1900 Biography - James J. Hayes

JAMES J. HAYES. The name of this gentleman is familiar to the readers of this work, as he has been identified with the financial and social growth of Dawson and vicinity for many years. He conducts the largest general merchandise establishment in the city, and is also interested largely in farming near there and also stock raising.

Our subject was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 16, 1858. His father, Phillip Hayes, was born in Ireland, and was the foreman of a cotton press eighteen years, and in his early life was a sailor. The grandfather of our subject, Thomas Hayes, was born in Ireland, and lived in Liverpool, England. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Catherine McKartney, was born and raised in England, and the parents of our subject were married in New Orleans in 1848. They raised a family of eight children, our subject being the fifth in order of birth. The family went to Wisconsin when he was two years of age, and settled in Adams county on a farm, in 1860, and soon afterward the father returned to New Orleans to work and was held in the Confederate lines three years during the Civil war.

Our subject was raised on a farm in Wisconsin, and attended the country schools, and at the age of eighteen years left home and went to Minnesota, where he worked for some time and aided the family at home. He went to the woods of northern Wisconsin, in 1879, and worked at lumbering until the spring of 1882, spending his winter months in the woods and the spring in the log drives, and during the summer rafted, going as far south as St. Louis. He went to Eldridge, Stutsman county, North Dakota, in the spring of 1882, and worked on the Northern Pacific Railroad eleven years, and served most of the time as foreman of the section. He also took government land which he proved claim to and during the eleven years worked on the line from Jamestown to Bismarck and made headquarters at Steele. Mr. Hayes located at Dawson in 1893, and in April of the next year established a grocery store in the Sibley house block, and with a small stock began his business career. He purchased the business of F. J. Kilmer & Company, general merchants, in the fall of 1898, and continued the business in their old location, and now carries a general line, including hardware, and conducts the largest store in Dawson. He began farming in 1895, and now follows that line of work to a small extent.

Our subject was married, in 1889, to Margaret McCurrey, a native of Clenco, Minnesota. Mrs. Hayes is a daughter of Hugh McCurrey, a former agriculturist, of Minnesota, and now well known as an early settler of Dakota. He was born in Ireland, and served six months in the Civil war and was wounded at the battle of Stone River. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, who bears the name of Mary G. Mr. Hayes has served as a member of the school board four years, and he assisted in the organization of Kidder county. He is a member of the Independent Order of Foresters and Brotherhood of American Yeomen. Politically Mr. Hayes is a Democrat.

Extracted 22 Nov 2020, by Norma Hass, from Compendium of History and Biography of North Dakota published in 1900, page 684.