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Descendants of John Donavan

Generation No. 4

4. ISAAC⁴ DONAVAN (JOHN COBIA³, ISAAC², JOHN¹) was born 1814 in Sumter, SC, and died October 13, 1887 in Kushla, Mobile County, Al. He married (1) REBECCA JANE MICKLE Abt. 1837 in Camden, SC, daughter of ROBERT MICKLE and CATHERINE IRVIN. He married (2) ??? VICKERS Abt. 1872.

Notes for ISAAC DONAVAN:
He moved to Mobile, AL in 1839. After a long and eventful career, he passed away at his home in Kushla, AL, on October 13, 1887. An imformative and most touching editorial appeared in the Mobile Register newspaper dated October 18, 1887 on "The Death of Isaac Donavan". He was once proprietor of the paper, having lost it in the Panic of 1873. His father, according to the best imformation gathered was John C. Donavan. He had two brothers, William C. and Theodore, both having served in the Confederate Army. He was also a Confederate soldier. ( The following is copied from the microfilm files, Mobile Public Library.) This is his obituary, which appeared in the Saturday morning, October 18, 1887, issue of the The Mobile Register.

DEATH OF ISAAC DONAVAN

Monday morning at Kushla, in this county, Isaac Donavan was found dead in his bed, having been attacked at the heart by paralysis, a disease from which he suffered for the past seven years. He was a remarkable man, and had a long and eventful career. He was born in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1814, and came to Mobile in 1839. After failing in the business of keeping a boarding house, he moved with his family to Kushla, and found an abode in a log cabin there. He clarked (sic) in Mobile, walking every Saturday night to Kushla, a distance of eleven miles, and returning Sunday night in time to open store the following morning. This continued until 1852 when he undertook a contract to keep the telegraph line between Mobile and Montgomery in order. In this occupation he acquired some knowledge of railroad building, and afterwards put his knowledge to good use.

In 1854 he was elected tax-assessor of Mobile County, and faithfully discharged his duties of his office. About the same time he conducted the retail wood business, but gave such large credits that he was soon out of pocket enough to abandon the trade. Shortly he obtained a contract for supplying cross-ties to the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, and in the next few years delivered over a million of ties, and earned a large sum of money.

It was in 1870 that he came into possession of the Mobile Register by virtue of a mortgage created by W. D. Mann who had sublet a contract to Mr. Donavan. In 1872, Mr. Donavan got caught in the same way. He contracted to build the Grand Trunk road and did build it, taking the bonds of the company as payment. There was a time he could have gotten 82 cents on the dollar, but he was persuaded to hold on until securities went to par. The Panic of 1873 came on, however, and his bonds went down to nothing, breaking him. He had devoted a great deal of his leisure time to fruit raising and to vegetable farming at Kushla, and made a great success, shipping the largest amunts of any farmer in this county. He has a record of shipping 750 boxes of peaches and 3 carloads of watermelons in one day. His latter years were spent on his farm, where he died, as stated above.

As a farmer he was noted for his indefatigable industry and for the intelligence he displayed in obtaining good results. There were seasons when he made ten and twelve thousand dollars profit from the sale of fruits and vegetables, thus proving the valuable qualities of of the soil of this county when properly handled.

He it was who discovered that Paris green was a toxicon for the dreaded cotton worm. He made experiments and proved that this was the most effective poison which could be used for the purpose of exterminating the pests of the cotton fields. He communicated his discovery to the Agricultural Department at Washington, and the Department advised farmers to try it. He was given no credit for the discovery, although he had used the poison for killing worms long before the Department had any idea that it would be efficacious. Today Paris green is used all over the South for this work, and many a farmer owes his financial salvation to the study and the thought which Isaac Donavan gave to this subject.

When involved by the failure of the Grand Trunk road he gave up everything and resumed his station as a poor man. At one time he could have drawn checks for thousands of dollars, but he uncomplainingly surrendered all, and retired to the farm, there to spend the balance of his days in labor. It is doubtful that he has left anyting behind him except a family which honors him for his loving kindness and for the exceedingly honorable name he established by a life-time of honesty and generosity.

He has twice married and survived both his wives. They were Miss Mickle and Mrs. Vickers. Seven children survive him: Mr. O. C. Donavan of Hattiesburg, Mr. W. G. Donavan, Mrs. M. L. Horn(e), and Mrs. B. Toomer of Mobile, Mr. D. Donavan, who lives on the Sound coast, Mrs. Maggie McBee, of Kushla, and Mr. Hubert Donavan of State Line.

The deceased made a special request that his remains be interred under some chestnut trees on his farm, and this was followed.

The funeral of Captain Isaac Donavan took place Tuesday morning at the home of the deceased at Kushla. There was a large gathering of relatives and friends. A special train took out a number of friends from Mobile, including Rev. J. S. Rencher, pastor of the Franklin Street Methodist Church, who performed the funeral services. He read a passage of Scripture and then made a short and touching address upon the life and character of the lamented dead. The services over, Mr. Reese, who was master of ceremonies, invited all who wished to to look for the last time upon the face of the late Captain to enter and view the remains. Then among others advanced a number of colored persons who had at various times been in the employ of Captain Donavan. They reverently entered the house and gazed with sadness upon the features of the one whom they had loved and respected in life.

