This Friday, June 2, at 7 p.m., the Brandon Museum will present two short films featuring the historically important Davenport family of Brandon. Free admission.
First up will be “The Immortal Blacksmith,” a 10-minute biography of Brandon resident Thomas Davenport, who received the first American patent for an electric motor he invented in Brandon in 1837. The short film was made in 1944.
The second film will be “Death in the Wilderness: A Love Story,” by Brandon resident and history professor Dr. Kevin Thornton. This 2016 film tells the story of Frankie Davenport, who was married to Thomas Davenport’s son George, as she attempts to bring her husband’s body home from Virginia, where he perished in the Battle of the Wilderness, one of the Civil War’s bloodiest conflicts. Her experience has had lasting effects on Brandon, including the town’s beloved Memorial Day flower girl tradition.
These films are being presented in anticipation of the Brandon Museum’s upcoming exhibit on Thomas Davenport, which will debut at the Davenport Electric Festival in Brandon in July. Stay tuned for more details on that event!
