James S. Nolan (1856–1934) was a Pennsylvania‑born horse dealer who became one of Minneapolis’s major figures in the late 19th–early 20th century horse trade, later transitioning into railroad and highway contracting.
Born: 13 November 1856, Pottsville (Hectorville), Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania
Died: 5 May 1934, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Parents:
Matthew Nolan (1824–1892)
Mary Shea Nolan (1831–1908)
Siblings: Ann, Mary, Ellen, John, Margaret Agnes, Catherine A., Elizabeth, and half‑sibling Jas E.
This places him squarely in the same Pennsylvania‑to‑Minnesota migration pattern as the rest of the Nolan line — the Irish mining families who left Schuylkill County for the Upper Midwest in the late 1800s.
James married Ellen Sexton in 1887 in Minneapolis. Their children were:
William Leo Nolan (1888–1968)
Mathew J. Nolan (1889–1929)
Aloysius Thomas Nolan (1894–1948)
This makes him the grandfather of Matthew James “Mutzie” Nolan (1923–2000).
James Nolan was described as “one of the colorful figures of the old harness days” and, for many years, the largest horse dealer in the region. Key points:
Arrived in Minneapolis at age 20.
Established a horse‑buying and selling business at 13 North Second Street.
Operated until 1919, when automobiles overtook horse‑powered transport.
Then organized Nolan Bros., a railroad and highway contracting firm.
This shift from horses to infrastructure mirrors the broader economic transition of the era — and shows the entrepreneurial adaptability that clearly runs through the Nolan line.
Died: St. Mary’s Hospital, Minneapolis, after a brief illness
Burial: St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Minneapolis
Survived by: wife Ellen, sons William L. and A.T. Nolan, three sisters (including Mother St. Augustine of the St. Joseph’s Order), and 16 grandchildren
James S. Nolan is a pivotal figure in the Nolan lineage:
Son of the Pennsylvania mining‑era Nolans
Early Minneapolis settler
Major horse dealer and later contractor
Patriarch of the Minnesota Nolan branch.