The following gentlemen then took up the coffin: Messrs. W. G. Clark, E. B. Lott, S. B. Rich, Henry Alvarerz, Vincent Alvarez and John L. Rapier. These carried the casket through the grove and down to the chestnut where the deceased had requested that his remains should be laid to rest. The casket was lowered into the grave and Mr. Rencher concluded the service with prayer. Then he threw a shovelful of dirt into the grave, pronouncing the words of the burial service. Having done this, his place was taken by four negro men, formerly in the service of the deceased, and they, with shovels, began filling the grave, but hardly had the four had time to become at all weary of the task before four other colored men advanced and claimed the priveledge of the labor. The first four stood aside and the second went to the work. Then four others advanced in the same silent and respectful manner, claiming to share in this last service in honor of the dead. Thus it continued with continual changes of service until the grave was filled. The tribute to the beloved dead was touching in the exreme.

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Notes for REBECCA JANE MICKLE:
(Copied from the microfilm files, Mobile Public Library.)

THE MOBILE REGISTER

I. DONAVAN . . . . . . . . Proprietor
JOHN FORSYTH . . . . . . . Editor
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Sunday Morning . . . . . . . December 24, 1871
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EDITORIAL PAGE

The wife of Mr. Isaac Donavan, Propietor of the Regiater, departed this life very sadly at six o'clock yesterday evening, bringing forcibly to mind, by associations of the seasons, how short is the step from the abode of mirth to the house of mourning. Mrs. Donavan had long been the victim of disease and very recently came to the city for such medical attention as might alleviate her sufferings, though with little hope that it could prolong her life. Indeed, but two or three days ago a fatal termination was deemed imminent, but a seeming improvement which succeded had quieted present apprehensions, thus adding poignancy to the bereavement which occurred instantaneouly, as it were, scarcely giving an oppourtunity to her family to witness her last breath.

The funeral will take place, as elsewhere announced, from the St. Francis Street Baptist Church, at 11 o'clock this morning.

FUNERAL NOTICES
Died, in this city, on Saturday, December 23, 1871, at 6 o'clock P.M., Mrs. Rebecca J. Donavan, wife of Mr. Isaac Donavan, aged 50 years.

The friends and aquantances of the deceased and her husband, and of Mr. W. G. Donavan, are respectfully invited to attend her funeral this (Sunday) morning at 11 o'clock from St. Francis Street Baptist Church.

Children of ISAAC DONAVAN and REBECCA MICKLE are:

OCTAVIUS CHARLES⁵ DONAVAN, b. April 1839, Hamburg, Perry County, Al; d. December 17, 1901, Hattiesburg, Forrest County, Ms.

ii.

WALTER GREYSON DONAVAN, b. May 14, 1843, Kushla, Mobile County, Al; d. March 8, 1895.

iii.

MARY LOUISA DONAVAN, b. 1846, Kushla, Mobile County, Al.

iv.

ALICE DONAVAN, b. 1847, Kushla, Mobile County, Al.

10.

DOUGLAS DONAVAN, b. November 1849, Kushla, Mobile County, Al; d. Kushla, Mobile County, Al.

11.

vi.

MARGARET DONAVAN, b. 1853, Kushla, Mobile County, Al.

12.

vii.

HUBERT INDEPENDENCE DONAVAN, b. July 4, 1855, Kushla, Mobile County, Al; d. May 2, 1917, Mobile, Al.

5. WILLIAM COBIA⁴ DONAVAN (JOHN COBIA³, ISAAC², JOHN¹) was born October 1833 in Richland District, SC, and died 1908 in Mobile, AL. He married ANN ELIZABETH DUNHAM, daughter of ? DUNHAM.

Notes for WILLIAM COBIA DONAVAN:
Buried at Magolia Cemetary, Mobile, AL.
Served in Company E, Washington Light Infantry, Third Alabama Infantry, CSA. Enlisted April 23, 1861, discharged by authority from headquarters, June 30, 1861. After his discharge, he was employed as an 'overseer of mechanics' at Ft. Gaines, Al., from September 0f 1861 to March of 1862. He was a carpenter before his enlistment in the Confederate Army.

Children of WILLIAM DONAVAN and ANN DUNHAM are:

13.

ROLAND BEAULEMETTE⁵ DONAVAN I, d. 1927.

ii.

ELLA EUGENIA DONAVAN, b. February 2, 1858; d. January 22, 1860, Mobile, AL.

14.

iii.

JOHN COBIA DONAVAN, b. 1859, Texas.

iv.

RACHAEL VIRGINIA DONAVAN, b. April 19, 1861, Mobile, Al; d. September 8, 1864, Mobile, AL.