Notes for McDonald Family Tree
Notes with MS are by Marjorie Smock Stewart, original creator of this tree. Those with DS are by me.
1. Notes for Joseph Hiram McDonald: MS- Joseph McDonald served on the first Grand Jury in the county at Mexico Missouri. The jury brought an indictment for “betting on poker”. Joseph and Nancy McDonald moved to Lawrence County Missouri. Joseph was in the 1850 census, 88 years old. Appears to have been at the home of his son, Clark, during the census. At this census, Joseph claimed to have been born in North Carolina. Family lore held that he was born in Scotland. Some descendants believe that he was really born in Scotland and came across as an infant or small child and called NC his birthplace.
A 1790 Census Index for New York lists a single Joseph McDonald. He was listed in Richmond County (Staten Island) with two males, one under and one over 16 years of age, and five females. One of the males could have been the Joseph, our progenitor, who was born 1775. Possibly our Joseph was the son of the above Joseph.
It appears that Joseph moved his family to Ohio around 1805 or 1806. His son, Noah (b ca 1806) aka Nash, stated in the 1850 Census that his birth state was Ohio. Many records were lost during the War of 1812 and some were later reconstructed. The reconstructed 1810 Census shows Joseph McDonald owning 130 acres and was taxed at 85 and one-half cents. This property was in Trumbull Co. Ohio. In Trumbull County, Ohio, Early Marriages 1800-1865 by Mrs. Roscoe Winnagle, Ohio Genealogical Society, a Daniel McDonald is listed as marrying Mary Gamble on 28 February 1822. This is believed to have been Joseph’s eldest son and there is no evidence that Daniel continued on with Joseph and family to Kentucky. The 1840 Census for Trumbull County Ohio shows Daniel where he and his wife had 7 children. (info from William A. Bauman from his research on the William Thomas Horrell family, Daviess Co Ky.)
Some researchers contend that the father of Joseph McDonald was a John McDonald. Per this group, John McDonald acquired land in Franklin Co. Kentucky. Upon his death, son Joseph inherited some of it. It is alleged that he left Ohio and went to Franklin Co KY and liked the land well enough that he returned to Ohio and moved his wife and children there. Daniel, the oldest son, remained in Ohio.
Joseph McDonald does not appear on the 1810 Census for Henderson Co Ky but appears on the tax rolls for that county in 1810. Appears on the rolls from 1810 to 1818.
Joseph McDonald moved from Henderson Co Ky to Boone Co Missouri in 1818. Joseph was listed in the 1830 Census for Boone County Missouri as being in the 50-60 age group and Nancy was also listed in this group. This census shows them having 5 sons: two 5-10 years, two 10-15, and one 15-20. Also two daughters 5-10 years.
Joseph and Nancy were listed in the 1840 Census but had moved to Audrain County. They were shown in the 60-70 year old range. In the last census, all of the sons had left home and two daughters remained, one in the 5-10 year old range and one in the 15-20 range.
DS- Genealogy Magazine story of Clark McDonald says Clark’s dad Jarrell McD “was one of 14 sons [6 named are in db] and 2 daughters,” Nancy and Sallie. Susan is not included.
2. Notes for Adam Fickas: MS- Per family lore, Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Bowman, lived in the house with Adam and Susan Fickas during the last portion of Susan’s life to help with the chores. After Susan’s death, her services were still needed and to avoid unpleasant gossip, Adam Fickas married Elizabeth Bowman. He remembered her in his will along with his children. It is reported that Adam Fickas did not trust the banks of his day and hid money beneath the planks of the floor in his home. Elizabeth Bowman (now Fickas) revealed this to Adam’s sons and the money was uncovered and added to Adam’s estate for equitable distribution among the heirs.
