The Mentor & Mistress - the story of Daisy Jenks

The Mentor and Mistress

(Alternatively the story of Daisy Jenks)

Recently during lunch at the Union Club, a friend asked me about one of Cleveland’s most influential families; the Van Sweringens.  Without a thought, I said “it’s hard to understand the Vans without first understanding their Mentor and Mistress”.  He was surprised and asked, ‘for both’?  I responded in the affirmative and said she was also married to Ben.  Her name was Louise “Daisy” Davidson Jenks and her story is as important to Cleveland’s history as anyone who has ever lived in Cleveland.  Unfortunately there are few in Cleveland who know of her and most think of her in a poor light.  Hopefully this small piece will shed some light on the importance and influence of this woman and her husband.

Her husband was Ben Jenks and he was quiet and was tall and thin.  Ben was always sure not to eat or drink too much, as the rest of his family were overweight and he didn’t want to become so.  He initially had lumber yard and a development corporation, but went on to law school.  He was old friends with the Vans and became their attorney.

Daisy Davidson became his wife and was the more outgoing of the two.  She was eleven years younger than Ben.  She was a red head and a bright woman who Herbert Harwood described her in his book Invisible Giants,  as a woman who “…had a mind of her own”.   She was not thin however not overly large and was said to have ‘made the most of her looks’.    She was reported to be a red head and when I inquired about this, the response from one of her friends, was ‘it was from a bottle’. 

Daisy and her husband Ben had a land development company and helped the Vans get into development. If you know the history of the Vans Sweringens, you know they built many of Cleveland’s private schools, churches, country clubs and downtown landmarks.   They also laid out many of greater Cleveland’s streets and neighborhoods.  They also remodeled the Greenbrier in West Virginia and it still shows their influence.  However their fortunes did not take off until they began buying railroads.  This was the heyday of railroads and if someone had the brains to run them, they could be a success.  By some accounts they were the largest railroad owners in the country.  It’s been said this was under the tutoring of Daisy and her husband Ben.  As a friend of theirs once stated, “The Jenks were the brains behind the Van’s”. 

Their railroad company was a large company and based in Cleveland.  A descendent of one of the senior executives of the Vanesse Company retold the story that on more than one occasion executives from the company were required to attend a company function.  The entertainment of the evening at the Vaness company function was Daisy dancing.  While most of the executives in attendance were embarrassed or annoyed by the display, the Vans were seated in the front row.

Daisy and her husband Ben initially lived on Lee Rd.   When the Van’s moved to Hunting Valley they moved there.  Many Clevelanders know the Van Sweringens lived in Hunting Valley and on Daisy Hill.  However few realize it was name for Daisy Jenks.  Evidence of this can be found as there is a tunnel between the Jenk’s home and the Van Sweringens home.  This tunnel exists to this day.  No one can be certain what the tunnel was designed for, however according to gossip by at least one of the prominent neighbors it was said, “the one Jenk’s boy certainly resembles the Van’s”.

When it was first mentioned I was writing about Daisy, my friend who knew Daisy, informed me she was wild.  When it was inquired as to why, the response was she had a large nude in her bathroom.  When it commented this was pretty wild, she said I didn’t understand.  When questioned why, the response was the nude painting was of herself.  One can only image what individuals thought of this in the 1920’s and 1930’s. 

During a recent dinner party the above story was told and a woman at the table grew quiet and looked down.  I challenged her and said ‘you know someone who has  this’  She agreed she did.  When I questioned why she did this, the response was simply her friend felt she would never look this good again and wanted to preserve the way she looked.  These are some confident women. 

After the Van’s had passed away and the Jenks down sided they moved to the Moreland Courts apartments.  My aunt visited her there and said the apartment was as big as a house and rather  lavish.  My aunt grew visiting with the Van Sweringen and Daisy’s at their homes and apartments.  Later in life, my aunt’s father would visit Daisy in Arizona.  Daisy had moved there due to her arthritis and because her children lived there.  It’s uncertain if she is buried there or in the Cleveland area.    

There is another story which needs to be mentioned.  There was another Hunting Valley neighbor of the Vans and the Jenks, who was just starting out in building his own vast fortune.  He and his wife were religious individuals and didn’t approve of the Vans’ and the Jenks’ behavior.  During their long lives whenever they had a female dog they always named her ‘Daisy’. 

Many feel Daisy came from a simple or less to do family.  This is not the case as she came from a good family named Davidson and her brother had tremendous success in gold mining in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Her brother would often come back to Cleveland to visit.  A friend who met him, said he was a large man who was ‘filthy rich’. 

Another friend of mine attended medical school in Johannesburg and I asked if there were Davidson’s in Johannesburg.  He said there was a rather prominent family in Johannesburg name Davidson.  I asked if they were still in gold mining and he said they were.  Needless to say he was rather surprised to find they were originally from Cleveland.    

Whatever you might think of Daisy’s personal life, please don’t judge her too harsh.  The influence she had over the Van’s and therefore the shape and building of Cleveland and the surrounding areas was tremendous.  Its a shame more appreciation isn’t given for everything the Van Sweringen’s built and created for the Cleveland area and I hope one day more recognition will be given to these two brothers.  If this is the case, we can only hope some recognition goes to Daisy and her husband for all the assistance they gave to Mantis and Oris.