(The following article appeared in a San Luis Obispo County newspaper several years ago but I only recently discovered it.)
"Two pioneers who made a significant impact on the history of the Estrella area were the Mc Donald brothers, Michael and Lauchlin.
Descendants of the royal lines of Scotland and Ireland, the Mc Donalds came to America from Nova Scotia in 1868 and to San Luis Obispo County in 1869. They settled on adjoining acreages ,said to have been a land grant.
Not having much money, they started building a heard of sheep by taking the “bum” lambs other ranchers did not want.
The San Miguel mission buildings were being used to house transient people, for corraling sheep, cattle and even hogs. A hotel and tavern were operated by the Mac Donald brothers.
There were services held in the church on Sundays and one long pew was reserved for the Mac Donald clan. Lauchlin would take the children and deposited them in the pew, and would then visit the saloon after promising the children candy if they didn't tell their mother.
Michael pre-empted 160 acres next to his ranch and made the required improvements, a small adobe house and other buildings. He put in crops and increased his herds until 1877, an extremely dry year, he had better than 5000 sheep. By driving half the herd to the hills along the coast and the others across the Sierras into Bishop Valley, he was able to save most of them.
Life in those early years was anything but easy,. One member of the family remembered a shotgun kept in a corner of the cabin and once used to shoot a rattlesnake before the family could sit down to dinner.
Michael Mc Donald in 1874 married Elizabeth Mc Lean. The couple had six children before Elizabeth died at an early age. Laughlin married Mary (Molly) Mc Adam and fourteen children were born to this union.
The Mc Donalds were civic minded and instumental in establishing the Phillip’s School District and getting a school house built. They also served as school district trustees for several years.
When the railroad came through Michael switched from sheep to raising grain. As soon as he was able, he replaced the adobe with a large handsome residence. The ranch named Glengarry, became a show place with large handsome grounds and an orchard.
The Daltons were at one time neighbors of the Mc Donalds. And credited one of the brothers for riding over to Bill’s house to warn them that Sheriff O’Neil and a special agent were on their way over to arrest them. The Daltons were able to escape by hiding in a bedroom all night.
One room in the Mc Donald Ranch was reserved as a post office with Michael as postmaster. The office was named Bern. The county museum has had inquiries from a gentleman in Bern Switzerland about the Bern Post Office.
Records show a land transaction for lots adjoining the San Miguel Mission between Michael Mc Donald and church officials when when the area holding the statue of John Freemont was sold for $1.
The Mc Donald family continued to be active in the community after the death of Michael and Elizabeth. Ronald and Jim were among those who put up money for a community hall in Estrella in 1903.
Any additional information about the Mc Donalds would be much appreciated, especially those descendants living in the area at present. Please send to Lura B Rawson, 7800 Navajo, Atascadero., 93422
Not So Victorian, Times
You may have seen this letter several years ago for it was included in the family history book that I wrote at one time. Ronald Mc Donald, pictured here, was the older brother of Laughlin and Michael, the one who financed their trip West. He worked with them in a mercantile store and later owned the business. He later became collector of
customs for the port of Sydney, N.S.
This was written in July of 1862,just a few months before Ronald's marriage to Alice Hamilton, the object of this letter.
You will notice that he mentions Laughlin, who would only have been seventeen at the time.
I found the passage quite interesting wherein he mentions "going the whole hog" These were Victorian times in the mother country but apparently not so in this Maritime colony.
