In September 2000, John Laughlin
mailed to me several pictures of individuals named "McDonald". These pictures
were harvested from the collection of glass negatives from the Ott and Hay Studio
in Towanda, PA. The negatives are held in the collection of the Bradford County
Historical Society in Towanda and there are over 5000 of the negatives known to
exist. The pictures shown here were all taken approximately between 1895 and 1910.
John Laughlin is a direct descendant of Peter McDonald and Catherine Waters,
one of three prominent McDonald families (and several less prominent ones) that settled
in Sullivan County, PA in the 1800's. The children and grandchildren of these families
thereafter expanded and resettled in surrounding counties, including Bradford County in particular.
John contributed these pictures in the hope that our readership over time might be able to identify and
claim the "unknowns" as family members. In this spirit, I have posted the pictures below with
the caption and plate number that was provided with the picture. I also offer my own guess as to identity,
if in fact I can make one. The only picture that for sure I can identify is that of Peter McDonald, the oldest son of
Peter and Catherine Waters; I can do so because other verified pictures of Peter exist. Lizzie O'Herron
is believed to be a McDonald by marriage. Suggestions and 'ownership claims' are requested and appreciated. Note:
In May, 2001, Sharon Dore of Canada, confirmed the identification of Clara Cadden below as her great aunt Clara (Cadden) McDonald,
wife of J. C. McDonald. Then, in August 2012, Joanne Nailen Perrault identified the photo of Margaret
McDonald below as being her grandmother, the duaghter of
Michael and Abigail (Jordan) "McDonnell ("McDonald"). We certainly hope for more discoveries in time.
In September 2019, Maureen McCarty contacted us with information about Lena McDonald, shown in the photo display below as a child. Maureen stated that Lena was
her dad's great aunt Lena. This McDonald line is separate from that of Peter McDonald, whose son Michael married Annie Sweeney, and lived near Dushore. However, my other great grandparent,
Cecilia McDonnell/McDonald McCarty connects with the Dushore McDonalds. She and Peter were siblings. My McCartys match a sizable amount of DNA with two
descendants of Peter McDonald from Dushore, so I know they are connected.
Maureen further filled in the story of Lena and provided us with a picture shown just below this note of Lena as an adult. Lena McDonald Weller (1880-1965) was born in Sheshequin,
Bradford County, PA to Robert McDonald and Mary Payne. She was the youngest daughter. Her older sister, Grace McDonald, is my great grandmother. My dad knew
Aunt Lena. Actually, I probably met her too. She outlived the rest of her immediate
family. She married Nathan Weller in Sheshequin in 1905, and moved to Avoca, Luzerne County, PA. She moved back to Sheshequin after his death..
Robert McDonald, Lena's father (1843-1916) descends from James McDonald and Mary MacNamee. I have been told, but have no record, that they are from County Cavan,
Ireland. James (1805-1889) and Mary McDonald (1809-1885)'s three surviving children were born in PA, and the two sons took part in the Civil War,
and survived it. Besides the Civil War years, Robert lived in Sheshequin, PA his whole life. He was a wagon maker and fiddler in a dance band.
My OTHER McDonald/McDonnell GG grandparent is Cecilia McDonnell McCarty (1819-1900). (Her name is written both as McDonald and McDonnell interchangeably.
I tend to use McDonnell to differentiate between these two lines.) She was born in Ireland (one story from a distant relative is that she married Charles
McCarty in Ireland and they emigrated during their honeymoon, but I have no proof of this.) There are lots of connections to Dushore. One son is said
to have been born in Dushore. There are Jordans, Carrolls and McDonalds as baptismal sponsors, all that seem connected to Dushore. Cecilia lived many
decades in Ulster, PA. I have DNA matches with other lines that descend from Cecilia and her husband Charles. I have not found any Irish records about her.
I learned from Bob Sweeney that Peter was her brother. I have a public tree on Ancestry. McCartyTree is the name.
Editor's Note: You can learn about the "Dushore McDonalds" at: Descendants of Peter McDonald & Catherine Waters.
>
Lena McDonald Weller
1880-1965
Courtesy of Maureen McCarty
Click on photo for enlarged version.
********************************
CLICK on photos for enlarged view.
Here are the McDonald "unknown" photos as we originally received them.
Lizzie O'Herron and Friend
Perhaps Mary Elizabeth O'Herron (1890-1962)
Plate 5088
Lula McDonald
Plate 8599
Mrs. J. S. McDonald
Plate 10634
J. C. McDonald
Plate 11633
Peter McDonald
Son of Peter and Catherine Waters McDonald
(1889-1912)
Plate 8034
Clara McDonald
Clareta "Clara" (Cadden) McDonald (1885-1968)
Wife of J. C. McDonald
Plate 2849
Margaret McDonald
Daughter of Michael and Abigail (Jordan) McDonnell ("McDonald") *
Plate 9036
* Editor's Note: Per Joanne Nailen Perrault: "....come to find out our McDonalds were really McDonnells! Took me a
while but found an old census listing Francis, Bridget and only child Michael McDonnell from Ireland, living in Dushore. Ten years later,
they became McDonalds on the census; guess they decided to join the majority in Dushore! At any rate-Michael married Abigail Jordan and that's
our connection to the Sweeneys, Jordans and the other McDonalds in the family. Margaret McDonald in the picture is their child and my grandmother.
We also have that picture. I found further proof of the name being McDonnell when my cousin Kathleen Crumley took apart a china closet built by
our great grandfather and he wrote a note to wife Abigail on their wedding day and signed Michael McDonnell.
Jane McDonald
Plate 10730
Lena McDonald
Plate 3699
|