Archives West Finding Aid

Edward Donlan was born on July 28, 1867, in Chapeau, Quebec. As a youth, he worked in the woods of Quebec. At age 18, he came to the United States and spent five years in various parts of the country before coming to Montana. He received his first job as a Great Northern Railway section hand at Neihart in the spring of 1890. Later that same year, he came to Missoula, Montana, and worked in the Hanratty and Tillman sawmill near Frenchtown, Montana. This property later became part of the Donlan family ranch. Donlan opened a sawmill in 1905 and for the next 25 years, was engaged in western Montana logging operations. He formed a partnership with Joe Moderie and the two contracted for William A. Clark's Milltown, Montana, sawmill beginning in 1917. Around 1930, Donlan retired from the logging business. He expanded the ranching operations he undertook around 1910 near Frenchtown. In 1946, he relinquished part of this property to his son, Arthur, and sold the rest. Donlan established the Frenchtown Irrigation District in 1936, through which 5000 acres were brought under cultivation. In 1940, Edward Donlan passed his position to Arthur.

Edward Donlan represented Missoula County in both houses of the Montana Legislature. He was first elected to the House of Representatives as a Republican in 1900. Between 1902 and 1912, he was elected to the Senate. He was reelected in 1918 and 1920. He also ran in the 1908 gubernatorial race. Materials related to Donlan's political career appear in the Mansfield Library's edition of Cartoons and Caricatures of Prominent Men of Montana by artist J.C. Terry. This copy was owned by Donlan and has been personalized with letters and newspaper clippings.

Donlan married Josephine Tickler in Butte, Montana, on October 8, 1895. They resided in Missoula until Josephine's death in 1950, after which Edward Donlan lived with Arthur on the family's Frenchtown ranch. Edward Donlan died on May 1, 1952.

Arthur T. Donlan was a farmer in the Frenchtown Valley for fifty years. He was born on November 20, 1902 in Missoula, Montana, to Edward and Josephine Donlan. He attended grade school in Missoula and Gonzaga Prep School in Spokane, Washington. He later attended the University of Montana. He worked with his father in the lumber business before he began his fifty year career as a farmer.

Donlan was active in the Missoula and Frenchtown communities. He worked to bring electricity, irrigation, and telephone services to the Frenchtown Valley. He was a board member of the Frenchtown Irrigation District and the first president of the Frenchtown Fire District. He was co-editor of the book Frenchtown Valley Footsteps. He was also a trustee of the Frenchtown School Board and served on the Korean War draft board. He served as the director of the Ft. Missoula Ghost Town Historical Museum and was a member of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Knights of Columbus, and the Senior Citizens Center. Donlan married Majorie Dauterman in Butte, Montana, on October 24, 1932. They had two sons, Michael and Patrick. Donlan died on September 30, 1982, in Missoula.