Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

DAYTON–Patrick Francis Donohue and his two brothers arrived in New York City from Ireland circa 1870-80 while in their late twenties or early thirties, with six cents between them. According to family lore, they divided the money, wished each other well and struck out to seek their fortunes.

One brother, name lost in the mists of time, reached Galveston, Tex., where he was killed by a tidal wave caused by an earthquake. The other brother was never heard from again. Patrick Francis, through grit and toil, came to Columbia County and the story of his life that followed reflects the heart and soul of America as a land of opportunity, the inherent rich bounty of Columbia County farmland and a family's inspiration to leave a legacy.

Patrick was born around 1849 in Ireland. Headed West with his two pennies, he worked his way westward, mostly on farms.

On an Illinois farm, he caught the eye of the farmer's daughter, Jersey Virginia Ogden, and they married. With Abraham Lincoln's 1862 Homestead Act drawing Americans to seek their fortunes, the couple and their three children embarked by covered wagon from Joplin, Mo.

It was an arduous journey. The two youngest became ill and died. "They got sick and died," Dwyla Donohue's grandmother would reply when the young Dwyla would plead to hear stories of the pioneering days. "She would tell me of placing rocks on the graves" and the grief they felt, Dwyla said.

In 1883, they had made it to Lavis Siding, Idaho, where Patrick worked on a section crew and Jersey cooked for the men. There, daughter Lizzie was born.

The family arrived in Columbia County on July 3, 1883, and homesteaded on the steep and rocky Cummings Creek, one ridge east of the Tucannon River, in the vicinity of the hatchery and Camp Wooten.

Dwyla and nephews Tim Donohue, Dayton, and Randall, of Dayton and Eugene, Ore., remember stories from their grandfather, Dewey Donohue, the youngest of Patrick's and Jersey's 11 children. Tim remembers Dewey saying that when Patrick and Jersey Donohue established their homestead on Cummings Creek, "they didn't have a pot to piss in" and "all the good land was gone."

Their first home was a "shack," but they eventually built a nice house. "My granddad would say it was a big deal not to have a dirt floor," Tim remembers.

Dwyla echoed the refrain and proudly pointed out that she is the granddaughter of people who came across the plains in a covered wagon, a rare distinction in 2023. "We take so much of our modern conveniences for granted," Dwyla said.

There were 11 children born to the pioneering couple.

-Winnie Donohue. First born, Indiana. Survived the covered wagon journey from Indiana to Washington.

-Unknown name. Second born, Indiana. Died on trail.

-Unknown name. Third born, Indiana. Died on trail.

-Lizzie Donohue Hennigh, born in Idaho on Jan. 15, 1883; died at age 100 on July 24, 1983, buried in Mansfield, Wash.

-Nora Donohue Carlock, born Nov. 26, 1885 in Douglas Co., Washington; died at age 80 on March 25, 1966 in Puyallup, Wash.

-Katy Donohue, at age 12 or 13 was hired out to a farm family in the Pomeroy area, a common practice. At the end of the season, Katy didn't return home. Inquiries revealed that she had died, cause unknown, and had been buried in an unknown location, devastating news to the family.

-Frank Nelson "Mike" Donohue was the first Donohue born in Columbia County, on Dec. 21, 1890; died Nov. 16, 1973. Buried in Dayton City Cemetery.

-Carl Odgen "Joe" Donohue, born Nov. 17, 1892 in Pomeroy; died Jan. 21, 1968 at age 75, in Spokane.

-Patrick E. Donohue, born Dec. 28, 1894; died Nov. 22, 1912, age 17, of blood poisoning from a boil that was caused during harvest. Buried in Holy Rosary Cemetery, Pomeroy.

-Dennis Monroe Donohue, born Jan. 6, 1896 in Columbia County; died at age 87 in Spokane on Dec. 26, 1983.

-Dewey Cummings Donohue, whose middle name paid homage to the location of the homestead, was born Dec. 27, 1897 in Columbia County, and lived until age 82, passing away June 9, 1980. Buried in Pomeroy.

The homesteaders on Cummings Creek would join the other "Highland" folks to celebrate the Fourth of July at the "Tumalum Celebration Place," where families would gather for two weeks of camping and celebrating prior to harvest and other arduous work in store for the remainder of July, August and September.

As the story goes, at one of the Tumalum celebrations, Harold Hopkins arrived in a newfangled horseless carriage, and in the seat beside him was his sister, Marguerite Magdalene Hopkins, Dwyla said, "and my dad [Dewey] saw her. The Donohue kids would work during the summers on the Ernest and Cornelia C. (Nead) Hopkins ranch, a familiar name in that neck of the woods (i.e. Hopkins Ridge Wind Farm). Both Marguerite and Harold were adopted in 1899 by Uncle Ernest and Aunt Cornelia Hopkins.

