His early successes allowed him to buy a seat on the San Francisco Stock Exchange, during which time he joined the ranks of the rich and powerful, including George Hearst, Leland Stanford and Charles Crocker.
[1][2][3][4] By the late 1860s, McDonald had begun to apply his wealth, influence and entrepreneurial spirit to new business opportunities in Santa Rosa.
The neighborhood's popularity was enhanced by a range of amenities including gas and water service, a new streetcar line established by Colonel McDonald, and an extensive tree planting program implemented with the assistance of famed local horticulturist Luther Burbank.
[6] After the death of the senior McDonalds, the eldest son Mark Jr. and his wife Isabelle eventually became sole owners of Mableton, and made it their primary residence.
In his career, Mark Jr. followed the example of his father, and found success running the Santa Rosa Water Works, and the M. L. McDonald Jr. and Co. Fruit Packing plant.
The site of their family home was donated to the city by Isabelle's father, and survives today as Juilliard Park in downtown Santa Rosa.
Among the changes they implemented were alterations to the rear of the house, installation of additional bathrooms, and numerous landscape improvements, including a tennis court (now the site of a formal garden).
The couple had two children who survived into adulthood: a son, Juilliard, and a daughter, Marcia (a third child, Mark McDonald III, died in infancy).
After Mark L. McDonald, Jr. died in 1932, Isabelle occupied a Nob Hill apartment in San Francisco as her primary residence.
Eventually, the property was offered for sale to the City of Santa Rosa, and local controversy over possible development plans for the site ensued.