William McDonald

1852 - 1914  (62 years)

• Name	William McDonald
  Born	12 Mar 1852	Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Residence	1861	Glenelg Twp., Grey Co., Ontario   [1]
  Residence	1865	Harriston, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada
  Residence	1869	, California, USA
  Residence	1871	Livingston, Merced, California, United States
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-108760
  Died	7 Jun 1914	Livingston, Merced, California, United States
  Buried	Merced Cemetery, Livingston, Merced, California, United States
  Person ID	I108760	Generations
  Last Modified	12 May 2025

  
  

  Father	Sweden McDonald,   b. 1817, , Scotland ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Mother	Allison Bell,   b. 1813, , Scotland ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F38539	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  William McDonald Lowe_Edith originally shared this on 06 May 2023 to Ancestry Public Member Trees

  
  

• Notes

  WILLIAM MCDONALD CALLED BY DEATH Another of the rapidly breaking ranks of Merced county pioneers passed to his reward Sunday night, when William McDonald died at his home on Twenty-first street in this city. Mr. McDonald for many years had conducted a blacksmithing and carriage shop in Merced, and was one of the best known businessmen of the town. William McDonald was born in Galt, Ontario, Canada, March 12, 1852. He was therefore in his sixty-third year. Forced by adverse circumstances to begin the battle of life for himself when but nine years old, William McDonald left home and worked at odd jobs for three years. Going to Harrison, Ontario, in 1865, he served an apprenticeship of three years at the blacksmith trade and then went to Buffalo where, for a few months, he was employed in the Erie railroad shops. For a short time he located in Grand Rapids, Mich., and in 1869 came to California to look for employment at his trade. For a year he worked in San Francisco and Oakland, coming to Merced in the summer of 1870. After a short time here he went to Napa county but returned to Merced in 1871, when the city lots were just being placed on sale. In that year he bought the lot on Seventeenth street which has ever since been the headquarters for his extensive blacksmithing and machine shop operations. It was the pioneer blacksmith shop and carriage works of the city. Mr. McDonald married first in Mariposa county, Phoebe Branson. She died in early womanhood, leaving four children. These were John S. McDonald, who has been associated with his father in business and who has been in active charge of the establishment during his father's declining health; Mrs. Nancy Price of San Francisco; William, the son whose untimely death occurred a few years ago, and Mrs. Theresa Garibaldi of this city. Mr. McDonald was wedded a few years ago in Merced to Agnes Dunn, who was born near Hastings, Minnesota, and who survives. Of the children born of this marriage but one is living, namely, Morris Ellsworth. The funeral was held Wednesday afternoon. \emdash Merced Sun. Chronicle (Livingston), Volume 6, Number 36, 13 June 1914 ______________ MERCED, June 8--Death at midnight last night called another of Merced's fast dwindling pioneers, William McDonald, after an illness covering a period of several months. Deceased was a native of Gault, Ontario, Canada, and was aged 63. He came to California in 1869 and to Merced in 1870, when this city was first laid out. He bought one of the first town lots placed on the market here, established a blacksmithing and carriage business there and continued in business at the same place up to the time of his death. McDonald leaves a widow and several grown-up children. The Fresno Morning Republican (California), Tues., 9 Jun 1914, pg. 11

  
  

• Sources

  [S2433] Census - Canada - 1861, Glenelg Twp., Grey Co., Ontario Div 1 pg 12. Sweden McDonald 43, b. Scotland Contractor Allison 47 Margaret 18 b. U. Canada William 11 Thomas 9

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 12 Mar 1852 - Galt (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - 1861 - Glenelg Twp., Grey Co., Ontario Residence - 1865 - Harriston, Wellington Co., Ontario, Canada Residence - 1869 - , California, USA Residence - 1871 - Livingston, Merced, California, United States Died - 7 Jun 1914 - Livingston, Merced, California, United States Buried - - Merced Cemetery, Livingston, Merced, California, United States  = Link to Google Earth