Adam Fickas rode a pack horse from Kentucky to Boone County, Missouri in the fall of 1818. He went in the company of his sister (probably Sarah, who had married Isham Willingham). They settled in an area known as Boone Lick Country, so named for a salt spring discovered earlier by Daniel Boone. A year after arriving in Missouri, Adam married Susan McDonald, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Ogden) McDonald. Susan’s father, Joseph, became a widower and married Nancy Willingham in 1813 in Henderson Co. Kentucky. 1n 1818 Joseph McDonald and wife, Nancy Willingham moved their family to Boone County Missouri. Adam Fickas and his sister, Sarah Willingham, moved to Boone County. It is possible that Joseph McDonald and his family may have travelled west with Adam Fickas and his sister, and her family as it was not uncommon for several families from the same general area to travel together for their mutual safety. Adam Fickas filed patent claims on three contiguous parcels of land in Boone county, that became Howard County. Calloway county was formed from parts of Howard, Boone, and Montgomery counties. This caused confusion with the census which showed Adam and family in Calloway County and they lived in Boone County.
By 1837, Adam had lived in Boone County for about 17 years and accumulated 304 acres of land in Boone and Calloway Counties. In 1837 Adam purchased 160 acres in Johnson County Missouri in Warrensburg Township. Adam Fickas and his wife (Susan McDonald) raised their children and lived out their lives in Warrensburg, Missouri. Adam and Susan lived there 38 years.
3. Notes for John HIRAM McDonald: MS- A later census shows Hiram being born in 1805 per researcher, William A. Bauman in his account of the William Thomas Horrell family of Daviess Co., Ky. In the Censuses of 1850, 1860, and 1870 he states that he was born in NY in 1805. The 1830 Census shows him living in Henderson Co., Ky.
The 1830 Census shows Hiram as owning one slave, male 36-50 years old. Hiram was listed in the 1840, 1850, and 1860 Censuses as living in Henderson Co., Ky. The 1850 Census shows him as Hiram McDaniel. The 1860 Census shows him living in the Hebbardsville District of Ky. He declared his real estate to have the value of $800 and other property to have a value of $400
The 1870 Census shows Hiram living in the Curdsville district of Daviess County, Ky. and aged 65. Hiram McDonald died ca August 1876 at 71 years of age. On September 18, 1876, Mary Ann was appointed administrix of his estate in the Daviess County Court Records. The 1880 Census shows a 7 year old Frank living with Mary Ann – possibly born to Hiram when he was 68 years old.
4. Notes for Jarrell “Giles” McDonald: MS- “Giles” McDonald is shown in the 1860 Census of Montague County Texas as being 40 years old and born in Mo. 1860 Census of Montague County Texas shows the children of Giles to be: Judea age 16 born in Mo., Cash age 12 born in Mo., Jarrold age 10 born in Mo., Clark age 8 born in Mo., Charlie age 4 born in Mo., and Mary age 10-11 born in Texas.
Per Claudette Smith, Jarrell “Giles” McDonald became bored with farming in Montague County Texas and moved to San Antonio, Texas. Here he opened a grocery store. The San Antonio Daily Express wrote up a “fiendish double murder”. Jarrell and his wife were burned to a crisp after a fiend robbed them. The edition was Sunday morning April 14, 1889. Some of the family from Bowie came to San Antonio and identified the remains. His exact grave has not been identified. Confusion on actual date of Jarrell’s birth and location. Some family think that he was born in 1819 in Ky. and some think that he was born in 1817 in Mo. He seems to have been raised in Polk Co. Mo. In 1870 census “Jarels” shown as 53 yrs, born in Mo.
Lived in Queen’s Peak area of Montague Co. Texas and around 1870 entered the mercantile business with a son-in-law. Split worldly possessions with his wife and left for San Antonio, Texas. His wife lived happily with some of her children and ended up with daughter, Mary. Jerrell opened a general store and became attached to another woman. The story is that robbers broke into the store during the night and Jarrell and the woman were living in the building. Jarrell and the woman were left for dead and the building was set on fire. Jarrell lingered in the hospital briefly and kin came to identify him. Jarrell was buried in City Cemetery #1 and no actual map shows the exact location of his grave. The San Antonio newspaper called him “James” and referred to the matter as murder.
