Gilbert, Frank T.  "Historic Sketches of Walla Walla, Whitman, Columbia and
Garfield Counties, Washington Territory; and Umatilla County, Oregon."
Portland, OR: Print & Lithographing House of A. G. Walling, 1882. p. a13.
 
JOSEPH DONALDSON

     Was born in Davis county, Indiana, August 24, 1824.  Two years later his
father died and his mother removed to Fleming county, Kentucky, where she died
when Joseph was but six years of age.  At the age of sixteen he went to
Lancaster, Ohio, and learned the blacksmith trade in his brother's shop.  In
1844 his brother opened a shop in Marion county, Missouri, and Joseph worked for
him there for a time, afterwards going into partnership with another man in the
same business in Monroe county, Missouri.  He crossed the plains to California
in 1849, and mined on Murderer's bar, American river.  In the winter he made
shingles in the Redwoods below San Francisco.  He mined again the next year, and
having become in poor health, returned home in the fall of 1850, going the by
the Isthmus and New Orleans.  Upon his return he again went into business with
his old partner, and afterwards with his partner's brother, doing a large
business in blacksmithing, wagonmaking, etc.  Later he bought a farm in Monroe
county, and worked it until 1872, when he sold out and came to Washington
Territory.  He purchased a place on the Patit, ten miles above Dayton, which he
improved, developed, and added to by other purchases, residing there until the
spring of 1881, when he sold it to Albert Ayers, and bought his present farm,
two miles north of the old one and near the homes of four of his children.  A
view of the place is given on another page.  During his residence in Missouri
Mr. Donaldson made two trips to the Rocky mountains, one to Pike's Peak, during
the excitement about that famous locality, and one to Montana, during the war.
In the latter trip the Blackfeet made a descent upon the train when near the
Black Hills, shot one man and captured some of their stock.
     Mr. Donaldson was married to Miss Harriet Hunter, a native of Cumberland
county, Kentucky, April 23, 1854.  They have seven children:  John S., born
January 10, 1855; Mary A., November 27, 1856; William J., March 18, 1859; Ida,
July 19, 1861; Joseph E., May 23, 1864; Charles W., May 11, 1869; Robert, May
23, 1877; Unice Maud, January 10, 1880.

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Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in August 2006 by Diana Smith.

Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.