"An Illustrated History of Whitman County, state of Washington." San Francisco:
W. H. Lever, 1901.  p. 262
 
W. J. DONAHOE

     Among the successful and extensive farmers of the Palouse country is he
whose name forms the caption of this review. His fine farm and improvements and
the general air of thrift about his premises prove him to be a man of energy and
good judgment and go far to establish his right to a rank among the leading
agriculturists of his section.
     Mr. Donahoe is a native of Canada, born in Quebec in September, 1844.  He
passed the early years of his life there, acquiring his education in the local
public schools, and when the time came to inaugurate independent action,
engaging in agricultural pursuits. In 1866 he removed to California and turned
his attention to the lumber business, a line which he followed until 1871, which
year is the date of his advent to Whitman county. Locating on land a mile and a
half southeast of Rosalia, he again turned his attention to the basic art and to
stock raising, though in 1873 he erected for Mr. Glover at Spokane a small
sawmill, and for three years thereafter busied himself in its operation. In 1876
he returned to his ranch, and since that date he has been in agriculture and
stock raising continuously. By the use of his pre-emption right and by purchase
he has augmented his realty holdings, until they now aggregate five hundred and
sixty acres. This generous domain has been improved by judicious cultivation and
by the erection of a comfortable home and good, substantial outbuildings, and in
his barns is an abundance of machinery of all kinds necessary to a well-
regulated farm. Having been a resident of the territory now embraced in Whitman
county before it was given a separate political existence, he has distinct
recollections of the days when it was necessary for him to go to Colville to pay
his taxes.
     In this county, in the year 1876, our subject married Miss Martha Gage, a
native of Oregon, and as issue of their union they now have six children: Mary,
wife of Richard Coger, residing a mile and a half north of Rosalia; William;
Benjamin; Leo; Walter; and Frank.
     Mr. Donahoes home place is located, as he firmly believes, on the site of
the famous battle of Steptoe, an account of which has been given to our readers
on former pages.  He has a ten-pound shell that was doubtless fired during that
engagement, which was plowed out by him in one of his fields.
 

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Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in May 2010 by Diana Smith.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.