Jarrell “Giles” McDonald and his brothers Cash and Pinkney, along with their families, left Missouri by covered wagons bound for Texas. Apparently they had to go to Iowa to find a crossing over the Missouri for wagons. The wife of Pinkney was killed in Iowa due to a run away horse and wagon accident. The brothers arrived in Montague Co. Texas. The family participated in Indian raids and at least one of the family was involved in the cattle drives
Per Claudette Smith: Jarrell left the farm at Queen’s Peak and moved first to Montague and then to Whitesboro to pursue general merchandise. The 1880 census shows him in Dallas, Texas with a wife named Sarah McDonald. He was 64, married, white, a chair maker from Mo. and showed his father’s birthplace as NY and mother’s as KY. Sarah McDonald, wife, white, married, 41 from Arkansas was keeping house and did not know birthplace of parents. They were in Precinct 8, Dallas, Texas. Sometime after 1889 he moved to San Antonio and died April 1889.
Notes for Mary “Polly” Davis: MS- Mary is shown in the 1860 Census of Montague County as being 39 years old and born in Mo. Mary Davis was a sister to Priscilla Davis, who married Cash McDonald.
5. Notes for Pinkney McDonald: MS- There is a marriage index that gives the date 9/26/1839 for the marriage of Pinkney and Elizabeth (Missouri Marriages, Vol. V1). They were married in Clark Co. by a James Lacy. This county is not where the McDonalds and Wainscot families were living at the time. She was also 14 years old. It is believed that they ran away to get married. His age is given as 25 on the 1850 census of Polk County Mo. They are listed on the 1840 Audrain Co. Mo census.
Sometime after the death of Elizabeth (Wainscott) in a run away horse accident, the three children were under the Guardianship of E. Wainscott and later passed onto his brother, Thornton Wainscott – according to court record of Polk County Missouri in 1853. Talitha and Joseph Andrew’s guardianship was given to Andrew Derryberry, E. Derryberry’s father in same court record. Pinkey McDonald seems to have disappeared or perhaps went to the gold rush. In 1855 Pinkney filed to sue Andrew, his father-in-law to get his children back, but it never went to court because he did not file the fee.
These families came on a wagon train to Texas from Polk County sometime after October 1857. Pinkney’s brothers, Cash and Jarrell and families, were on it. Do not know if Pinkney was on it. Pinkney’s son and daughters settled over in Montague County near their uncles. Sarah Ann married Robert Wainscott and he was soon killed in an Indian raid. Pickney McDonald is believed to have been born in Boone Co., Mo.
A family history was written by Billie Edin, a descendant of Lina and the source of the info about the runaway wagon accident.
6. Notes for Joseph Chilton McDonald: MS- Name reported in error as James C. McDonald 1900 Census shows Joseph as living in Breckinridge Co., Ky. 1900 Ky Census, Vol. 7, Sheet 7, Line 75. Per the Bill Bauman report, Joseph C. McDonald was born February 17, 1832 and he refers marriage, census, and birth records.
Notes for Eleanor E McCain: MS- Shown as Ellen McDonald, age 34, 1880 Ky. Census, Vol. 17, Sheet 20, Line 42 and listed as head of household in Curdsville, Ky with three children, the youngest of which was a 10 year old son, Joseph. There was also a 12 year old daughter, Annie and another daughter (age not given), and whose name was illegible – the last three letters appear to be “ura”. Eleanor was given permission by her father Joh, to marry Joseph C. McDonald (Marr #1). Marriage #2 was to J. R. King on December 28, 1871 (Daviess Co. Marriage Bonds, Book 1, Page 171). Marriage #3 was to G. D. Barnes on December 4, 1880 (ibid Book 4, page 31). Marriage #4 was to Moses Crabtree on March 20, 1895 (ibid Book 4, page 196). Eleanor died December 10, 1933 age 90 years, 2 months, 24 days.
7. Notes for Hiram CoLUMbus McDonald: MS- “Lum” McDonald was a clerk in the Green River Baptist Church in Curdsville, Daviess Co. Ky. His son-in-law, Henry H. McCain (Susan C.’s husband) was a deacon in the same church. Hiram Columbus McDonald’s first wife, Mary Josephine Mattingly, was a Catholic. She died at the age of 24 on July 22, 1870 and was buried at St. Alphons Cemetery, St. Joseph, Ky. Hiram Columbus married a second time to Sarah Clementine Brogan. According to their death certificates and obituaries, both were buried at the Bethel Cemetery near Hebbardsville in Henderson Co. Ky.
