Untitled From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, publ. 1901- page 465-466

JAMES DOLAN, a popular and rising young attorney at law of Platteville, Grant county, was born in Belmont, Lafayette Co., Wis., in December, 1863, and is a son of Owen and Jane DOLAN, the former of whom was born in Ireland June 23, 1833, and the latter in Greenveille, Bond Co., Ill., March 4, 1842.

Owen DOLAN came to America in 1853, and located at Mauch Chunk, Penn., where he worked two years in the mines, in 1855 coming to Platteville, Wis., and in November, 1861, he was married. He then purchased a farm at Belmont, where he engaged chiefly in stock raising. Later he passed two years in prospecting in California, and returned overland, riding one pony a distance of over 1,800 miles, from the Golden State to Omaha, Neb.; at that place the pony broke away from a carriage to which he was tied and escaped with a herd of wild ponies Mr. DOLAN then settled in Lafayette county, Wis., and farmed until 1884, when he returned to Platteville. He died Feb. 12, 1899, on his farm in Belmont, in the faith of the Catholic Church; in politics he was always a Democrat. His estimable wife had passed away in 1892, leaving one son and two daughters.

James DOLAN, the eldest of the family of three children, was educated in the State Normal school, Platteville, and was also graduated from the Law Department of the State University, at Madison, Wis., with the class of 1897. In the meantime, however, after having graduated from the State Normal in 1891, he was for some years principal of the Highland (Iowa county) schools, and before entering upon the practice of the law, was also principal of the public school in Platteville. In 1897 Mr. DOLAN opened his law office, and at once secured an encouraging clientele. In 1898 he was elected a justice of the peace on the Democratic ticket, although the city was largely Republican, and in conjunction with the duties of this office continued the practice of his profession. It is stated that it was rarely that a case he had passed upon as a justice was carried to a higher court.

Miss Mary E. DOLAN, the elder sister of James, was also born in Belmont, and educated in the Platteville State Normal, is a lady of culture and refinement, was one of the successful teachers in the State, and now resides at the home in Platteville. Miss Margaret R. DOLAN, the younger sister, now deceased, was likewise born in Belmont, was graduated from the State Normal, and was one of the leading young teachers in Grant and other counties. She died in 1898, while on her way from Arizona, where she had been for the purpose of recruiting her failing health. She was of a most amiable disposition, and was greatly beloved in Platteville, as well as elsewhere, and stood very high in the esteem of the members of her profession. she was, as are her brother and sister, devout in the Catholic faith.

James DOLAN is a scholarly gentleman, and an able and astute lawyer; is liberal in his views on all questions; is broad-minded; despises hypocrisy and sycophancy in any and every form; never takes an unfair advantage of an opponent; and is therefore held in the highest esteem by his fellow members of the Bar and the incumbents of the Bench.



This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck