Michael J. Dinneen Biography


	This biography appears on pages 690-698 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				MICHAEL J. DlNNEEN 

	The life record of Michael J. Dinneen spanned eighty five years. 
It is an interesting history, for it presents a true and accurate 
picture of pioneer life in South Dakota, nor was he only associated 
with pioneer conditions. He remained a factor in the work of progress 
and development when pioneer times had passed by and he was ever 
respected and esteemed among his fellow townsmen as one who stood for 
progress and improvement in all the essential relations of life. He was 
born in the city of Fermony, County Cork, Ireland, December 11, 1833, a 
son of Dennis and Catherine (Calligan) Dinneen, who crossed the 
Atlantic with their family when their son Michael J. was but two years 
of age and settled in Franklin county, New York, where the father was 
extensively engaged in farming. In the Empire state Michael J. Dinneen 
was largely reared, continuing with his parents in Franklin county 
until he had attained his majority, when he went to Boston, 
Massachusetts. He continued his residence in the east until 1864, when 
he went to Minnesota and there followed farming until his removal to 
South Dakota.  

	Ere leaving the east Mr. Dinneen was married in Malone, New York, 
on the 11th of January, 1859, to Miss Catherine Fitzgerald, who still 
survives him. They became the parents of five sons, the three eldest of 
whom were born in Malone, New York, during the residence of their 
parents at that place These are: Maurice, living in Huron; Frank, who 
was born August 25, 1861, and is now a resident of Andover, South 
Dakota; George F., who was born July 10, 1866, and is a priest of the 
order of the Society of Jesus in Chicago, where be is now a teacher in 
the College of St. Ignatius; Stephen D., who was born January 15, 1868, 
and makes his home in Huron; and Edmund B., who was born August 19, 
1870, and is also living in Huron.  

	After residing with his family in Malone, New York, for a number 
of years Michael J. Dinneen came with his wife and children to the 
west, making their home in Brown county, Minnesota from 1865 until 
their removal to Huron in 1880. On reaching Minnesota they settled 
eleven miles southwest of New Ulm, where the Indian outbreak had 
occurred, and he purchased four hundred acres of land from orphans 
whose parents had been killed by the savage red men. The family there 
experienced all of the hardships and dangers of pioneer life, but in 
the course of time developed a good farm, upon which they remained 
until their removal farther west.  

	In March, 1880, Michael J. Dinneen and his eldest son, Maurice, 
came from Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, where the family was then living, to 
this state. They traveled by rail to Volga, which was then the terminus 
of the railroad, and from that point drove to Huron Looking about them, 
they filed on two tree claims and then returned home to put in the 
crops for the year. In May, 1880, they once more came to Huron, 
settling in the city, where Mr. Dinneen at once built a small hotel 
upon the present site of the Dakota House. He called his hostelry the 
Jim River House. As the country became more thickly settled and his 
patronage grew he added to the place until he had developed the present 
Dakota Hotel, which has since been in charge of some member of the 
family. For many years his hostelry was well known throughout the state 
and nearly every one who traveled in South Dakota in the early days 
will remember having been entertained at the hotel over which he 
presided as host. He thus gained a. large acquaintance not only in 
Huron but throughout the state and his death was widely mourned.  

	On coming to the west Mr. Dinneen brought with him a number of 
cattle and hogs and in the winter of 1881 these helped to keep many 
people from starvation, for it was the winter of the terrific blizzard 
and deep snow, when no trains reached this district for several months. 
It was a winter never to be forgotten by any one who lived in this 
section of the state. The snow kept falling for hours, piling up until 
in places it was as high as the housetops. Many deeds of bravery and 
courage were displayed at that time. Mr. Dinneen's son Frank was one of 
a party of men who started west on the railroad to shovel out the 
tracks, but again the snow fell and they were snowbound from Friday 
until Sunday. On the latter day the sun came out and another party of 
men started to rescue the former party. Mr. and Mrs. Dinneen remained 
up until two o'clock Monday morning in order to have a hot meal ready 
for the rescued men, knowing how sorely they would need it after their 
long period of exposure to the cold and storm. It was during this same 
winter that Frank Dinneen took his team at a time when the snow was 
piled in places as high as the house and drove to Mitchell to take a 
young man who was trying to recover the body of his brother who had 
been frozen to death, hoping to return the body to his old home for 
burial. Frank Dinneen successfully accomplished this self-imposed task 
of reaching Mitchell and brought back with him a load of flour, making 
the trip under most difficult conditions.  

