FIRST GENERATION

1. William "Billy" MCDONALD was born on SEP 22 1869 in Dublin, Ireland. He went by the nickname of "Billy" according to the family. He appeared on the census in 1880 in Laramie County, Wyoming. 1880 Census all the McDonalds in Laramie Wyoming
1. Archie 13, born AZ, living with David B. Troop and wife in Cheyenne.
2. A. McDonald, 30, born Ireland, soldier, Fort D.A. Russell (possiable Parent)
3. John, 26, born SCT, laborer, Pine bluff
4. My family, 27th district (page 212b)
5. Wm. 10, born CA, living with Latham family, 27th (page 213C)
6. Wm. H. 25, born OH, soldier, Fort D.A. Russell
Darryl [[email protected]]
He was a Rancher - Cattle Brand was "DS" & "SK" between 1890 and 1936 in Iron Mountain, Laramie County, Wyoming. He was naturalized on AUG 9 1890 in 1st District Court, Laramie County, Wyoming. He owned 1,640 acres in Iron Mountain, One city block in Cheyenne Wyoming-908-27th Street between 1892 and 1929 in Iron Mountain, Laramie County, Wyoming. William inherited some Land from the Estate of Henry Smith
S) Section - T) Township R) Range
Land William McDonald homesteaded and owned in Iron Mountain Wyoming (Ranch)
4/18/1902 - 160 Acres S 11- T 19 - R 70 - President - T. Rosevelt
11/1/0909 - 40 Acres - S 35 T 19 R 70 - President - William Taft
6/6/1912 - 120 Acres - S 3 T 18 R 70 - President - Willliam Taft
10/18/1918 - 160 Acres - S4 - T- 18 R 70 - President - Woodrow Wilson
2/5/1925 - 160 Acres - S 22 - T 19 - Range 70 - President - Calvin Coolidge
2/5/1925 - 480 Acres - S 15&22 - T 19 - R 70 - President - Calvin Coolidge
also owned a city block in Cheyenne Wyoming with another home. And owned several plots in the Lakeview Cemetery, Cheyenne Wyoming.(He bought Lot #878 on 12/5/1911) He appeared on the census in 1900 in Iron Mountain, Laramie County, Wyoming. He Tom Horn Trial between 1901 and 1903 in Cheyenne, Laramie County, Wyoming. TOM HORN - Wyoming
Killing Location & Date: - July/18/1901 in Iron Mountain, Wyoming, Nickels Ranch
Person killed was Willie Nickells a boy of about 14 years old mistaken for his dad.
Trial Date: - October/16/1902 (Written in the Cheyenne "leader" newspaper)
Hanging Date: - Nov/20/1903

Tom Horn was accused of murdering the Nickles Family son. He was found guilty and hung for it in 1903 in Cheyenne Wyoming. several books have been written on this subject as well as a movie.

William "Billy" & Mary McDonald both testified at the trial.
Excerpt from the book.----------
William "Billy" McDonald - cattle rancher lived 3 miles from the Millers and 4 miles from Nickells family.
The Miller Family - cattle rancher
The Nickells Family - who owned sheep - who's son Willie was Killed. by Tom Horn
Tom Horn said that Kels Nickles told him he was going to fix Billy McDonald "a damned ornery son of a bitch he was"
Horn said their was suspicion that some of the cattle rancher were thieves who stole cattle.
But he never heard that about Jordon, Reed or Billy McDonald.
Julia Nickles said Mrs. McDonald told her that (Miller) said he had laid out in the pasture to kill Papa (Kels Nickles) time and again.


