Governor William C. McDonald
First Statehood Governor of New Mexico

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Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
      	Russell
      	July 13, 2000

http://www.rootsweb/
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William Calhoun McDonald was born 25 July 1858 in Jordanville, New York. His
parents were John and Lydia Marshal, nee Biggs, McDonald. William was educated
in New York, and he taught school while obtaining his education. He was admitted
to the bar in Fort Scott, Kansas in 1880 and in that same year ventured West to the
boomtown of White Oaks, New Mexico by railroad and stagecoach. There, he was
appointed United States Deputy Mineral Surveyor for the Territory of New
Mexico.

In 1890, he became the Manager of the Carrizozo Cattle Ranch Company. Later, he
took control of the El Capitan Live Stock Company which was probably the largest
cattle concern in New Mexico at that time. His Lincoln County Ranch operated
under the "Bar W" brand. 

He was the Lincoln County Assessor from 1885 to 1887. He was involved in
various political and government activities, such as: The New Mexico Sanitary
Board, and Chairman of the Democratic Territorial Central Committee, and he was
elected the first statehood Governor State of New Mexico 7 November 1911. His
inauguration occurred 14 January 1912 in Santa Fe.

McDonald retired from political service in 1917. The war with Germany created a
need for his administrative excellence, and he was appointed Fuel Administrator
for the state of New Mexico. He served in that position until he died 11 April
1918. Glen Ellison, a Lincoln County Historian, remarked, "He watched a town be
born, watched it crawl, stand up, and run.Then he graced his country with his
grave." The Governor's body was taken to White Oaks, a town McDonald loved,
and was put to rest in Cedarvale Cemetery.

Governor McDonald had married Mrs. Francis McCourt, daughter of George and
Matilda Jane(nee Wilcox) Tarbell. Governor McDonald and his wife had one child,
Frances. She married Truman A. Spencer. Mr. Spencer became manager of the
Carrizozo Land and Cattle Company’s ranch and also the El Capitan Ranch or
Block Ranch, as it was commonly called.

The children of Mr. and Mrs. Spencer were Jane Elizabeth, William C. McDonald
Spencer, Truman Spencer and A. N. Spencer(M.D.). Governor McDonald is well
remembered in Lincoln County. Historian Will Keleher remarked that McDonald
was the ideal governor because of his outstanding honesty.

Glen Ellison closed a booklet he wrote about Carrizozo, Old Homes Tour, as
follows, "We set out to give you a glimpse of the William C. McDonald country, a
world he knew. He came here when it was a wide, empty basin. He watched the
railroad come, watched the town start, helped bring the courthouse here, and then
went on to lead the new State of New Mexico through the first five years of its
childhood."

Submitted by Russell, NM USGenWeb Project Volunteer