	There was probably no family in this section who did more to 
assist others in pioneer times than did the Dinneen family. It was not 
an infrequent thing for Mrs. Dinneen to remain up most of the night 
preparing meals for the hungry. Having cows, she gave many a bowl of 
butter to the sick and for them prepared many a delicacy. On one 
occasion Judge Caldwell came to the hotel and told her he had heard she 
had fresh meat, Mr. Dinneen having brought with him two hundred fat 
hogs, one of which was often killed to supply the table with meat. The 
judge said that he and his wife had had nothing to eat but beans boiled 
in water without salt for some months, so Mrs. Dinneen gave him a piece 
of pork and some salt and he always said that she kept him and his wife 
from starvation This is only one of the many instances of her 
generosity and of the many good deeds done by herself and husband. At 
one time while taking a basket of food to a poor family of seven 
children, Mrs. Dinneen was nearly killed by a horse overturning the 
buggy in which she was riding. She can relate many very interesting 
facts concerning pioneer days of South Dakota and has endured with 
others all the hardships and privations of frontier life. They often 
had to melt ice in order to get water to drink, and at one time when 
the town ran out of fuel a committee allowed each family so many cedar 
ties to burn. She used the bones from hogs killed to make a fire for 
her baking. In 1882 she had to pledge her diamond in order that the 
family might have the necessities of life. She is a very intelligent 
woman and has on several occasions given readings in Huron and also at 
Kimball Hall, Chicago, November 6, 1914. The hotel was used for a 
church for over three years. During the first year of the family's 
residence in Huron Michael Dinneen and his son hauled most of the 
lumber used for building from Volga. He afterward erected a number of 
houses which he sold and his activity in the rea estate field brought 
him a good return.  

	For a long period Mr. Dinneen was a member of the city council of 
Huron and exercised his official prerogatives in support of many 
progressive public measures, doing everything in his power to promote 
the welfare of the community in which he lived. He died February 7, 
1913, at a ripe old age, and is still survived by his widow, who was 
born about forty miles from Montreal, Canada, and is of English 
descent. Mr. Dinneen held membership in St. Martin's Catholic church 
and he belonged also to the Knights of Columbus and the Benevolent 
Protective Order of Elks. The story of his life of activity and 
usefulness is well known in Huron and should serve as a source of 
inspiration and encouragement to many. He possessed personal courage 
and marked endurance and did not hesitate to sacrifice himself when he 
could further the interests of an individual or of the community at 
large. He lived to see remarkable changes as the work of settlement and 
development was carried forward, and as hotel proprietor and public-
spirited citizen he bore an active and helpful part in the work of 
general progress.  

	The following is the church building record of Mr. and Mrs. 
Dinneen on the frontiers of Minnesota and Dakota, written by Mrs. 
Dinneen.  

	r. M. J. Dinneen and family left home in York state forty-seven 
years ago last July. Came to New Ulm, Minnesota, in 1866. When we got 
to New Ulm, it was a German town. There was no American people. There 
was no bishop, no priest, no church. After we got to New Ulm, I began 
to inquire if there was a Catholic church here and some of the elderly 
people hushed me up and said: "Are you a Catholic?" I said, "we are 
Catholics." Why, they said, "you must not tell that here. There are no 
Catholics allowed here. This is Turner's society and they do not allow 
any Catholics among them." I said, " we will not deny being Catholics. 
And they said: "They will kill you." But we claimed our rights to the 
Catholic church and they did not kill us. 

	In two years afterward, we were helping to build a church in New 
Ulm. We went out twelve miles southwest from New Ulm and bought a large 
tract of land and opened a wheat farm. The big Cottonwood river ran 
through the farm. On the flat grew very fine oak timber. Above on the 
river, there were a couple of men who started a little steam sawmill. 
Men came from New Ulm and cut the oak; hauled it to the sawmill; had it 
sawed and the joists in that church, and in the convent school, were 
made of that oak timber. The church was built and finished; and the 
convent school was built and finished.  

	In five years after, 1871, the citizens in that country planned 
to build a Catholic church at Sleepy Eye, only three miles from our 
wheat farm, and we had to turn in and help to build that church. 
Maurice Dinneen was a little boy, but he helped haul the brick twelve 
miles with a double team. When his father could not go with him, his 
mother went. We got where the church was building as late as twelve 
o'clock nights and unloaded our load of bricks with no light but the 
shining stars from Heaven. We finished that church and Bishop Ireland 
consecrated it and confirmed a big class of children, Maurice and Frank 
Dinneen being the two largest boys in the class. 

