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The town of Donnellson was named for the Donnell families, W. A. and Eston, who lived on either side of what is now Highway 218 in the south part of town. W. A. Donnell came to Lee County in 1839 and married Hannah C. Hamilton December 24, 1843. They had four sons and four daughters. W.A. died January 1, 1899 at the age of 82. Eston Donnell was born in 1817, and died in 1900. His wife, Sarah, was born in 1819, and died in 1906. The Donnell's are buried in Donnell Cemetery located south of town. W. R. Donnell, a son of Eston, helped with construction of the first building in Donnellson. The building was a small warehouse used for a depot and storage purposes. This was the site where the first dance in Donnellson was held, on July 4, 1870. W. R. Donnell also was the first railroad agent, first express agent, the first merchant, and the first postmaster, holding these positions all at once. In 1871, Donnellson started to grow when it was selected as a site for the railroad to travel through the area running from Fort Madison to Farmington. The railroad line was also part of Burlington and Southwestern Railroad. The Railroad was in operation until 1969, and by that time the railroad was known as Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad. Another line, Keokuk-Mt. Pleasant line was in service for 50 years and in 1931 it was abandoned. The Depot Park (formerly called Donnell Park) is located on Main Street in Donnellson. A bandstand was constructed in 1936 to hold concerts and...

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