I.D. O'Donnell
MONTANA GENWEB ARCHIVES 
May be copied for non-profit purposes. 


I.D. O'Donnell, a prominent rancher of Yellowstone County was 
born in Canada in 1860, a son of Daniel and Margaret McIntoch 
O'Donnell, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. The family located in 
1866 in Saginaw County Michigan where Daniel O'Donnell became 
a practical farmer and held many responsible county positions. 
He had been engaged in mercantile pursuits prior to settling 
in that state. I.D. O'Donnell, our subject, grew to manhood on 
his father's farm in Michigan. In 1882 he located in Miles 
City Montana which was then the temporary terminus of the 
Northern Pacific Railroad. Deciding to experiment in mining, 
he accordingly went to the Maiden Mines but soon becoming 
dissatisfied with that occupation, entered the employ of 
I.J. Horse Ranch Company, of which he soon became foreman. 
In 1886 he came to Billings, as manager of the Billings 
Ranch and three years afterward purchased the interest of 
Mr. Billings in the company and is now an equal partner 
with Edward G. Bailey. Mr. O'Donnell is resident manager of 
their large land and stock interests. Hesper Farm, known as 
their home ranch is the finest in the Yellowstone Valley, 
situated ten miles west of Billings and contains 1280 acres, 
well stocked and supplied with appropriate buildings. They 
have successfully demonstrated that fine apples and all 
varieties of small fruits can be produced in this county. 
About 2,000 tons of alfalfa and timothy hay were harvested 
on the place in 1892. The company owns large tracts of 
grazing land on which they have a number of springs and 
are raising cattle, sheep and horses. Their landed estate 
amounts to 5,000 acres. Mr. O'Donnell is superintendent of 
the M & M L.I. Company, irrigation canal having that 
position for five years. He has a comfortable home in 
Billings, surrounded by one of the most beautiful lawns 
in the city. In October 1887 he was united in marriage 
with Louise Roeser, a daughter of Gustave and Louise 
Roeser. Her father was a pioneer and prominent citizen 
of Saginaw County Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. O'Donnell have 
two daughters. 

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