	In five years after that church was finished (1876) the people 
fourteen miles south of Sleepy Eye, in a little town called 
Leavenworth, undertook to build a church and we were claimed for that 
parish. Mr. Dinneen was one of the head leaders to help and work and 
build on all those three churches.  

	In the year 1880, we made up our minds if we stayed on our wheat 
farm, we could never educate our children. The road coming through this 
western country, we came to Huron. When we got to Huron, there was a 
dot of a shanty here and there. There was no bishop, no priest, no 
church and did not look as though there ever would be. We bought the 
Dakota House corner and hastened to build. It was in the summer of '81 
that we got here. In the summer of '83 we had our house in running 
order. 

	Father Haire came along one day carrying his church and chapel on 
his shoulder. He introduced himself as a Catholic priest. We turned 
over to him the use of our house. He used our house as a church for 
about three years or more. In '85 we undertook to buy lots where our 
church now stands. Mr. T. J. Nichols, the superintendent of the road, 
presented the church with one lot and the other two we had to buy. In 
'82 in the month of June, Father Haire celebrated mass on Sunday at the 
Dakota House. About two o'clock in the afternoon a double wagon drove 
up to the house. Mr. Dinneen went out to the man that was driving. He 
says: "I am looking for a Catholic priest, my wife is dying." Mr. 
Dinneen asked him where he lived. He said about twenty-five miles 
southwest. Mr. Dinneen called Father Haire and introduced him to the 
man as a Catholic priest. Father Haire hastily picked up his satchel 
with his chapel in it and went along with the man. They arrived at the 
man's house along towards evening. He found his home a little sod 
shanty. He hastened in and found the woman that was dying. He 
immediately prepared her for death and stayed with them till along in 
the night and the woman departed from this life. After death had 
occurred, Father Haire took his satchel, laid it down in the corner and 
lay down on the bare floor to rest a little. At daylight in the 
morning, he got up, established an altar and said mass for that poor 
departed soul.  

	After he celebrated mass, he said to the man, "I want to get back 
to Huron as quick as I can." The man said: "I can not take you back to 
Huron. You will have to get back there the best way you can." Father 
Haire took his satchel and started on foot for Huron. When he had gone 
quite a ways a man overtook him in a little single wagon. Father Haire 
asked him for a ride. He said, "Father Haire, where are you going ?" "I 
am going to Huron." Well, "you can ride as far as I go that way." When 
they got to the road where the man turned to another direction, Father 
Haire got out and started on his way afoot. He had walked quite a ways 
when a man overtook him with a double team and a lumber wagon. Father 
Haire asked him for a ride. He asked Father Haire, "Where are you 
going?" "I am going to Huron." The man said: "I am going to Huron. You 
get in and ride." Father Haire said: "Will you drive me to the Dakota 
House?"  

	Mrs. Dinneen happened to be in the office when the wagon drove 
up. She said to Mr. Dinneen:. "There is Father Haire in that wagon, go 
out and help him out." Mr. Dinneen went out and took his satchel. The 
priest came in. I met him in the office. I said "Father Haire, you look 
very fatigued." He said: "Yes, I am very tired and weak. Get me a cup 
of hot milk." I seated him at a table in the dining room. I said, when 
I served the cup of hot milk, "Father Haire we will have dinner ready 
very soon." It was then nearly two o'clock. He says: "I can't eat 
anything. I have had nothing to eat since I left here yesterday and I 
have to be careful now and not eat too much." I got him a cup of coffee 
and that is all he would take.  

	After he got rested a little, he told us of the trial he went 
through. Did he grumble, no, nor did not find fault. He said it was all 
for the greater glory of God and he was so pleased that he got there in 
time to save the soul of that poor woman. This is only a little 
illustration of what Rev. Father Haire went through in the early days 
in Minnesota and Dakota. Nobody ever heard him grumble or find fault. 
Everything was done for the greater glory of God and to help poor 
humanity on the frontiers of this barren region. Oh, what a grand man- 
what a great man! No pen can describe what he has done to help the poor 
Catholics of South Dakota. He is now in Aberdeen, chaplain of the 
convent. Oh, how proud we are when we hear his amiable, great name 
spoken.  

