Patrick McDonald Biography


	This biography appears on pages 97-98 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) 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.

	This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
	a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


				PATRICK McDONALD. 

	Patrick McDonald is one of the most highly esteemed residents of 
Bon Homme county and justly so, for he came to this state in the '60s 
and for many years endured hardships that seem almost unbelievable in 
this day when pioneer conditions no longer exist. He is now living in 
honorable retirement on the site of the old village of Bon Homme and 
the number of his friends is only limited by the number of his 
acquaintances. 

	Mr. McDonald was born at Castle Barr, County Mayo, Ireland, about 
1831 and in 1853 emigrated to America, first making his home in Ohio. 
During the Civil war he served in the Confederate army under General 
Fessenden of Holly Springs, Mississippi, and after the close of 
hostilities returned to Troy, Ohio, where his marriage occurred in 
1864. Five years later he removed to Yankton, South Dakota, and was in 
the employ of Tom Pierce and other early contractors, helping to erect 
a number of buildings in the capital of the territory, including the 
first large hotel building of Yankton. Mr. McDonald subsequently filed 
on a quarter section of land three miles northeast of Bon Homme but 
returned to Yankton and worked there for two years before taking up his 
residence upon his land. He built a small house and shell established 
his family there. He, however, was absent from home the greater part of 
the time, as he freighted from Yankton to Fort Randall, supplying the 
officers at the Fort with butter, eggs, chickens and other provisions 
purchased at farms on the way or bought at Yankton to fill an order. At 
one time Mr. McDonald drove to Sioux City for something that he was 
unable to procure at Yankton. He made the trips from Yankton to the 
fort during the winter months as well as during the summer and slept 
under the wagon, waking up many mornings covered with snow. On such 
occasions the harness was sure to be buried in the snow and it had to 
be dug out before he could begin his journey for that day. 

	On one trip to the fort Mr. McDonald encountered a heavy three 
days, snow storm and, being certain that the horses could not pull the 
loaded wagon through the drifted snow, he left his goods in the barn of 
a settler and started home with the empty wagon. He found the gulch at 
Choteau creek so badly drifted that he left the wagon there and 
continued on his way with the horses. Still later he left one horse at 
Emanuel creek and endeavored to reach home riding the other horse. Near 
Bon Homme he left that horse as well and crawled up the hill to the 
village on his hands and knees. When he reached the hotel there he was 
packed in snow, as it seemed that he was frozen. As soon as possible he 
continued his way home and upon his arrival there found his family 
safe. The Indians caused him no trouble, as they were friendly and had 
confidence in him. They frequently sold goods issued to them by the 
government and on one occasion Mr. McDonald purchased from them a suit 
of clothes for three dollars. After several years the danger of losing 
crops from the plague of grasshoppers lessened and Mr. McDonald 
abandoned freighting and began the cultivation of his land, so 
continuing until he retired from active life a few years ago. He now 
lives in Bon Homme, where he is widely and favorably known. 

	Mr. McDonald was married in 1864 to Mrs. Hegen, a native of 
Scotland, and they became the parents of two children: Hannah, the wife 
of Tom Rodgers, of Yankton; and Peter, of Meade county. Mrs. McDonald 
died and in March, 1874, Mt. McDonald married Miss Kate Monahan, a 
native of Virginia. To their union seven children have been born: Mary, 
Julia, Sarsfield, Ellen, Rosa, Charles and Lillie. 

	Mr. McDonald is a democrat and his religious allegiance is given 
to the Catholic church. His memory retains clearly the events and 
happenings of the early days in this state, and his reminiscences of 
pioneer times are of great value in making real to the present 
generation the heroic story of the settlement and development of the 
state.