Marriage #1 Hiram Columbus “Lum” McDonald was 21 years old and Mary Josephine Mattingly was 16 years old. Hiram Columbus McDonald was a Baptist member. He converted to Catholicism because the Mattinglys were devout Catholics. Upon the death of Mary Josephine Mattingly, Hiram C. McDonald remarried to Sarah Clemintine Brogan and reverted to Baptist. Grandfather Mattingly was a large land owner around Curdsville and upon his death he left money to George Thomas, Jim, and Mary Susan provided they attended the Catholic school. George Thomas refused any part of it. Jim was sent by train to the Catholic School near Louisville, Ky. He reported to the school and left his trunk at the depot. That night the monks entered his room with the rosary. Jim crawled out the window that night, returned to the depot and came home. Mary Susan, for a while, attended Mt. St. Joseph’s Academy. This is now a college at Owensboro, Ky.
It is said that George Thomas McDonald and Martha Susan Brogan and their children left Kentucky for Oklahoma Territory when their youngest, Tyler, was 6 months old. They went to the El Reno area of the Oklahoma Territory. With them came George’s half-brother Joe McDonald. Already in the territory were half brothers, Claude McDonald and Ben McDonald. Half-brother Al McDonald also came to the Oklahoma Territory. All were in the El Reno area. George Thomas later acquired some land near Calumet, Oklahoma by a homestead and built and settled there. He did go to Moore, Texas to manage a ranch for his brother-in-law, William D. Syers. He returned to Calumet and lived out his life there. A cousin Charlie McCain came to El Reno and became the local fire chief. Another cousin Lottie (Charlotte) Osburn came to El Reno-Calumet area and married Price Thompson.
8. Notes for Mary M “Mollie” McDonald: MS- Mary is shown in the 1860 Census of Montague County Texas as being 11-12 years old and born in Texas. DS- Findagrave has Mary Carmen b 1871, d/o Jerrell McD and Mary Davis, married James William McNatt. DOB and other dates don’t seem right though, so I’m leaving this as is.
Notes for John CARR McNatt: MS- J Carr McNatt and wife Mary McDonald are buried at the McDonald Cemetery at Bowie, Texas. McDonald Cemetery is located about 4 miles north of Bowie in Montague County. All their children were born at Bowie, Texas and all died and were buried at the Elmwood Cemetery in Bowie. There is a McDonald Cemetery at the foot of Queen’s Peak where Jarrell McDonald and Carr McNatt lived a good portion of their lives. Carr moved to town and eventually lost his farm. Queen’s Peak is higher than the surrounding area and Native Americans used to climb to the top of this peak and keep watch on the settlers. Today the surrounding farms are covered with oil wells.
9. Notes for Joseph Andrew McDonald: MS- Custody of Talitha Jane Derryberry and Joseph Andrew Derryberry was given to Andrew Derrybery, Elizabeth Derryberry’s father. Elizabeth, their mother, was still living. It is assumed that Pinkney was missing or deserted or in prison or off to the gold rush. No record shows where he was. In 1855 Pinkney sued Andrew, his father-in-law, for the return of his children. The matter never went to court because Pinkney did not file the fee. These families came on a wagon from Polk County Missouri sometime after October 1857. Pinkney’s brothers, Cash and Jarrell and families were on it. Do not know if Pinkney was on it. Pinkney’s son Daniel Isham and daughters Sarah and Lina with their husbands settled over in Montague County near their uncles. Sarah Ann had married Robert Wainscott and he was soon killed in an Indian raid. Lina married Anderson White. Daniel Isham eventually married Nancy Mackey and became a rancher.
In 1860, Elizabeth Adaline Derryberry McDonald is on the Denton Co. Texas census with her children, Joseph Andrew and Talitha Jane, as Head of Household, occupation “sewing”. She lived next to her father Andrew’s household. No mention of Pinkney. We do not what became of him or where she is buried. She died in 1863. There was a yellow fever epidemic. That is when Talitha married Thomas Crawford. Joseph married Elizabeth Jane Black four years later in Carroll Co. Arkansas. He later married Sarah Alice Cunningham Hartwell, grandmother of Kathy Barnett (her father was Charles Edward McDonald). Joseph Andrew was ordained as a United Baptist Church of Christ minister. Above information from Kathy Barnett.