	We bought the lots and started to build a church in '86, Mr. 
Dinneen going in debt for a great deal of the material. We kept working 
and building till we finally got a church. In '87, the church was built 
and finished so mass could be said in it. When the carpenter finished 
the church, he put the key in his pocket and would not give up the 
church till we finished paying him for his carpenter work, which was 
two hundred and eighty dollars of a debt that was still standing.  

	Father Haire called a meeting to see if he couldn't get some men 
to go with him to the bank to help raise the money. As Mr. Dinneen 
didn't feel able to be responsible for any more debt, he did not go to 
the bank. Mr. Hanley who is living at Broadland now went to the bank 
with Father Haire; but when Father Haire presented Mr. Hanley as 
security, the president of the bank would not take him. They told him 
to get Mr. Dinneen to sign the notes. Father Haire said: "I can't get 
Mr. Dinneen. He is already in debt so heavy that he don't know which 
way to turn and don't know how he is going to get out." Well, they 
said: "Get Mrs. Dinneen to sign the notes." Father Haire said he did 
not know whether he could get her to sign the notes or not. He said he 
did not think he could. Father Haire came down to the hotel and called 
me and told me the trouble he was having. He told me that they would 
take me as a signer on the notes. I told him that I was afraid Mr. 
Dinneen would not be satisfied, and that I felt as though if I signed 
the notes that Mr. Dinneen would have to pay them.  

	The priest did not know what to do. Well, I said, "Father Haire, 
let us figure on this. You go back to the bank and see if they will let 
you have that two hundred and eighty dollar note on an installment 
plan. Have them agree to take as much or as little as you can possibly 
give the first of every month." I said "they may not want to do this; 
but as you are a priest they may do it to help you out." I said, "if 
they do that, you get the note made out and fetch it down here and I 
will sign it for I am too busy to go to the bank." He went up to the 
bank and told the president, Mr. Criss. Says Mr. Criss, "Who's plan is 
this?" The cashier of the bank spoke up and said he bet it was Mrs. 
Dinneen's. And said Father Haire, "It is. It is Mrs. Dinneen's plan." 
The president spoke up and said: "Father Haire, we will let you have 
the money." They made a note for two hundred and eighty dollars payable 
so much a month, whatever he would be able to give. He fetched it down 
to the hotel and I signed the note and he signed the note. He took it 
back to the bank and got his money and went up to the carpenter of the 
church, paid the bill and got the key to the church. He fetched the key 
down to the Dakota House and slapped it on the counter and said: "Thank 
God, the church is free." And to every man he met, Protestant and 
everyone else, he thanked God the church was free.  

	Then we struggled and worried and worked and paid the balance of 
the debt Then we bought the house and went in debt for that. We 
struggled and worried and worked and paid for that house. And there are 
very few people here today that were here then and very few people here 
today that ever paid a dollar on that church property. We finally, 
after years of struggling, got the debts paid up.  

	The next church we had to pay for was where we sent our boys to 
college, St. Mary's, Kansas. In years after they graduated, they 
undertook to build a new church and the early students were called upon 
to build that church. It was our son George's first year in Chicago. He 
was called on Our sons Steve and Ed were called on. We wrote and asked 
how much they would expect from three students. They wrote and said: 
"All that you can give." We immediately borrowed the money and sent 
them all we were able to give.  

	And thank God, the Turners in Minnesota became our best and 
warmest friends. When we were building the Sleepy Eye church, they 
turned out in bodies, men and women, and helped in every way they 
could. These churches, which I write about, all stand today with their 
spires pointing to the high heavens. I would like to ask you people, 
how you would like today to see a woman and a little boy helping to 
haul brick to build a church and unloading it at twelve o'clock at 
night.  

	It grieves me a little when I think of the first banquet that was 
given for the knights of Columbus in Huron. The speeches were made in 
the Royal Hotel and a pretending Catholic got up and showed his 
eloquence. He said: "Times are different here now to what they were 
when we used to have to go to mass to the Dakota House and kneel down 
in spits and dirt to hear mass."  

	Well, the Dakota House doors were open to receive our Lord Jesus 
Christ in the blessed sacrament and we gave the best we had. And we 
gave a clean place, and there was never any spits or dirt around where 
the blessed sacrament was raised. It grieved Mr. Dinneen when he heard 
it expressed by a pretending Catholic; but I said: "Mr. Dinneen don't 
feel badly. Don't you know our Lord was crucified and why should we 
feel badly by being insulted by any man speaking in that way. Let us 
suffer everything for the sake of our Divine Jesus."