He Elks Club #660 in 1902 in Cheyenne, Wyoming - Laramie County. He appeared on the census in 1910 in Fort D.A. Russell, Laramie County, Wyoming. He appeared on the census in 1920 in Iron Mountain, Laramie County, Wyoming. He died on FEB 4 1951 in Los Angeles County, California. He on FEB 5 1951 in Laramie Boomarang, Cheyenne, Wyoming. OBIT-Former Wyoming Resident Dies On West Coast. - William "Billy" McDonald
Mr. and Mrs. D. A. McDonald 1115 South Third are leaving today for Whittier Calif to attend funeral services for Mr. McDonald's father. William (Billy) McDonald 82 years old pioneer Wyoming resident , who died yesterday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. C. M. Marty of Whittier.
Mr. McDonald founder of the Iron Mountain Cattle Company had lived in California since his retirement in 1937. He came to Wyoming in 1875 from Dublin Ireland, where he was born in 1869
He is survived by his widow and seven children.
Mr. Mcdonald was a charter member of the Cheyenne Elks lodge, BPOE 660 and was active in the Eagles Lodge before leaving the state.
Funeral rites will be held Wednesday aftrenoon at Whittier. He was buried on FEB 7 1951 in Rose Hills - Mountain View Lawn -Lot 1217. William McDonald was 5' 6 1/2" Auburn hair and Sky Blue eyes.
At around 6 yrs (1875) William left Ireland landed in San Francisco then went to Fort Laramie or Fort Russell in Wyoming. He had one Sister who died at sea on the way from Ireland and a brother named Archie and another named Andy. Soon Williams mother became ill and died at the Fort, she was buried there and after the funeral his dad went for a walk to find some piece and was never seen again, it was Indian Territory.
Both William and Archie were raised by Gordon Ocemeaus Latham and his wife Ellen . Andy was only 9 months old and was adopted by another family who came through the Fort. William tried to locate his brother for many years with no luck.
An elderly woman who lived close to the Fort agreed to take William to live with her and run errands for room and board, Archie went to live with another family who treated him very badly, Gordon Latham lived on a homestead about 45 miles from the fort, one month he went into the town to sell his trappings and he saw William walking along the road caring buckets for the lady he lived with (they had seen each other several times before) Gordon and his wife could not have children so Gordon asked William if he would like to come live with him, about that time the old lady started yelling at William, Gordon helped William into the wagon and took him with him. William later told Gordon about his brother Archie and so Gordon looked into the story and went and got him too. He raised them until adulthood with love and care. (Story by Margaret McDonald Marty - 1985)
Mary Ellis was a niece of Gordon Latham (his sister Margaret's daughter) and William met her through him. Also William brother Arch married Mary's half sister Lois Miles they later divorced.
The McDonald Homestead was a small ranch Log Cabin with a dirt floor called 3 mile Ranch in which several of their children were born. Later a Larger Ranch was built which they lived in until (1912) when it burned down while daughter Edith was cooking breakfast.
So another Ranch house was built which took a year and they moved in on New Years Day 1913 with 6 bedrooms and a indoor bathroom for the women and hot and cold water. This house was built with Cinder Block, they also owned a full block in the City of Cheyenne, WY with a home. They also did boarding and feeding of cattle for other ranchers one by the name of Allen.
Sometime in 1920 the family moved to California in a 1920 Anderson Red Touring Car and bought a house on 302 Comstock St. and one on 242 Newlin/Hadley in Whittier. William went back to Wyoming for a while to work the Ranch until 1937 and then returned to California.
We think Williams father served in the Army and I think that is why they went to Fort Russell. (Unfortunately Ft Laramie or Ft Russell haves no records to verify this) But a census record could link him to being a solder at the fort in 1880.
William had a stroke at age 80 and was sick for a year with it before he died.

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McDonald Name.......
The McDonald / Mac Donald name is found in Ulster Ireland and is one of four Provinces. It is now called "Northern Ireland." It has strong connotation as a "Scots-Irish" name and with the Presbyterian Faith.

He was married to Mary Emeline* ELLIS (daughter of John Newton * ELLIS and Margaret Alvira * LATHAM - ELLIS - MILES) on MAR 12 1891 in Logan, Iowa - Harrison County.
Mary Emeline* ELLIS was born on MAY 29 1870 in Pattonsburg, Benton Township, Daviess County, Missouri. She appeared on the census in 1880 in Liberty Township, Missouri. She appeared on the census in 1885 in Stuart, Guthrie County, Iowa. She appeared on the census in 1900 in Iron Mountain, Laramie County, Wyoming. She appeared on the census in 1910 in Laramie County, Wyoming, Fort D.A. Russell. She appeared on the census in 1920 in Iron Mountain, Laramie County, Wyoming. She was a Practical Nurse in home after moving to California in 1930 in Whittier, Los Angeles County, California. She in SEP 1954 in Montebello, Los Angeles County, California. She died on SEP 29 1954 in Montebello, Los Angeles County, California. She was buried on OCT 2 1954 in Rose Hills - Mountain View Lawn -Lot 1217. She Hobbies were Quilting and Crocheting. I have one Pink dresses she crocheted for me at about age 6 , I also have a quilt Log Cabin design she made in pink, blue, yellow satin.. Mary was 5'4" with Black hair and Blue Green eyes, her favorite color was pink and she liked Evening in Paris perfume.

Mary's home town Pattonsburg, Benton Township, Missouri in Daviess County, the town had a history of flooding and in 1909 was all but wiped out, in 1995 the entire town was moved about 4 miles away to higher ground. A civil township is a subdivision of a county--in the case of Benton Township, a squarish block of land consisting of the north westernmost six miles east/west by seven miles north/south. Pattonsburg sits in the southeast portion of Benton Township and is the township's only town.

