McDonald, John

MCDONALD

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 8/5/2008 at 21:43:45

John McDonald

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.70, Belknap Twp.)
John McDonald, flour and feed, Oakland, was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, in April, 1834; his father, William McDonald, was born in the same place as subject, and was a miller by occupation; he emigrated to the United States and settled in Illinois, Warren County, in 1855, and died the following year of typhoid fever. Subject's mother was born in Ireland; came to this country with her husband and died at Oxford, Jones Co., Iowa. Subject's brother, Samuel and sister, Martha came to the United States with their parents, the oldest brother preceded them to this country. Mr. McDonald received a fair common school education, and worked with his father at milling, until he married, March 8, 1852, Bessie McElhinney, born in Ireland November 20, 1833. She was a daughter of William and Bessie (Thompson) McElhinney, natives of Ireland, where the father died. After his marriage, Mr. McDonald came to this country and located in Warren County, Ill., June 3, 1853. He ran a gristmill at Monmouth, Ill., for four years for Silas Umpstead; then moved to Keithsburg and conducted a mill for Joseph Ogden, for seven years; thence to North Henderson, Mercer County, for a year; then, after a year spent in Millersburg, he purchased a mill in Bureau County, Ill.; operated it for two years, sold it and came to Jones County, Iowa, where he rented a mill for a year. Upon leaving Jones County, Mr. McDonald moved to Union Township, Shelby County, where he bought a farm near the present site of Defiance; there he engaged in farming for seven years, when he and his wife began traveling for the latter's health in California and Washington Territory; in the latter Territory she died of consumption September 4, 1878. In 1879, Mr. McDonald located in Neola, and established the "Exchange Mills Flour and Feed Store," which his son now conducts. Mr. McDonald sold his property in Neola; established a similar business in Marne, Cass Co., Iowa; conducted it six months; sold out and came to Oakland in December, 1880, where he has since conducted a flour and feed business. Our subject has, by his first wife, four children - Jennie, Ella, William and Thomas Thompson. April 1, 1880, at Neola, Iowa, Mr. McDonald married Margaret Gallup, born in Harrison County, Iowa, in 1861, duaghter of Jasper and Sarah (Wood) Gallup, early settlers of Pottawattamie County - he a native of New York State, and she of Ohio. This second union has been blessed wityh one child - Frederick Samuel. Mr. McDonald is a Mason and a member of the V. A. S.; he is a member of the City Council and a Republican.