Donahue, Hiram J.

DONAHUE

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 1/27/2008 at 13:49:49

History of Cedar County, Iowa, 1878
Western Historical Co., Chicago

H. J. DONAHUE

H. J. Donahue, whose keen business discernment and unflagging enterprise find their visible proof in the splendid success which he has achieved, is now numbered among the wealthy residents of the county, having made extensive and judicious investment in real estate. He was born at Charleston Four Corners, Montgomery county, New York, June 10, 1860, a son of William and Mary Ann (Lydia) Donahue, who were natives of County Clare Ireland, but were married in New York. The father worked as a farm hand in the Empire state up to the time of his marriage but became a substantial resident of the community, saving about three thousand dollars before he came west. On making his way to Cedar county he purchased eighty acres of land and later bought eighty acres adjoining, which he owned up to the time of his death together with a house in Bennett. He died eleven years ago at the age of sixty-three years, and his widow now resides in Bennett. They were the parents of four children: Thomas H., living at Red Oak, Montgomery county, Iowa; Eliza, the wife of D. O Mayes, of Cedar Rapids; John, a resident of Red Oak; and H. J., of this review.

Until seven years of age H. J. Donahue remained in the county of his nativity and then accompanied his parents on their removal to Cedar county, Iowa, the family home being established on York Prairie in 1867. Upon the old homestead farm Mr. Donahue of this review was reared, remaining with his parents until twenty-four years of age. His education was acquired in the district schools and the first team which he ever handled was an ox-team. In his youthful days he assisted in driving hogs to Clarence, where they sold for two dollars and thirty-five cents per hundred. There were no railroads in Tipton when he came here, and the father hauled grain to Davenport, where he sold wheat for forty-five cents per bushel. He had five men to whom he paid three dollars per day to bind grain by hand. Mr. Donahue has lived to witness remarkable changes in the methods of farming. The farmer no longer trudges behind plow or harrow, performing his work in much greater comfort while riding upon a plow. He continued at home until twenty-four years of age, when he purchased a farm of eighty acres adjoining his father’s in Fairfield township. Later he extended its boundaries by the purchase of adjoining land in Center township, becoming the owner of a quarter section there. He has from time to time further invested in farm property until his holdings are very extensive. He is now the owner of three hundred and twenty acres in Brookings county, South Dakota; seven hundred acres in Spink county, South Dakota; six hundred and forty acres in Minnehaha county, South Dakota; eighty acres in Hughes county, South Dakota; one hundred and sixty acres in Center township, Cedar county, Iowa; eighty acres in Springfield township, this county; and one hundred and twenty acres in Montgomery county. While upon the farm he engaged very extensively in stock-raising and in general farming, having two hundred acres planted to corn at one time. He made a specialty of raising cattle and found that a profitable source of income. He resided upon the home farm until September, 1904, when he came to Tipton and purchased his present fine residence on Seventh street. He has been engaged in the real-estate business here in connection with E. H. Downing under the firm name of Downing & Donahue, and he is also a stockholder in the Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank of Tipton.

On the 17th of December, 1884, Mr. Donahue was united in marriage to Miss Lydia Stephens, who was born in Center township, this county, in 1861, and is a daughter of James T. and Harriet (Hart) Stephens. Her father was born October 16, 1820, in Somerset county, New Jersey, and her mother’s birth occurred November 29, 1821, in Hamilton county, Ohio. They were married March 3, 1841, and came to Iowa in 1856. The death of Mr. Stephens occurred February 2, 1877. He resided on a farm in Inland township until his death, after which his widow removed to Davenport, while her last days were spent with a daughter at Western, Iowa, where she died about eight years ago. In their family were eleven children. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Donahue have been born four children: Ethel, now the wife of Guy Wright, who resides on her father’s farm in Center township and by whom she has one child, Ronald Raymond; Glenn, who died at the age of eighteen months; Wilbur, at home; and Raymond.

The parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which Mr. Donahue is serving as a trustee. His political allegiance is given to the republican party, but he has never sought nor desired office, always preferring to devote his attention to his business affairs, which capably managed have brought him success. It is not that his opportunities have been greater than those which have come to others, for he was reared as most of the boys are upon the frontier of Iowa, but closely applying himself to the work in hand and thoroughly investigating every business situation, he has been enabled to purchase property and make his investments in such a manner that his labors have been attended with gratifying success.