Rhodesia (region) was first used to refer to the region by white settlers in the 1890s who informally named their new home after Cecil Rhodes, the Company's founder and managing director. It was used in newspapers from 1891 and was made official by the Company in 1895. To confuse matters, Southern Rhodesia, which became a self-governing colony of the United Kingdom in 1923, referred to itself simply as "Rhodesia" from 1964 to 1979, and in 1965 unilaterally declared independence under that name. It thereafter briefly renamed itself "Zimbabwe Rhodesia" in 1979. The usage of the term Rhodesia to refer to the historical
Ira Davenport (politician) which was named after the senior Ira Davenport. The younger Ira Davenport was a founder of the Bath Soldiers' and Sailors' Home and the town's public library. Ira Davenport (politician) Ira Davenport (June 28, 1841 – October 6, 1904) was an American businessman, politician and philanthropist. He was most notable for his service in the New York State Senate (1878-1881), as New York State Comptroller (1882-1883), and a member of Congress from New York's 29th congressional district (1885-1889). Davenport was born in Hornellsville, New York, the son of Ira Davenport (1795-1868) and Lydia Cameron (1800-1842). His family moved to Bath