10. Notes for George Thomas McDonald: MS- George Thomas McDonald moved his family from Oklahoma to Moore, Texas. This property was believed to have been owned by his brother-in-law, William D. Syers. Mary Syers was a sister to Martha Susan Brogan McDonald, wife of George Thomas McDonald. W D Syers was living in San Antonio, Texas and an official with National Cash Register. The McDonalds were there in 1916. Do not know how much soon or when they left for Oklahoma. Son Baylis drove a team of mules in the construction of Kelly Field. The family used Moore National Bank in Moore, Texas. George Thomas McDonald died of shingles, per his granddaughter Kathryn McCann.
11. Notes for James Syers Roosevelt McDonald: MS- James McDonald ran away from home and used the surname of Harris. He joined the navy and was stationed at Norfolk, Virginia. Jim was discharged after he was discovered to have epilepsy. Spent the remainder of his life living with his parents and grazing the land that he and brother, Baylis, owned west of Geary OK. James McDonald was largely self-taught and was very familiar with the Bible. He tried his hand at preaching repentance to the prisoners at the reformatory at El Reno, Oklahoma. The venture was not a huge success as James was of short temper and deeply resented the catcalls and jeers from the prisoners. He attended a Baptist church in El Reno on a regular basis and met the lady whom he later married. Believe that at time he taught Sunday School there. He regularly listened to religious programs on the radio and had a habit of rising about 4:00 AM. Tried his hand at song writing and short stories and was not successful.
12. Notes for Malinda Susan Galloway: MS- Some records show her name being Lucia, Susan M., or Malinda S. on her marriage bond in Daviess County Marriage Bonds Book 5, page 24. Malinda was the great-great-granddaughter of John Galloway, the first settler south of Panther Creek in Daviess County. He settled in that area in 1797. John had at least one son, Robert, who was the father of Zachariah Galloway, b 4 June 1877 Curdsville, Daviess Co KY d abt 1903. Zachariah married 18 Aug 1847 to Virginia Susan Osborne, b abt 1831, d abt 1905. She was the daughter of Samuel G. Osborne. Her mother’s name is unknown. Zachariah and Virginia had 12 children:
1. James b abt 1849, marr 1870 Elizabeth E. Galloway.
2. William Thomas, b 18 Aug 1850 Curdsville, d 7 Apr. 1919, Bremen, Muhleberg Co. Ky marr 11 Oct 1870 Elizabeth O. Shockley, b 22 Oct. 1846, d 21 Apr. 1932 Daviess Co. Elizabeth was the daughter of Medford and Melinda Page Shockley.
3. Silas C. b abt 1854, marr Sarah
4. David W. b abt 1856, marr Emma J.
5. Robert, b abt 1858.
6. Samuel O., b abt 1860.
7. John H. b abt 1862, marr 1885 Henrietta Logan.
8. Benjamin B., b 8 Aug 1864, d 12 Apr 1941, marr Effie? b 26 Nov 1873, d 1 Dec 1960. He was a preacher.
9. Jerome, b abt 1868.
10 Wilson, b abt 1873, marr Roxie
11 Georgiana, b abt 1876, marr 1897 John W. Faith.
12 Emma, b ?, marr 1894 H. A. Comer.
William Thomas Galloway was a preacher in the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination. He served several churches in the McLean/Muhlenberg County area and would ride to the various churches on horseback. Elizabeth Ellen remembers living close to her mothers’s parents as a child after her father died. She also remembers that her grandfather was paid for his preaching duties in goods and food rather than cash.
William Thomas Galloway and Elizabeth (Shockley) had five daughters. One, name unknown, died at about age three. The surviving daughters were:
1. Mattie, b 1871 Daviess Co., d bef 1945 marr 1891 S. Leonard Galloway. Their children were:
a. Leslie marr? English.
b. Naomi marr? Harrolson. One known son, James Virgil.
c. Artie.
d. Archie.
