Michael Quinn- Pioneer
(1846 - 1934)

Read the book about Michael Quinn -

   It May Be Forever

by

David M. Quinn

Biographical Sketch of Michael Quinn

Michael Quinn moved to Lancashire, England at age 4. He received a limited education and left for the USA in 1864, arriving in NYC in July 1864 and thence located in Lawrence, MA where he worked in a cotton mill for 2 years. In 1866 he joined the Fenian raid into Canada. He then went to St. Joseph, Missouri and made a contract to drive an ox-team from there to Denver, Colorado. In Denver he got a job constructing the telegraph line between that city and Salt Lake but heavy snows made it impossible. Mike then went to Julesburg and engaged as a freight teamster between that place and Ft. Laramie. The severity of the winter again stopped operations, and he determined to winter on the Platte. Here he and his comrades had an exciting time, being attacked by Indians who took their horses and cattle. Mr. Quinn remained in that neighborhood and Wyoming 2 years, then went to work on the Union Pacific RR until the track reached Cheyenne. He spent a short time freighting and filling contracts to supply wood in Colorado, and when the excitement over the discovery of gold in the Black Hills broke out he began freighting between Cheyenne and Deadwood, making his first trip in the spring of 1877. Later he freighted between Rock Springs and Fort Friedman for 2 seasons. In 1878, he went to Pierre and freighted between that city and Fort Meade, Deadwood and Rapid City. Having teams of his own, he did a considerable business until 1882. In the spring of 1881, however, he brought cattle and placed them on the Cheyenne river leaving a man in charge of them, and the next year he sold out his freighting outfit and devoted his time to raising cattle on the Cheyenne. When the Sioux reservation opened in 1892 he moved to Bad River and later took up land there.

(History of SD Vol. 2 p. 1645)

The town of Quinn in Pennington County, SD was named for Michael Quinn. It was founded in 1907.