Calling all Cousins far and wide

This is my first blog entry and hope it finds it's way to at least a few of the Edward and Rose McDonald descendants and long lost cousins looking for info on the various lines of the family. Over time I will put the entire family history here and lots of family photos. If you are a descendant please take a few minutes and contact me, every single person is important and has valuable info and maybe photos to add to our colorful Port Orange history.

I've got great photos of Ed and Rose's hotel "The Port Orange House", the Palmetto Hat Factory owned and operated by their daughter Mary Elizabeth (McDonald) Johnson, she was known as the "Palmetto Lady", Old logging map showing the town called McDaniels and copies of all the homestead paperwork and when Edward and Rose homesteaded the 69 acres along the river and in the heart of Port Orange and the maps of exactly where the land was located, and several versions of why he changed the family surname from McDaniel to McDonald and approximately when and was it ever officially changed? And some very interesting info listed on both their death certificates. Edward called the area "Pleasant Hill" and named Rose Bay after his wife Rose Ellender Barber. Ed and Rose moved from New River, Onslow County, NC to Florida between 1853 and 1854, their fifth child George Washington was born Dec 8, 1854 in Marian County, FL and to the Volusia County when Charles Marion, was born June 7, 1859 at Rose Bay. Charles would later own and operate the Daytona Beach Boat Works.

After moving from several north Florida counties the family settled on the south side of Rose Bay. Edward’s son William Lafayette McDonald said they came in a “barefoot cart” one with no tires on the wheels, all the way from North Carolina. He said their closest neighbor was Bartola Pacetti who lived across the Halifax River at Mosquito Inlet.

Over time hopefully show how the family influenced the development of Port Orange. Over the last few years I have come to know and exchange information and photos with descendants of Ed and Rose McDonald and William E. and Mary Elizabeth (McDonald) Johnson. This blog is not just about Ed and Rose and Mary Eliz but all the McDonald children: Lucinda M., Martha Caroline, William Lafayette, George Washington, Ann Eliz, Charles Marian, Sara Jane, Laura Henrietta, Dora Ellen and Elijah Franklin known as the strongest man in Volusia County.

I'm also working with the several other surnames who were pioneer families of Florida and the Volusia area. The Lastingers, the Crawfords are from my Grandmother Hattie Henrietta (Lastinger) Johnsons side of the family. Don't get me started with the Cajun side, Trahan, LeBlanc, Breaux, Stutes on and on. And if that wasn't difficult enough my Great Grandfather William Eldridge Johnson, b. Sept. 20, 1850 came to Port Orange in 1867 from Hope Town, Abaco, Bahamas. If you think getting info is tough in the U.S. just try and find info from the Bahamas. I'm literally working on hundreds of names. Help!

Take care
Port Orange Ted



















Photo taken: December 1911 front porch of old Johnson home, Port Orange, Volusia Co., FL. Seated: William Eldridge Johnson, born: September 20, 1850, Hope Town, Abaco, Bahamas, died: October 18, 1912, Port Orange, Volusia Co., FL, Mary Elizabeth (McDonald) Johnson born: November 9, 1848, New River, Onslow Co., NC, died: August 16, 1922, Port Orange, Volusia Co., FL