2. Malinda Susan marr Joseph Edward McDonald.
3. Cora Bell, b 1877, d 1948, marr Clarence O. Galloway, (Brother of S. Leonard Galloway).
a. Stella.
b. Lessie.
c. W. C.
d. Lula.
e. Helen.
f. Mary W. b 16 Aug 1890, d 18 Dec. 1971, marr Owen Bibb.
13. Notes for James Amandas McDonald: MS- James wrote to an unknown correspondent for a long time in Lebanon, Ky. He finally convinced her to come by train to Owensboro and wear a pink rose. He would meet her there and bring her to Curdsville Ky to meet the family. They married later and lived in Curdsville. Jim died at 30 years of age from a ruptured appendix. Some say that he died from an injury received working on a levee. His wife Addie was pregnant. Jim died from his injury before his daughter Marie was born.
14. Notes for George Thomas McDonald: MS- George Thomas McDonald descends through the male line from Hiram McDonald and wife Martha Susan Brogan through the female line from Susan McDonald Fickas. George McDonald moved his family from Oklahoma to Moore, Texas. This property was believed to have been owned by his brother-in-law, William D. Syers. Mary Syers was a sister to Martha Susan, wife of George Thomas McDonald. W D Syers was living in San Antonio, Texas and an official with National Cash Register. The McDonalds were there in 1916 – do not know how much soon or when they left for Oklahoma. Son Baylis drove a team of mules in the construction of Kelly Field. The family used Moore National Bank in Moore, Texas. George Thomas McDonald died of shingles, per his granddaughter Kathryn McCann.
15. Notes for Mary SUSAN McDonald: MS- When Mary Susan was very young, her mother died. Her aunt Millicent Mattingly took care of her until she was 18 months old. At that time her father Lum McDonald remarried to Sarah Brogan. Sarah Brogan was a half sister to Martha Susan Brogan, who came to visit from Warrensburg, Mo. and married George Thomas McDonald, Lum’s oldest child. Susan attended a St. Joseph’s Academy at the age of 13 and became sick. She returned home and never went back to that school. She stayed home and helped her father raise the next 10 children. Early in the morning she would take the dirty clothes down to the river and her father would build a fire under a kettle of water. She would wash, dry, iron, and return the clothes to the family home.
Notes for Thomas N Baird: MS- Mr. Baird was killed by a 17 year old, troublesome neighbor boy who had been asked to stay off of the property. Mr. Baird was resting under a tree after his noon meal and the boy slipped up behind him and killed him.
16. Notes for Alva Lum McDonald: MS- Per family lore, he was a supporter of Theodore Roosevelt which may have helped him to get a Marshall and Court Clerk job. He supported Teddy Roosevelt when he left the Republican Party for the ill-fated Bull Moose Party, which was defeated. Alva was among the Oklahoma delegation to the 1920 Republican National Convention (Per the Political Graveyard).
Alva (aka Al) joined the US Army during the Spanish American War and saw service in the Philippines. He was among the first US Marshals for Oklahoma and lived in the El Reno area. Alva also served at Court Clerk at Valdez, Alaska. He served as a volunteer fireman in El Reno, Oklahoma and also on the City Council of El Reno.
Alva McDonald served as US Marshall with distinction during a time when Oklahoma had many outlaws. Alva McDonald was appointed as US Marshall for the Western District of Oklahoma in 1921. Alva was not a desk sitter. He led his deputies into the field and became noted in the capture and/or shooting down of such noted outlaws as Matt Kimes, Al Spencer, Frank Nash, Ray Terrilo, Ed Lockhart, Blackie Thompson. One outlaw, Frank “Jelly” Nash fled into Mexico. Alva McDonald received a tip than Frank Nash would be returning to the USA and would be crossing the border at El Paso. Alva and his deputies were there to meet them. Alleged to have been among those arresting the Al Jennings gang, a gang of Oklahoma train robbers.
Alva McDonald was written up as being one of the most active Marshall, if not the most active Marshall in the history of the service. For details of his career as Marshall, go to http:www.oklahombres.org/alva.htm. Also http://www/qns.com/dcorfdrky/Bishop.html. This tells about a contemporary policeman, Luther Bishop.
