Donnelly History
History
The Nez Perce, Bannock and Shoshone tribes traditionally camped here in the Upper Long Valley during summer. In the late 1880s, Finnish immigrants arrived and settled in the area, followed by the Donnelly family around 1890, after whom the town was named. Mr. Donnelly brought the railroad through the settlement a couple decades later, causing such small towns as McCall, Cascade, and Donnelly to flourish, while quickly choking the economic lifeblood of other outlying towns. Then, around 1940, when the economy shifted during World War II, Donnelly quieted down—on its way to becoming the peaceful town that it is today.