John Wesley Macdonald, born 1857 in Portland, Maine. Died in 1909 in Somerville, Massachusetts.
John Wesley Macdonald’s early life is somewhat of a mystery to me still. I know his father’s name was William Macdonald, and his mother was Jane McCoombs, but I can’t find any concrete records to confirm who they were or who his siblings were (although a brother Fred is mentioned in a newspaper article).
He was born in 1857 in Portland, Maine, and according to newspaper articles, his family moved to East Boston from Portland, ME, when he was 6 years old. At some point he attended a school called The Prescott School (but I can’t find any info on it).
He and Annie were married in 1879, when he was 22 years old, and his early occupations included “horsecar conductor”,”tinsmith”, and “stamper”. His death certificate listed his occupation as “salesman”, and I know this was for Waldo Brothers. In fact, he was in a fairly serious accident while driving a Waldo Bros. buggy (read article here).
I also have many many MANY newspaper clippings documenting his political life at Somerville City Council.
He died in 1909 at the age of arteriosclerosis, after 2 years of illness, and is supposedly buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Medford.
Gnarly Roots 
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