Edward F. Donovan Biography


	This biography appears on pages 696-698 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	EDWARD F. DONOVAN, supervisor of the State Hospital for the 
Insane, Yankton, is a native of Michigan and the son of Jeremiah and 
Margaret Donovan, both parents born in Ireland. The father, a native of 
the county of Wicklow, came to the United States when a young man of 
eighteen years, and located at Marquette, Michigan, where later he 
became captain of the Qivinzt mine, which post he held for a number of 
years. Resigning his position, he engaged in the mercantile business at 
Independence, Iowa, and after spending ten active and prosperous years 
in that city, he disposed of his establishment and retired to a farm 
near by, where he has since followed agricultural pursuits and stock 
raising. Jeremiah Donovan is a man of fine business ability and great 
energy and has been remarkably successful in his various lines of 
endeavor, being at this time the possessor of a large and valuable 
landed estate, consisting of two hundred and forty acres in one of the 
finest agricultural districts of Iowa, besides owning considerable city 
property and extensive personal interests. He has been an influential 
factor in the civic and public affairs of the different communities of 
his residence, served two terms as county auditor, one term as county 
commissioner, besides filling various minor official positions. He has 
long been a staunch Republican and a leader in his party and it was in 
recognition of his valuable services to the same as well as on account 
of his peculiar fitness that he was honored with the different public 
stations referred to above. In religion he is a Catholic and has always 
been loyal to the mother church, having been born and reared in the 
same and descended from a long line of Catholic ancestors. He has 
reached the age of sixty-seven and retains to a marked degree his 
physical force and mental power, being as ever a leader of thought and 
a molder of opinion in his community. Mrs. Margaret Donovan, who before 
her marriage bore the maiden name of Kilfy, was born in Ireland and at 
the age of fifteen accompanied her parents to America, the family 
locating at Marquette, Michigan, where she subsequently met the 
gentleman who became her husband. She is still living, as are six of 
her seven children, their names being as follows: Michael, of Deadwood, 
South Dakota; Daniel, a resident of Independence, Iowa; Edward F., 
whose name introduces this sketch; Peter, of Yankton; Henry lives in 
Deadwood, and James, whose home is in the state of Iowa.  

	Edward F. Donovan was born in Marquette, Michigan, on the 16th of 
December, 1868. His early life, devoid of striking incident, was spent 
under the parental roof in his native city, in the public schools of 
which he received his preliminary educational discipline. After the 
family moved to Iowa he further prosecuted his studies in the high 
schools at Independence, but at the age of sixteen he laid aside his 
books and, investing his means in an outfit for drilling wells, 
followed that line of work during the ensuing three years. At the 
expiration of the time noted he accepted a clerkship in a general store 
at Independence and after holding the position for a period of eighteen 
months, resigned to engage in the produce business upon his own 
responsibility. Mr. Donovan followed the latter business about one 
year, during which time he bought and shipped large quantities of 
country produce, building up an extensive trade from which he realized 
handsome profits. With means thus acquired he purchased a fine stock 
farm in Iowa, but after living on the same for a limited period 
abandoned agriculture and stock raising and for two years thereafter 
was connected with the Independence State Hospital, Independence, Iowa. 
In 1891 he came to Yankton, South Dakota, where he was shortly 
afterwards appointed supervisor of the State Hospital for the Insane, 
which responsible position, with the exception of a part of 1900 and 
1901, he has held continuously ever since.  

	Mr. Donovan's business career, as already indicated, has been 
eminently successful and his management of the important institution of 
which he is now the supervisor has been honorable to himself and 
creditable to the state. His record throughout is undimmed by the 
slightest suspicion of disrepute and his long retention as custodian of 
one of the people's most sacred interests, demonstrates not only 
business capacity and executive ability of a high order, but also a 
faithfulness to trust and a consecration to duty which the public has 
not been slow to recognize and appreciate. Mr. Donovan has been 
prominent in political affairs both in Iowa and Dakota and while a 
resident of the former state was a Republican nominee in 1901 for 
sheriff of Buchanan county, but declined to make the race. He has been 
active in party councils since coming to Yankton, but is not a partisan 
in the sense the term is usually understood, nor has he been an 
aspirant for leadership in his place of abode. Like all enterprising 
citizens, however, he manifests a pardonable pride in his adopted city 
and state, has unbounded faith in the future growth and prosperity of 
each and lends his influence and encouragement to all laudable agencies 
for the promotion of these ends. Religiously he is a Catholic and 
fraternally a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, belonging 
to Yankton Lodge, No. 101. Mr. Donovan, on June 19, 1896, was united in 
marriage with Miss Mathilda Vinatien, the union being without issue.