Researching Daniel Marsh

Marsh spent his youth in Nashua, New Hampshire, attending the public schools, and starting his working career there. As a young man, he served with the 30th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment and was a part of the Dakota Territory Indian campaigns.

By 1876 Marsh was managing a small general store in Fort Benton, Montana, after which he joined the Fort Benton firm T. C. Power and Bro and in 1876 moved to Fort Walsh (in Saskatchewan) to manage their store, remaining at that post until 1883. As the Canadian Pacific Railway moved west, Marsh saw the opportunity to open up new stores for the company; he opened a store in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan in 1883, and opened a Calgary branch in 1884, remaining as manager of that post until 1893. He arranged for his nephew, Horace A. Greeley, to manage the store in Maple Creek.

Marsh became a prominent moneylender soon after his arrival in Calgary. In 1887 he married Julia Wood Shurtliff, the widow of North-West Mounted Police superintendent Albert Shurtliff. They had one daughter. T. C. Power and Bro. sold the Calgary store to Marsh in 1893, and he continued operating it until 1901.

Marsh served one term as mayor of the town of Calgary, winning by acclamation in the 1889 election and serving from January 21, 1889, to January 20, 1890.

Upon his death in Calgary, his estate was appraised at $351,000. The majority of his estate was left to Julia, who died two years later.

Dan Marsh was a powerful striker of the ball and was capable of occupying the crease for long periods. He led the Tasmanians to just their second ever trophy when they won the 2004–05 ING Cup. He contributed a half century in the final. As Tasmania's stand-in captain in the absence of Australian Test cricket captain Ricky Ponting, Marsh led Tasmania to its maiden Pura Cup final win in 2006–07, and also captained the Tiger's to their third domestic one-day trophy when they won the Ford Ranger Cup in 2007–08.

Whilst Ricky Ponting was officially the Tasmanian cricket captain from 2001/02 until he announced he was standing down on 21 November 2007, this was primarily a ceremonial appointment in order to have the Australian captain as Tasmanian captain as well. In effect Marsh, his Vice-Captain, performed the captaincy duties on most occasions, and was appointed outright following Ponting standing aside. He retired from First Class Cricket at the end of the 2009–10 Australian domestic season.