Milton Donaldson (deceased), the largest capitalist of Lake County, was a native of Alabama, but spent part of his youth in Nashville. After moving to Donaldson’s Point, Missouri, he married Theresa Baird. Mr. Donaldson was a self made man. When he married he had nothing, and by hard work and good management he accumulated an estate worth $150,000. He had but one son, who died in childhood. He was a democrat in politics. Mrs. Donaldson was a Methodist.
In 1877 Mr. Donaldson left his home one afternoon to look after his stock. While absent a villain by the name of Murphy entered the house for the purpose of robbing. He first knocked the servant girl down, and thinking she was dead, returned to close the doors, but finding she was not dead, he repeated the blows. He then entered Mrs. Donaldson’s room, and murdered her. As soon as the crime was discovered, the neighbors turned out and found the murderer, and hung him at once.
Mr. Donaldson remained a widower until his death, in 1881, and having neither wife nor children to inherit his large estate, it passed into the hands of his nieces and nephews. He was a kind and generous man.