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Elsie McDonell (Mrs. Fred Dahl) Primary Teacher 1911-16, 1918-19.

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Camp Crook Belles about 1916

Sara Kerr, Addie May Debelloy, Fleets Stouter Sherrill, Esther McDonell, Barbara Martin, Thelma Thorson, Wanda Turbiville, Sara Martin, Margaret Mosely, Merva Ridgway

Elsie MCDONELL, like her mother Nellie, and Aunt Electa was a teacher in the early days of Camp Crook. Both McDonell girls, Esther and Elsie were said to have fine singing voices and performed publicly on many occasions.

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Cy Martin, standing top row right, the son of Chet Martin was the future husband of Dougal’s youngest daughter, Esther.

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W. J. (Shortie) Quinlan, the Mail man

This picture was given to the Harding County museum by Mrs. Alfed K. Dahl, Belgrade, Montana in 1971. She is the former Elsie McDonell of Camp Crook, who recalls riding with him on his mail route from Camp Crook to Gustave. His route would go by their ranch and she would go to the Hiram Biokerdykes to visit their daughters. They became attached to each other and Shorty named his only daughter, Mrs. Elsie Beckman, of Baker, Mont. after her.

Predators were plentiful

The most famous of all wolves in Harding County was "Three-Toes". He began his active career in 1912 and was in full sweep of destruction in 1917. His range extended into southwestern North Dakota and south eastern Montana. More than 150 men pursued him in vain, and he was known to have destroyed over $ 50,000 worth of livestock. He was over 20 years old when he was finally trapped July 23, 1925, in the Kahoun pasture, near Gallup, SD, by Clyde F. Briggs, deputy predatory animal inspector for South Dakota. The animal was still alive when discovered in the trap, and an effort was made to take him to Buffalo, the county seat, before killing him, but he died before reaching that town. He was 6 feet long and weighed between 75 and 80 pounds.

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Three Toes, famous killer wolf with Trapper Clyde Briggs – 1925

Did “Old Three Toes” take any of Dougal’s sheep?

Some of the early sheepmen were: J.S. Kerr, Wm. Mains, W.B. Clanton, Qrla Moody, Chas. Dumont, Clarence Browning, and U.C. Patton. In 1913, Douga.l McDonell hired mechanic W.S. Stouter to build him a new sheep wagon. It was a veritable home on wheels. There were bins, lockers and drawers for all the necessary supplies, and very substantial construction. The framework was bolted throughout and braced in such a way to promise a long life of hard usage over rough country. McDonell offered use of this portable cottage, furnished and stocked, absolutely rent free to the first good sheep herder who came along.

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The Sheep Herder’s Home on the Range (unknown herder)

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A sheep wagon presumed similar to the one built for Dougal can be seen in the Harding County Museum in Buffalo, S. D.

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Shearing crews from the early days

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These fellows are really dressed up for branding, coats no less. This is a

postcard sent by Leo Volin to Willard McDonell Oct. 1908.

According to Dougal’s Last Will and testament he had 12 head of mixed horses and 9 two year old steers when he died. It is not known when he quit the sheep. [pic]

Hack Rosenthal on Tipperary.

It is probable that Dougal spent some Sundays watching Tipperary, the famous bucking horse of Harding County and area do his business.

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Willard and Mae Padden. Willard was younger

brother of Nellie Padden McDonell.

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Obituaries for Dougal and Willard in the Range Gazette 1917-18

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Fairview Cemetery, Camp Crook, South Dakota

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Gravestones of Dougal H. and Nellie C. McDonell

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Gerry McDonald beside his Great

Uncle, Dougal H. McDonell’s grave

The McDonell Hills, May, 2005

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Alvin Cordell, rancher, Camp Crook and Zach McDonald,

G. Grandnephew of Dougal.. Dougal would have hauled

slab rock from here for building foundations. Near these

hills is where Wilder shot the last buffalo.

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Wagon wheel ruts leading to McDonell home site.

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Stone foundations are close by the old well

where a bush grows.

We are grateful to numerous people of South Dakota who aided us in locating and filling in parts of Dougal’s story. Among them are Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Cordell, of Camp Crook, who took time from their busy day during lambing and calving season to show us remains of the McDonell place. We are also indebted to Bennie Padden, Sue Litzel, Denise Kalisiak, Betty Olson, Nora Boyer and the owners of the Tipperary Motel, all of Harding County, as well as Angie Ross of Meade County and Mr. and Mrs. Neal Rowett, descendants of James (Iowa), (Preacher) Brown, close friend of the McDonell brothers, all of whom had a hand in directing us to information concerning Dougal Hugh McDonell.

Finally we thank two new cousins in our family, Dougal’s Granddaughter, Catherine Callantine, daughter of Elsie (McDonell) Dahl and Alfred Dahl and Metta Martin, widow of Dougal’s Grandson, Robert Hugh Martin, son of Esther (McDonell) Martin and Sy Martin.

In May of 2005, my son Zach and I took the opportunity to visit Harding and Meade Counties to see first hand, the place where my Great Uncle, Dougal H. McDonell lived, loved and died. My quest to find the Dougal in our family, after fifty plus years of searching, is now satisfied.

G. A. McDonald

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