Dear Alice,
I received yours a few days ago and I am much gratified to think that I have one more true friend than I could ever count before. I trust that there may never be any obstacles put in the way to mar that true friendship that exists between us at the present. I beg that you will accept my best thanks for your candid reply to my proposal and which I cannot be otherwise than pleased. I tended to have me over to the Mines (Sydney Mines) on Saturday next tomorrow but the weather is so fearful gloomy that I don't think I will venture to go but I hope to be able to go soon. Joe Botillier gave us a spree over here last week and my sister, Kate, who is with me was there and enjoyed it very much. Of course, I missed your nice figure on the floor but there were several smart girls there. I carried on a little flirtation with one of the mep (Miss) Howleys, a namesake of your own but could not of course go the whole hog as they say. Pardon the expression but I had to say to her that I was engaged before I could be excused. I go in to see them occasionally for they live next door to us but my visits are only short. You might persuade Bob to drive over this far and take you with him. You could spend a few weeks with your aunts at the Bay (East Bay) and a week with my sister. I could give you some sleigh drives as I have the pony perfectly subdued. I make it very pleasant for my sister for I have plenty of time to drive her around but you will see whether you can come when I go over to the Mines. You might ask your Ma to let you come over with me. I hope you have enjoyed yourself at Don Murphy's wedding. Although the evening was very stormy and on all such occasions I hope you will consider yourself as free as the birds of the air to partake of the sports and share in the amusements in any good company where you may be invited and I hope you will grant me the same freedom although we are separated for awhile I hope it will not be long. I flatter myself enough to think you will be glad to hear of anything to my future prosperity. I was in doubt all Winter whether I would have my situation here next summer in the event of the business here changing hands but I have learned from Mr Right that I may consider myself as one of Mr Cunard's clerks here and now and they said they would be glad to retain me in this situation. Between myself and Lauchie now we draw fifty dollars a month and that I think we may do very well. Please accept my best thanks for the newspapers you have been kind enough to send me. Tell Richard and James I wish them very much joy. I am sorry to hear that poor Martin (Martin Pharon, Alice's brother-in-law and Maggy's husband) had nothing to do at last accounts. How does Maggy (Alice's sister) bear up under it? Give them all my kind regards and I hope I may soon see you all. I hope you will not forget me in your daily prayers and I will be as good to you. I had intended to have this sent by Robb Bradbury, but I found he did not leave as soon as I expected. I was glad to see some of the boys yesterday at Lowpoint. Dear Alice I miss your society very much in the evenings, Sunday especially. If the roads are at all fit I will try to get over next Saturday. I will always be delighted to hear from you that I may be assured of your ?? for yours most affectionally.
R.M. Mc Donald
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MC DONALD FAMILY CD ROM AVAILABLE
I have created a MC Donald Family Narative Slide Show which is now available for those of you who may be interested. It contains 145 thumbnail picture files/ or full size pictures, 30 narative files, and can run automatically or by a click of the mouse or space bar. It covers eight generations of our family with picture from several provinces and states. Also included are a varity of pictures from various family reunions.
If you would like a copy just let me know by sending me your snail mail address and $5.00. My address is 2341 Silvertree Rd, Claremont Ca. 91711
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STEREOPTICAN
When we were young, my sister and I would visit my grandparents' house in East Oakland when it was my mom's turn to look after them. It was pretty boring stuff for us to be there so we would entertain ourselves as best we could by viewing their stereoptican which held pictures of far-away places. Here are some stereoptican views which I abstracted from my files.
"There was little entertainment for Lauchlin and his brother in the small country town so they would don their swallow-tail coats , brush up their stove pipe hats and be off to San Francisco to dine and dance at the famous Palace Hotel which was newly complteted in 1875 and still stands today. The boys traveled the old mission trail, staying each night at a different mission. The entire trip took about three of four days one way."
"In October of 1873 San Miguel Mission celebrated its anniversary with a gala event including a bull vs man event.( They wanted to have a bull vs bear fight in the old California tradition but the guys who were sent out to round up the grizzly accidentally strangled it with their rope). The grizzley was common throughout the state in those days. They were awesome critters 8 to 10 feet long and weighing up to 1200 pounds. They roamed the major foothills of this state and were particularly prevelant in San Luis Obispo County. When the Portola Expedition moved through the area in 1769 many grizzlies were killed. George Nidever, a California trapper claimed to have shot 45 grizzlies in San Luis Obispo County alone in 1837. Needless to say, none still exist in the state today. The rest of the gala included an orator, a horse race and a grand ball in the evening."
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