Frye Village Stories: the Donald family next generation (part 3)
A Shawsheen Village 100 Story
Before Shawsheen Village Frye Village Stories: the Donald Ink Factory, part 3
The next generation of the Donald family: Walter S. Donald
Walter Donald graduated from Phillips Academy in 1869 and married Clara Clement in 1873. They lived just north of Walter's parents at 9 Union Street. Together they had four children William, Walter, Douglas, and Edith.
Walter S. Donald
Although Walter S. Donald would eventually lead the printing ink business, he tried his hand at other ventures before settling into the family business.
Walter launched a short-lived adventure in retail in 1872. In September 1872, Jonathan Swift sold his variety store stock and trade at 17 Main Street in downtown Andover to Walter who opened “Walter S. Donald Fruit & Fancy Store.” According to the Andover Townsman, he sold confectionery, canned goods, and fruit.
However, like his father’s early ventures in ink manufacturing, Walter’s new business venture got off to a rocky start.
In February 1873, the Townsman reported that Donald sold his business to Moody O. Russell who would continue to sell lamps, confectionery, fruit, and fancy goods.
But one week later Walter Donald bought back his business.
In December that year, Donald advertised that he had “a large assortment and great variety of holiday gifts, including nicknacks, [sic] gimcracks and all sorts of funny and queer articles. He also has a great quantity of cutlery, stationary, fruits, and confections. Give him a call and let the little folks have a merry Christmas with plenty of presents.”
A few months later, in April 1874, Donald sold his stock in trade and the lease on his store on Main Street to J. E. Whiting.
The family business
Walter worked for over thirty years in the family ink manufacturing business, leading the company as W.S. Donald & Company after his father’s retirement in 1893 until 1919.
Serving the Town of Andover
Walter Donald was an Andover Selectman from 1905 to 1923, serving as Chairman for several years. As a Selectman during World War I, Donald was a member of the “Committee on Local Survey” whose task was to inventory the available resources of material and manpower in town, including compiling lists of “all automobiles, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles, as well as skilled workers.” He also served the town on the Finance Committee, as Civil Constable for 10 years and was one of the Board of Engineers. He was a director of the Lawrence Cooperative Bank. (History of Andover Selectboard)
He also served as Assessor and was a director of the Lawrence Cooperative Bank.
He was a member of the St. Matthew’s Lodge of the Masons and the Square & Compass Club at 1 Elm Square (shown here) whose members could take advantage of the reading room, card rooms, billiard hall, reception parlor, and committee rooms.
Walter Donald died March 5, 1930, after a week-long illness. His wife Clara (Clement) Donald died a week later.
Walter Donald was active in Andover until shortly before his death. He had asked Selectman Matthew Burns to take his place and speak for him at Town Meeting if “he was called to great beyond.” Burns obliged and presented Donald’s petition related to street, roads, and public works.
You can read Part 1 of this story, which includes Walter S. Donald's work with the family business on the Andover Stories page of our website.
Next Frye Village story: Harvesting ice on Hussey's Pond