Mary's father John N Ellis died in 1872 and her mother remarried to Richard Miles and had 4 more children.

Mary had a two Brothers named........Gordon Ellis(1866) - Daniel Ellis (1869-1936),
Mary had a Sister named..........,........Lydia (1865-1886) - Ella Ellis-Chittick(1868-1927)
Then Marys' mother Margaret remarried Richard Miles
Mary had a Half Brother named........Milo Miles (1875 -1962)
another Half Brother named............ Latham Miles (1882-1954)
and another Half Brother Named.... Kay Miles (1886-1949) really her Uncle !
Mary had two Half Sisters named..... Esther(Etta) Etta Miles-Winingar (1878-1969)
and named........................................Lois Miles - McDonald-Devoe (1880-1966)
* Mary's Aunt Lydia had a illagminate son named Kay and died shortly after Childbirth the father of the child name was Frank Patterson. Margaret Latham Ellis Miles raised him as her own.

Marys' Uncle Gordon Latham lived in Wyoming and introduced her to William McDonald. He also introduced her sister Lois to Williams brother Archie and they married also.
She was a niece of Gordon O Latham. William McDonald went to Logan, Iowa to get her for marriage. She live in Unionburg in the Township of Union, Harrison County, Stuart, Iowa in (1891)( Post Office established in 1864)

Mary's brothers Gordon & Daniel lived in Kaycee and then Casper WY., Milo lived in Long Beach Ca he worked for Water or Gas co and Latham and Kay lived in Wyoming. One of her half sisters Etta Miles Winingar lived in Santa Cruz and another one Lou Ellen Latham Hall of Whittier CA and Emma Latham Cowan of Wyoming ,her sister Etta Winingar owned a Hog Ranch in Buena Park. My dad Ned remembers her sister Aunt Lou and going to her house to get apple butter sandwiches in Whittier CA
.
We know that her father (John N. Ellis) was born in Virginia and her Mom (Margaret Latham) in Ohio and that her ancestors from the Latham side of the family came over on the Mayflower and is listed in the Rotunda on Washington DC . this is a story I have not yet confirmed.

Mary and William owned a house at 141 1/2 S. Comstock (near Hadley) Whittier California and another one at 242 Newlin and Hadley which is now a vacant lot. At some point a friend asked her to take a loan on her house of 1,500 to start a business. The business failed and the friend never repaid to loan and she lost her house. This was during the depression and many homes had metered Gas and Lights, you had to put money in the meter to get the amount of Gas you needed

At the time of her death she had 19 Grandchildren and 31 Great Grandchildren. She was living in a trailer along side of daughter Gertie house in Montebello. She was very religious and would memorize large portions of the Bible.

William "Billy" MCDONALD and Mary Emeline* ELLIS had the following children:

2 i. Alvira Ellen MCDONALD was born on JAN 11 1892 in Iron Mountain, Laramie County, Wyoming. She appeared on the census in 1900 in Iron Mountain, Laramie County, Wyoming. She died on AUG 14 1905 in Wyoming - Laramie County. Obituary in the Wyoming newspapers reads:
Little Girl Dies
Last night at 11 O'clock Alvira Ellen McDonald, the 13 years daughter of Mr. & Mrs. McDonald of Iron Mountain died at St. Johns hospital of Nephritis a liver condition. The funeral will occur tomorrow afternoon. The little girl had been ill about 3 weeks.
Buried in 1905 in lot 911in Lakeview Cemetery, Cheyenne Wyoming.

Newspaper Cheyenne Daily Leader - Aug 15/1905
Allie M'Donald Dies
At St John's Hospital
Allie, the 14 year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William McDonald of Iron Mountain, died at St John's hospital last evening. The remains will repsose at the Longhurst chapel pending arrangements for the funeral. Miss McDonald had been a patient at the hospital for about a month, being brought there from her home at Iron Mountain.
She was buried on AUG 15 1905 in Lakeview Cemetary, Lot 911 C - Cheyenne, Wyoming. She on AUG 15 1905 in Iron Mountain, Laramie County, Wyoming. Obituary data for 1901 - 1906 are on microfilm at the Albany County Library. The year 1901 is in poor photographic condition and some issues are missing. Issues after 1906 are bound volumes in the Library.

+3 ii. Edith Bell MCDONALD.
+4 iii. William Byron II MCDONALD.
+5 iv. Dewey Andy MCDONALD.
+6 v. Gertrude Mabel MCDONALD.
+7 vi. Margaret May MCDONALD.
+8 vii. Gordon Orcemus MCDONALD.
+9 viii. Walter Vernon MCDONALD.
+10 ix. Ned Curtis MCDONALD.