John McDannald together with his wife Margaret and six of the children crossed the plains by ox team in 1865. And he was appointed by the United States Government as captain of his train while crossing the plains. I have a diary of this trip kept by my father, David Willis McDannald. He took up a homestead in Umatilla Co, Oregon on the banks of Mud Creek where he built a log house, where I was born, and this log house is still standing. John has one daughter still living. She is Emma Caroline who will be 81 years old on Nov 2, 1936."

(The U.S. Army was having considerable trouble with Indians attacking wagon trains in 1865 and would not let any of them leave Ft. Kearny along the Oregon trail until they had formed at least 50 wagons and appointed someone captain of the train, and had it organized along military rules. It was at Fort Kearny that John McDannald II was appointed captain of the train.)

In 1941, another of John's grandsons, Ed Hodgen, wrote of his grandfather:

"Grandfather John McDannald was from Kentucky and was a great hand to hunt. That was the way he kept most of the wagon train in fresh meat. He had an old horse by the name of Selm, and I had ridden on his back a good many times. After a kill, my grandfather would load Selm and they would carry it to the road where the men of the train would pick it up. At camp he would divide it, and anyone who got a hind quarter one time, had to take a front quarter the next time. I still have the three old cap and ball rifles that were brought across the plains.





These are John and Margaret's eight children:

Mary Sophia McDannald
Their first child was born in 1840. In the 1850 census, while George and Malinda are in school, their older sister Mary is at home. The census documents her as "insane". She died in 1852 when she was 12 years old.

George Washington McDannald
born 1841; died 1908, in Brown County at age 67.

Malinda Jane McDannald
born 1843; died 1915, in Oregon at age 72.

Nehemiah McDannald
born 1949; his parents were 32; died 1928 in Oregon at age 79.

David Willis McDannald
born 1851; his parents were 34; died 1926 in California at age 75.

John Harder McDannald
born 1853 and passed away before 1 year old.

Emma Caroline McDannald
born 1855; parents were 38; died 1939 in Oregon at age 84.

Alice Louisa McDannald
born 1857, parents were 40; died 1927 in Oregon at age 70.


John's wife Margaret passed away in 1887 at the age of 70. Two years later, John took the railroad back to Illinois to visit family and friends. A few weeks after he returned to Oregon, he passed away, January 15, 1890, at the age of 72.

Obituary in the January 17, 1890 "Milton Eagle":

Death of John McDannald

At his residence on Mud Creek, on Wednesday night, Jan. 15th, John McDannald closed his eyes on this world for the last time, in the 72nd year of his age. Heart disease was the cause of his demise. Mr. McDannald came to this region in 1865, and engaged in farming, which pursuit he followed up to the time of his death. He leaves six children, three of whom are boys. He was interred at the Ford burying ground on Friday.