THE PIONEERS
Our Oldest Citizens, Who Made This Country What It Is
Decatur County Woman Is Honored In Her "Far West" Home Made Journey Overland by Ox Team Conveyance Fifty-five Years Ago
The subject for our pioneer sketch this week is Mrs. Camilla T. Donnell, of the Dalles, Oregon, who was one of the early residents of Decatur county. We have assigned her brother, Orville Thomson, the pleasant task of introducing her to our readers. Mrs. Camilla T. Donnell was the recipient of a pleasant reception by her neighbors of the Dalles, Oregon, on the occasion of her eightieth birthday anniversary on Wednesday, April 3rd. She was the daughter of John and Spicy G. Thomson, "pioneers" in fact (1823) of the county, and was born near where Kingston now is, April 3, 1827. She was married to Zelik M. Donnell in February, 1852, and a short time after started on the perilous journey "across the plain," conveyed by ox teams consisting of milch cows, reaching the valley of the Williamette that fall, and a few years later moving to The Dalles, which has since been her home. John Tomson, her father, was a descendant of an old Scotch-Irish family, which emigrated to this country about 1760, and was notable for its orthodox faith, and especially for the number of ministers it gave to the Presbyterian church, over thirty all told, one a missionary in Judea for over thirty years, and another a professor in Hanover College a good part of a life time.
The father, in connection with his brother-in-law, Elijah Mitchell, introduced the first wool carding machinery into this country, about 1826-27; was sheriff from 1829 to 1833, Associate Judge and Probate Judge until the office was abolished: founded the Greensburg Repository (now THE STANDARD) in 1835; was an elder in the Presbyterian church here from 1833 until his death in 1856.
The mother was a daughter of "Grandma" Mary Hamilton, also a pioneer of 1823, and a sister of the well known Hamilton family that occupied nearly all the roadside lying between Greensburg and Clarksburg. She died in 1838, at the age of thirty-six, an early age for the Hamilton stock.
Mrs. Donnell entered Decatur county Seminary as a pupil on the first day of its opening in 1834, under the superintendency of Prof. James G. May, then, and for many years thereafter, one of the most eminent among Indiana teachers, and continued a pupil therein until her graduation. She taught in many district schools scattered over this county. The Dalles newspapers gave extensive notices of the reception given to Mrs. Donnell. Below we give the article that appeared in the Dalles Chronicle:
FOUR SCORE YEARS
"Among the many social events which have taken place in the Dalles this season, one which occurred at the home of Mrs. C. J. Crandall yesterday afternoon and evening stands in a class distinctly its own, since it is not often a community is privileged to celebrate such occasion, the eightieth anniversary of the birth of one of its residents, in this instance, Mrs. Camilla Donnell, mother of Mrs. Crandall and our townsman, M. Z. Donnell, was the honored guest of the happy event, and through the kind forethought of her daughter, over one hundred of her old time companions and more recent friends were privileged to extend their feliciations, and not only to congratualte her, but themselves as well, that it has been their good lot to know such a noble character as Mrs. Donnell; one who has so ordered her years, through prosperity and adversity, through sunshine and cloud, that the silver lining has never been lost sight of; one who has never neglected an opportunity to improve her mind, but has constantly applied her heart unto wisdom until she has attained to the four score years with remarkable vigor and an interest in life characteristic of youth. Feeling that her life has been a blessing to them, her friends who greeted her yesterday expressed their congratulation in many pretty gifts of flowers, books, etc.
The Crandall home was very beautifully and appropriately decorated for the occasion, the shades of lavender prevailing in the reception room, while the dining room was in the rich golden shade, representating the riper years, daffodils, and Oregon grapes being used artistically. On a large table prettily spread were four large birthday cakes, each bearing twenty candles in white, pink, red and yellow, representing the seasons. In well chosen remarks, Mrs. Crandall introduced her mother's earliest friends, Mrs. E. M. Wilson, Mrs. W. Lord, and Mrs. S. L. Brooks, and to them was assigned the pleasant duty of assisting in cutting the cakes; but before this was done Mrs. Wilson, on behalf of the Ladies' Aid Society and Missionary Society of the Congregational church (Mrs. Donnell being president of the latter) presented Mrs. Donnell with a Bible, referring to her early acquaintance with her in 1853, and to pioneer life in Oregon. Mrs. Brooks made some very appropriate remarks in dedicating the birthday book, in which each guest inscribed her name. From early afternoon until evening the friends continued to arrive and extend congratulations, being served to light refreshments by Mrs. Crandall and relatives.
"Mrs. Donnell, who was born at Greensburg, Decatur County, Indiana on April 3, 1827, was a pioneer Oregonian, coming to the Williamette valley in 1852, and to Wasco county in 1858. With the exception of a short residence at Goldendale, she has made her home in The Dalles for almost a half century. Could the wishes of her admiring friends influence the coming years, they would cause them to deal so gently with Mrs. Donnell that they might have her with them another half century."
