From the Biographical History of Eminent and Self-Made Men with Portrait Illustrations on Steel, Volumes I-II, (1878)

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James Hugh Macdonald of Escanaba was born in northwest Inverness-shire, Scotland May 12, 1832. His parents Hugh and Catherine (McClellan) Macdonald had a family of seven children, six sons and one daughter. One of the sons died in infancy. The others are John, a carpenter; Ronald, a farmer; Philip, a blacksmith; [James] the subject of this sketch; and the youngest, named Alexander.

When James H. Macdonald was about two years old, the family removed to Cape Breton, in British North America. There he attended common schools; and at the age of sixteen, went with a second cousin, John Macdonald, to Pictou, Nova Scotia. In 1848, with the same companion, he embarked on a vessel as a steward and went to Philadelphia. He engaged as a clerk in a store situated at a coal mine called Muddy Branch; and about seventeen months afterwards went to work in the mine. During the time, he made a proposition to the owner to run the mine on contract; and the superintendent hearing of it, he was discharged.

In the spring of 1849, he began working by the day, at Tamaqua, Pennsylvania on railroad construction, but aroused by the envy of the men by doing better work than they, was driven to give up his place. Soon afterwards he engaged in mining at Reinhart's Run, Pennsylvania, and remained there until the spring of 1850.

He then superintended the track laying on the Beaver Meadow Railroad, and after its completion took charge of a section. In 1851, he went to Dauphin, and became road-master, and general overseer of construction , having charge of all the material and its delivery to track layers on the extension.

He held that position until the latter part of 1852, at which time he visited Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Fredericksburg, Virginia, looking for work. In 1853 he worked the Ohio Central Railroad, as foreman for the Bradley, Whetemore, and Company, and afterwards had charge of the entire business. In the spring of 1854 the company failed, and he took horses as payment for his services. He rode horseback to Chicago and in the fall began working for the Milwaukee and La Crosse Railroad, where he remained until 1859. He then engaged with Selah Chamberlain, and worked on the construction of the Great Western Railroad, in Cuba; but in July, 1860, on account of the poor health of his family, he was obliged to leave the country.

He according returned to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and was again employed by the Milwaukee and La Crosse Railroad Company, being stationed at Greenfield. In 1861, he left their employment and in the fall of 1862, removed to Escanaba, Michigan, engaging as foreman, during the construction of the Peninsula division of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad and afterwards building several of its branches

About 1868 he built the first division of the Chicago and Michigan Lake Shore Railroad; and in 1868, returned to Escanaba, on the Chicago and Northwestern railroad.

In 1873 he built the Mineral Range Railroad, from Hancock to Calumet; and after its completion superintended it for two years. He then returned to Escanaba; and in the company of R. P. Herman, leased the Teal Lake Mining Company, and organized a stock company called the Cambria Mining Company, with Mr. Macdonald as President and Treasurer

In March of 1876, he was appointed Road-master of the Peninsula division of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, which position he still holds. He is also a speculator in mineral lands. He is a member of the Masonic Fraternity, which he joined in 1865. He is a Republican, and has held the office of Justice of the Peace, in Wisconsin and the same office two years in Escanaba. He is an attendant and trustee of the Presbyterian Church of Escanaba.

On February 28, 1854, he married, in Watertown, Wisconsin, Miss Eliza S. Holt, daughter of John Holt, a resident of Beemertown, Wisconsin and formerly of Maine. They have three children, two sons and a daughter.