Bannonj
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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