17. Notes for William Syers McDonald: MS- Bill McDonald volunteered for the US Marine Corp immediately after the December 7th Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Was sent to the South Pacific and was in numerous engagements. He became a member of the Marine Raiders. Was later part of the occupation troops in Japan. Upon discharge, Bill and his brother Bob tried to build a speculative, adobe home. Later they opened a feed store in Ramona. Tiring of government red tape and regulation, the brothers, their wives, and children moved to Seward, Alaska. There they tried logging and later the tug boat business. Bob could not stand the motion of boats and all during his life was bothered by car sickness and motion sickness. The brothers were compelled to split and Bob became a member of Consolidated Trucking. Later he transferred to Oregon with the company and later to the mid-west and back to the San Jose area of California. Bob and Iris McDonald retired to Rancho Murrieta, California – located east of Sacramento. Bill continued with boats and also was into boat salvaging in the Alaska area.
Bill McDonald was a lover of horses from his youth and owned several. His hobby was collecting horse bits. He exhibited his collection at the San Diego County Fair at Del Mar, California and won a prize and a newspaper write up.
18. Notes for Baylis Morse McDonald: MS- Baylis was born in Curdsville, Ky. as was his father. His parents moved to Oklahoma Territory when Baylis was eight years old. The McDonald family, as many others, lived at the “lotments”. These were small allotments of land for settlers to “squat” until they were able to buy or homestead land. Generally the families dug a cave into the bank of land and put a lean-to on the front and that was a temporary “home”.
Baylis, early in life, became interested in horses and livestock and formed a partnership with his brother Jim. The two of them are said to have had the first hay baler in the area. The partnership was later dissolved and Jim kept the land and Baylis took their Model-T and along with Ed Curtis and brother, Tyler, headed cross-country and stopped at times to work. At Prescott AZ, Tyler remained and Baylis and Ed Curtis continued to California to the home of Baylis’s aunt and uncle, William and Mary Syers. City life was not at all for Baylis and he left for the San Joaquin Valley and found various jobs.
William Syers had heard of growing produce in areas of cheap production costs and hauling the produce to Los Angeles for high prices. He summoned Baylis to property that he had acquired in Fallbrook, California. The first crop was potatoes and it was a failure. The next crop was tomatoes, another failure. Avocados were just getting started and Baylis and his brother, Tyler, became interested in the avocado nursery business and Baylis became a success in that area. Tyler also had a nursery in the La Mesa, California area and was later a field man for Calavo Growers. When San Diego County decided to name the rural roads, a road in Fallbrook was named after Baylis McDonald and family. It is still named McDonald Road and runs south from Fallbrook St. to Rod Rd. Baylis and family lived in a house on McDonald Rd. and what is now Parvenue Lane. At one time he had 80 acres in this area.
Baylis served as a director on the Fallbrook Public Utility District and was serving in that capacity at the time of his passing. The FPUD provided pallbearers for his funeral. Sometimes his name is shown as Baylis Morse Brogan McDonald. Brogan appears to have been added by outsiders and is not valid.
19. Notes for Baylis Morse McDonald Jr: MS- When Baylis Sr. and wife Opal were expecting the arrival of their first child, they journeyed to the home of William and Mary Syers in Hollywood. There Opal remained until she delivered Baylis Jr. in the Hollywood Clara Barton Hospital on March 28, 1927.
Baylis Jr. attended grammar school and graduated from high school in Fallbrook, California. Enlisted in USNR in 1945. War was over before he finished boot camp. Among the first freshmen to enter Palomar College. Transferred to Oklahoma A&M and graduated there with a BS in Business Administration. Worked on father’s ranch for nearly 7 years and left to become a real estate appraiser for the Assessor of San Diego County. Left after 7 years and became a licensed real estate broker and later a licensed real estate appraiser. Built 35 houses in the Fallbrook area and also was on the FHA Panel for real estate appraisers. Did numerous FHA appraisals in Riverside County. Spent one month in Novosibirsk, Siberia working in a bank teaching real estate appraising. Was able to go aboard the Russian research ship “Academic Ioffe” and went from Argentina to Antarctica. Travelled widely. Was involved in purchasing discounted trust deeds. While as a real estate broker, Morse served as president of the Fallbrook Board of Realtors and held several positions in the state real estate organization. Also served as president of the North County Exchangers.
