James Donnelly

	This biography appears on pages 996-997 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.


	JAMES DONNELLY, one of the leading farmers and stock raisers of 
Bon Homme county, was born April 19, 1851, at Black Earth, Dane county, 
Wisconsin, and is the oldest of a family of six children, whose parents, 
Frank and Nancy (Reegan) Donnelly, were natives of Ireland. Shortly 
after their marriage Frank Donnelly and wife came to America and settled 
in Dane county, Wisconsin, where they continued to reside from 1850 to 
1861. In the latter year, with several other families, they started west 
and in due time reached Niobrara, Nebraska, where they made settlement 
and purchased government land, being among the first pioneers in that 
part of the state. Mr. Donnelly improved his land and lived on the same 
for a period of five years, at the end of which time he sold out and 
moved to Bon Homme county, South Dakota, locating in Running Water 
township, where he and his wife spent the remainder of their days, both 
dying in the year 1902, she in April and he in the month of October. By 
occupation Mr. Donnelly was a blacksmith, which trade he followed 
exclusively in his native country, but after coming to the United States 
the greater part of his attention was devoted to agricultural pursuits. 
As stated above, the subject of this review is the oldest of the 
children born to Frank and Nancy Donnelly, the others being Mary, widow 
of Michael O'Shea; Hannah, wife of William Rogers, of Bon Homme county; 
Margaret, who married James McKenna and lives in Yankton county; Frank E. 
lives in Nebraska, and John, whose home is in Alberta Canada.  

	James Donnelly was ten years old when he accompanied his parents 
on their removal to Nebraska and he retains vivid recollections of the 
long and somewhat wearisome journey by ox-team to their new home in the 
west. He came with the family to South Dakota and at the age of twenty-
two left the parental roof and entered one hundred and sixty acres in 
section 15, Running Water township, in addition to which he also took up 
the same amount of land in section 14, both of which tracts he at once 
proceeded to improve. After residing on his original purchase until 
1885, he bought the quarter section where he now lives, but since then 
he has added to its area until the farm now includes four hundred and 
eighty acres of fine land, admirably situated in one of the richest 
agricultural districts of Bon Homme county.  

	Mr. Donnelly has brought his place to a high state of tillage, 
besides making a number of valuable improvements thereon, his elegant 
and commodious modern dwelling, erected in 1899, being one of the finest 
and most attractive country residences in the township of Running Water.  
I While enjoying marked prestige as an enterprising agriculturist, he 
makes stock raising his principal business and since the year 1880 his 
attention has been largely devoted to this important industry. He breeds 
and raises a fine grade of Durham cattle, pays considerable attention to 
hogs and for some years past has made a specially of Percheron and coach 
horses, of which he keeps a large number and for which there is always a 
lively demand at good prices.  

	Mr. Donnelly is a man of progressive ideas and tendencies and to 
him as much as to any other individual is due the advancement of Running 
Water township along material lines and the prosperity of its people. In 
politics he has been a stanch supporter of the Democratic party ever 
since old enough to cast a ballot, but his inclination has never led him 
to seek office or aspire to leadership. Religiously he was born and 
reared in the Catholic church and still adheres loyally to that faith, 
belonging with his family to the congregation at Running Water.  

	In June, 1873, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Donnelly and 
Miss Kate Milligan the latter a native of County Roscommon, Ireland, and 
the daughter of James and Mary Milligan. Mrs. Donnelly came to this 
country in 1870, her parents remaining in Ireland the remainder of their 
lives, the mother dying in 1866, the father in the year 1873. Mr. and 
Mrs. Donnelly are the parents of nine children: Frank, formerly a 
teacher in the public schools, but now his father's assistant on the 
farm; James E., also at home; Winnie, wife of Lawrence Wilson, of 
Running Water; Annie, who taught for five years in the county schools, 
but at this time runs a dressmaking establishment in the city of 
Yankton; Mary, Maggie, Katie, Zoie and Laura, the last five with an 
adopted daughter by the name of Lillie Moore. a popular teacher of six 
years' experience but now married to James Gayner, of Springfield, Bon 
Homme county, South Dakota, being members of the home circle.