The Hopkins homestead of 160 acres was established beginning in 1872 by 45-year-old Ira E. Hopkins (1827-1908), father of Ernest Hopkins and great grandfather of Marguerite Hopkins, who was courted by Dewey and on December 15, 1920, the couple married in Walla Walla, Dewey aged 22 and Marguerite 23.

Ernest Hopkins (1854-1930) and his wife Cornelia C. Hopkins (1859-1936) appears to be the most enterprising of the Hopkins offspring, members of the family indicate, with not only farm land, but saw mills and other businesses such as a cooper shop. Ira passed the operation on to Ernest, according to "Washington's Centennial Farms, in 1904.

Ernest eventually bought his seven siblings' interests and then a few of the neighbors, Dwyla related. He was diabetic and his health suffered, yet he was driven to grow and prosper.

In 1889, the crops or livestock raised included mules, horses, cattle and hogs, and 100 years later, crops grown on some 10,000 acres of what had become Donohue Farms included wheat, barley, peas, hay, timber, apples, cattle and horses, according to the Century Farms book produced by the Washington Department of Agriculture.

After acquiring the land in 1904, Ernest sought financial backing from John Hancock Insurance Co., Dwyla said. He drove the company representative out into a field and said "as far as you can see, I own. Can I get the loan?"

Ernest and Cornelia Hopkins built the farm for 20 years, passing it on the Dewey and Marguerite in 1924. The young couple's children at the time were Hubert Francis, born in 1921; Janis Eileen, born in 1924; Sharon Colleen, born in 1927 and Francis Patrick, born in 1928.

The young family was busy with the crops and livestock of the diversified operation in those years. Then the stock market crashed.

They survived the Great Depression thanks to hard work, thrift and timely decisions that were right in the long run. In those lean years, the John Hancock Co. wasn't interested in foreclosing and was satisfied if the interest was covered on the farm loan, Dwyla remembers.

In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal was getting underway and he signed the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which granted immediate economic relief to the nation's farmers. The Act subsidized farmers by endeavoring to restore the balance between expenses and market price and other strategies.

The new legislation demanded more accurate record keeping of America's farmers, Tim recalled. "They had to name each horse," Tim laughed. "Names like Snowflake."

Dwyla was born in 1934, the first year that her father Dewey started a 30-year lease with the Blue Mountain Cannery. Her mother was in the hospital with the newborn and seeing red because Dewey hadn't come to see the newest addition to the family. "Don't get mad," he told Marguerite. "I've been doing business for our family."

He had sold all of the ranch's horses except for four teams. "I bought a tractor," he added.

Dewey not only farmed the family ground, but also custom harvested. Dwyla remembers that her father was meticulous about documenting everything, especially when custom farming. "At some point," she recalls, "and I don't know where he got the money, he owed them [John Hancock] $10,000 in 1946, and he paid them off. My mother got a fur coat when he paid off the loan."

Dwyla had a deep-seated appreciation for many of the things Americans take for granted today. "In 1945, we got electricity," she remembers. "I appreciate it when I turn on a light, drive in an automobile, and have indoor plumbing. We're living in an era of tremendous luxuries for things we take for granted."

The country was in a nose dive during those years of the Great Depression, with government programs and the mobilization of American agriculture and industry to fight World War II playing roles in recovering the United States' economy.

For six decades, Dewey and Marguerite Donohue guided the fortunes of their operation, growing it and their robust family, serving in the community and the state; Dewey was a two-term State Senator. In 1965, the Donohues were named Columbia County Cattlemen of the Year.

Each of the families had broods of their own, whom they raised-most all with that connection to farming, work and getting the job done.

Hubert, the eldest son in this third generation, flew B-17s over Nazi German during World War II. He married Evelyn Barclay and they produced four sons: Randall, Timothy, Ryan (deceased), and Kelly. Hubert followed in his father's footsteps and served in the Senate.

"We grew up on the ranch, doing ranch work," said Randall.

Janis married Glen Nysoe and they joined in the farming operation. They also had four boys: Dain, Gregory, Jock and Jason. Both Greg and Jock passed away from cancer; Dain lives in Dayton and Jason lives in Spokane.

"One thing that was instilled in us as kids, and it goes for Randy, Tim, Kelly, Ryan, Greg, Jock and myself, we all worked on the farm," Dain Nysoe said. "One thing our parents instilled on us was a work ethic. The job had to be done and we were the ones to do it."

