Curious, Interesting, Quirky—bonus Davidson Stories 
     CHAPTER 11: James Davidson Chronology; Christina Davidson Chronology;
                 Davidson Lifetime Building Inventory
                 Chapter Footnotes
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              Summary and Conclusion
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     “I am just a plain guy. I’ve always enjoyed the building trade.
     My father was a builder—it’s all I know.”
                                   —James A. Davidson
     Introduction
     The origins of the multi-million dollar construction and management empire, Davidson &
     Jones, can be traced to their humble beginnings in a small town in northeast Scotland.
     There, James Andrew Davidson apprenticed with his master carpenter father, preparing
     for a life that helped him start the company that has succeeded for more than 100 years.
     This biography covers his lifetime and the formation and growth of his company in
     Raleigh.
     This is the story of that man, his life and career, and the imprint he left on the industry, the
     buildings, and his legacy to Raleigh and North Carolina. His contribution continues as a
     reminder of early construction and business values worthy of remembrance and
     emulation.  
     What we can learn about a man is gained from what he said, what is said about him, and
     what he did. In that respect, there is a rich history for James Davidson-- not so much from
     what he said about himself, for he was a frugal Scotsman, both with words and money, but
     more from what he did. He left a substantial legacy as an important builder and contractor
     during a 70-year period of Raleigh’s history that can be traced through archives and
     records that alone speak eloquently of his experience.  
     The barebones outline of Davidson’s career is straightforward. He was born in 1891 in
     Banff, a seaport town off the northeast coast of Scotland. There he was first a student and
     later apprenticed as a house builder to his father until he was eighteen. In 1910, Davidson
     immigrated to the United States and worked for his uncle building houses in Washington,
     DC.  After two years, (previously thought to be four years) he moved to New York City and
     worked as a superintendent of construction for the Morris Packing Company. 
     During this time he met a fellow Scottish immigrant, a lady from Raleigh, Christina (‘kris-
     tye-na] Russell, while she was visiting in Washington, DC, and perhaps while he was
     visiting his uncle. After a suitable and long-distance courtship, they married and lived in
     New York City. In 1918, while on a vacation to Raleigh with his wife, local businessmen
     persuaded Davidson to move south and establish a building firm in North Carolina’s state
     capital. The pandemic flu and World War I had decimated many of the management level
     and skilled laborers in the building trade. The prospect of an improved economy and the
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