John O'Donnell was born in County Donegal, Ireland on May 11, 1861. O'Donnell was a longtime resident of Asheville (Buncombe County) who raised cattle and invested in real estate. He owned approximately one hundred acres on Mount Mitchell at the time of the state's efforts to establish a state park there in 1915. O'Donnell died in Asheville on June 9, 1942.