"I had the privilege and the honor-my mom drew the home place," Nysoe said of when Donohue Farm was divided among the five siblings. "I go there on a daily basis...mow...weed...work in the shop.

"I was 17 when my dad died," Nysoe said. "Dewey took over that role and was inspirational in a lot of ways."

Sharon trained as a nurse and married prolific Walla Walla architect Theron Smith, a decorated former Flying Tiger in the China-Burma-India Theater, flying "The Hump" to supply the Nationalist Chinese. They had three daughters and a son: Michelle "Chele" Stacey, Reed (deceased), Casi Smith and Shannon Smith-McKeown.

"Our family was taught to respect our heritage and cherish family," Chele Smith Stacey said, speaking on behalf of her branch of the clan, including her sisters Casi Smith and Shannon McKeown, and late brother Reed.

Pat married Lavonda "Muff" and they, too, joined in the family operation during their career. Their daughters are Kathleen "Katy" Wamble and Jeny Edwards (deceased).

"I was always very proud of my granddad, Dewey Donohue," Katy Wamble noted. "He created Donohue Farms and was a state senator and representative for years with only a high school education."

Dwyla attended Whitman College, earned a master's degree in music in New Jersey and studied opera at the Academy of Music, Vienna, Austria, where she spent 10 years. Back to New York City for 14 years in Manhattan working with musicologist Edward Downes, a professor at City University of New York. She helped him compile a book of program annotations for the New York Philharmonic, then in 1981, returned to Washington, working selling real estate in Seattle for 42 years. She retired to Dayton a few years ago.

The Donohue story is not without its hardships and heartbreak. Cut down by cancer in the prime of life, Glen Nysoe died in 1965, aged 47. Cancer claimed Glen's and Janis's sons Greg and Jock. Hubert's and Evelyn's son Ryan died in 2010, age 58. Theron's and Sharon's son Reed died in 2019 at 65 of cancer. Pat's and Muff's daughter Jeny died last November at age 64. Nearly every member of this close-knit family has been touched by the sorrow of an untimely death.

Dwyla is the last remaining sibling. Hubert passed away in 2006 and Pat died ten months later in January, 2007. Sharon passed in May, 2012, and Janis a year later.

"We've had the tremendous fortune–good luck–to be in beautiful Columbia County where we have everything: desert, mountains, streams, fertility with the land and a beautiful home," Dwyla noted. "We have few earthquakes, no typhoons."

A few years after Marguerite died, the Donohue Farm was divided into five parcels, each with wooded mountain ground, irrigated and dryland cropland and grass/pasture, she said. Each of the brothers and sisters drew a slip of paper from a hat, with nary a negative word. "I'm so grateful to my siblings and my wonderful parents," Dwyla said.

The Hubert and Evelyn Donohue parcel, with property in the Upper Whetstone and the mountain is farmed by Tim Donohue's nephew, Rory Donohue, son of the late Ryan Donohue and Cindy (Wheatley) Donohue, and brother Kelly Donohue. Farming of the other four divisions are by lease to Archer UR Ranch.

With harvest waiting in the wings, a few of the more hair-raising stories bubbled to the surface. Dwyla remembers her father always advising when harvesting of the farm's steepest area, Goat Hill, would take place, and the whole clan would turn out "to see if they made it," she said.

Tim Donohue, whose first job in harvest was punching header on a pull combine with a draper header, was cutting Goat Hill one year when his left wheel broke off. "I had just turned to go down at the end of a cut. It was steep and it [the wheel] broke off. I was heading down hill and stayed in the combine, holding the brake, but gravity was winning," he said. "I opened the door and jumped."

-Submitted photo

Dewey and Marguerite Donohue, seated center, and their three daughters and two sons: (standing, left to right) Hubert, Dwyla and Patrick. Seated left, Sharon and, seated right, Janis. Each of the five siblings inherited a portion of Donohue Farms.

Tim was bleeding from stubble wounds on his face and remembers cousin Jock being there. Since it was a Saturday afternoon, he knocked off early (besides, his combine was in need of repair) and headed to Dayton to get a drink to calm his nerves.

Combining Goat Hill was tricky with the John Deere 36 pull combine, Randall remembers. When self-propelled combines came on the scene, Randall was certain that the tiny bit of that steepest ground would finally be deemed "not worth justifying the danger."

Columbia County was created out of Walla Walla County in 1875 and in 1880, Columbia County at 722, had more farms than any other county in the territory. Farms averaged 226 acres, according to the Century Farms book published in 1989.

One of those farms was Donohue Farms, which continues in five separate entities and grew and prospered through both challenging times and fruitful times. Not a bad return on investment of Patrick Francis Donohue's grubstake of two cents.