20. Notes for George Thomas McDonald: MS- George was born in Fallbrook, California at the farm/dairy of the Shipley family. There were no hospitals or maternity wards available in Fallbrook at that time. Because of the immediate vicinity of the animals, George like to hint that he, too, was born in a manger!
George was born with a turned under foot and required orthopedic attention with leg casts and a special shoe during his infancy. This was not a handicap as he played varsity football. George attended and graduated from Fallbrook schools and attended Palomar College at San Marcos, California. He transferred to College of the Pacific at Stockton, California. Later he was graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara. George worked as an insurance claims investigator and attended law school at night. He became a Private Investigator and passed the bar. He opened his own law office in South Pasadena, California and later specialized in medical malpractice litigation. George was a member of the Trial Lawyers Association, wrote a text book on malpractice and gave lectures to medical groups on such topics as the “Legal Aspects of Brain Surgery”.
George succumbed to an aneurysm in the abdomen while being examined at a Pasadena hospital. He was writing a novel at the time of his death and his wife will continue his work and hopes to have it published. George Thomas earned a Private Pilot license to fly. At times liked to play golf.
21. Notes for Sidney TYLER McDonald: MS- Per his sister, Audrey, Tyler was 6 months old when the family left Curdsville, Ky. for the Oklahoma Territory. Tyler spent most of his childhood on his parents’ farm in Calumet, Oklahoma. Attended high school at El Reno, Oklahoma. Lived with his aunt and uncle, William and Mary Syers, in Hollywood, California. He attended UCLA, majoring in English. After his first marriage, he spent most of his adult life in the La Mesa, California area. He was involved in growing avocado nursery stock, working in the ship yards during World War 2. After the war and until his retirement, he was a field man for Calavo Growers. He also had an inventive/mechanical talent and created and marketed some small tillers, go-carts, and other small, mechanized machines. He had a number of US Patents on his machines, including an electric razor.
22. Notes for Homer Isam Jackson: MS- Homer Isam Jackson was raised on a farm that was without tractors and implements. Horses and mules were the source of power. Homer began school at Round Prairie School located about 4 miles northeast of Forestburg. After some three years here, Homer and his parents moved to the Old Tucker Place on Denton Creek and started to Freeburg School. After three years in this location, and during the great depression and rough times, the family moved across Denton Creek where he continued school at Denver until later he rode to school to Bowie on a bus. Homer was athletic and did well in football and track.
Homer finished school in Bowie, Texas in May 1941 and went to work for the Texas Highway Department. He left on January 27, 1943 and entered World War 11. He was trained in the army at Camp Swift, 30 miles northeast of Austin, and near Bastrop, Texas. He was trained to be in the Combat Engineers and was in the assault on the coast of France. Homer participated in the landings on D-Day and saw many of his young friends killed. Homer returned to the states from Europe in October of 1945, after being in Europe for two years and was impressed by seeing the Statue of Liberty and New York. He was transferred to Ft. Sam Houston for discharge where he had attained the rate of Platoon Sergeant and was discharged October 24, 1945. Homer’s father passed away on the 10th of February 1946 and he moved to Bowie so that his 5 year old sister could be closer to school.
Homer returned to the Highway Department and also missed the army. He joined the National Guard and worked full time for the Guard from 1948 until 1967. During 1961 the Guard was called up for active duty and he spent 10 months in Ft. Polk, Louisiana. At the age of 39 Homer deemed that he was old enough to get married and on October 27, 1962 he married Maxine Greenwood from Forestburg, Texas. The new couple build a home north of Queen’s Peak where he still resides. About 1968 Homer retired from the National Guard after 22 1/2 years of service. Homer enjoyed working with cattle, especially Brahmas. He went to work in 1972 as County Commissioner of Precinct 2 of Montage County where he served 10 years but never liked politics. Homer’s great-great-grandfather James B. Jackson, who came to Denver in 1860 was Road Commissioner of Precinct 2 of Montague County. Homer’s grandfather, George Morris (on mother’s side) was briefly Commissioner for Precinct 1. After leaving the Commissioner’s job, Homer returned to farming and cattle raising.
