R.A. Davis, Premier of Manitoba 1874-78, arrived in the Red River Settlement from Quebec in 1870. He bought the Emmerling Hotel and saloon formerly located on this site. Renaming it the Davis House, he expanded it to include a barber shop, billiard hall, and store. A founding member of the Winnipeg Board of Trade, he served as a trustee for the Protestant School Board and on local citizens’ committees.
Elected to the Manitoba Legislature in April 1874, Davis engineered the resignation of the administration of Henry Joseph Clarke. The formation of the new Cabinet under Marc-Amable Girard resulted in the introduction of responsible government in Manitoba. Davis became Premier in December, 1874, following Girard’s resignation. He provided moderate and stable government, achieved economic development, obtained better financial terms from Ottawa, and eliminated the provincial debt. Davis resisted Anglo-Canadian agitation for the elimination of the rights accorded French-speaking and Metis residents by the Manitoba Act.
He retired from politics in 1878, sold his hotel and moved to Chicago, where he became a prosperous real estate developer. The Davis Hotel was demolished in 1890.
Français
R.A. Davis, premier ministre du Manitoba de 1874 à 1878, est arrivé du Québec à la Colonie de la Rivière-Rouge en 1870. Après avoir acheté l'hôtel Emmerling et son saloon, il a rebaptisé l'établissement The Davis House et y a ajouté une boutique de coiffeur, une salle de billard et un magasin. Membre fondateur de la chambre de commerce de Winnipeg, R.A. Davis fut commissaire à la commission scolaire protestante et membre de comités de citoyens.
Élu à l'Assemblée législative du Manitoba en avril 1874, M. Davis a manouvré pour obtenir la démission du cabinet de Henry Joseph Clarke. La mise sur pied d'un nouveau cabinet, sous les ordres de Marc-Amable Girard, marque les débuts du gouvernement responsable au Manitoba. M. Davis est devenu premier ministre en décembre 1874, après la démission de M. Girard. Son gouvernement, stable et modéré, a atteint des objectifs de développement économique, obtenu des meilleures conditions de financement d'Ottawa et enrayé la dette provinciale. M. Davis a lutté contre l'agitation anglo-canadienne pour l'élimination des droits accordés aux résidents francophones et métis en vertu de la Loi de 1870 sur le Manitoba.
R.A. Davis s'est retiré de la scène politique en 1878, a vendu son hôtel et s'est établi à Chicago, où il est devenu un important promoteur immobilier. On a démoli The Davis House en 1890.
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Plaque text and location: Manitoba Heritage Council Commemorative Plaques, Historic Resources Branch, Government of Manitoba, as the Branch publishes them on its plaque pages. The text is the Manitoba Heritage Council’s text as the Branch publishes it; the pin on this page is ours, worked out from the location the Branch gives and marked approximate. Contains information from the Government of Manitoba, licensed under the OpenMB Information and Data Use License (Manitoba.ca/OpenMB) TreeAlive is an independent project and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the Manitoba Heritage Council, the Historic Resources Branch or the Government of Manitoba. OpenMB Information and Data Use License This marker on the program's own site