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Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington",  published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.


     JAMES R. BANNON is a brickmason and plasterer residing in Washtucna.  He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, May 9, 1869, the son of Richard and Henrietta (Kelsey) Bannon, both of whom were born in North Carolina and early in life settled in Kentucky where the father died in 1881.  The mother still lives.  The parents were of Irish descent, and reared a family of seven children, W. P., J. R., Ettie, Hugh H., Arthur, Kate, and Rose.   They also had two children who died in infancy.
     In the public schools of his native city, Mr. Bannon received a good grammar school education, and at the age of fifteen he left home and went south.  He spent two years in the southern states then went to Minnesota, where he remained one year.  In 1888 he came west to Montana, and there lived two years, then returned to his native state where he lived the following eight months, after which he came to Spokane.  His father was a brickmason and plasterer, and from him our subject learned his trade during his early life.  After coming to Spokane he worked at his trade in the city and in the surrounding towns, until locating in Ritzville in 1901.  He has done the plastering in most of the largest buildings of the town, as well as in Washtucna, where he located in 1903.  Here he took charge of the large hotel which he now conducts.  He also owns several town lots in this place.
     On April 10, 1898, Mr. Bannon was married to Stella Archambault, daughter of John and Lumina (Louis) Archambault, the father a native of France and the mother of Canada.  The parents of Mrs. Bannon came to the United States when young and settled in Montana, where they continue to reside.  Mrs. Bannon's brothers and sisters are, Albert, Mabel, Ray and Evert.  The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Bannon are two in number, Mabel and Stella.
     Mr. Bannon is a Democrat, is a member of the Plasterers' Union, and has been secretary of the Builders Trades union for several years.  He is an Odd Fellow, of which order he is past grand master, and which he has represented in the grand lodge.
     Both Mr. and Mrs. Bannon are members of the Catholic faith.


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