Dr. David B. Warren, having pioneer instinct, emigrated to Texas in 1870.  Coming from Warrensburg, Missouri, which was named for the prominent Warren family.  The young doctor came to Texas, and Palo Pinto County, following his brother Armenus Warren, who had sent home to Missouri, and the Warren family, a wonderful story about Texas being a promising and rich cow country.

So came the Warren family with a small caravan of three covered wagons to Palo Pinto County, and the small town of Palo Pinto where the doctor's brother Armenus, had settled with his wife Susan, and their family.

The David B. Warren family consisted of the doctor, his wife Jemima (Snelling) Warren, and three daughters.  The oldest of the daughters was Mariposa, an 1849 "California Gold Rush baby."  Dr. Warren had been a young wagon train doctor emigrating from Missouri, with the Snelling family, to California in 1849.

The Warrens stayed six years in California, living most of the time in the town of Snelling, which was named for Mariposa's grandfather, Benjamin Snelling.

Mariposa and her family's trip back home to Missouri was a far cry from the heart-breaking wagon-train trip the Warrens had taken when emigrating to California, and the "gold rush."  The trip back to Missouri was by boat, and by way of Cape Horn.  This trip on the water was short, taking only six weeks.

Dr. Warren's pioneering instinct, and the promising story of Texas caused him to emigrate west again.

Not long after the Warren family came to Texas and Palo Pinto County, Mariposa's ardent suitor, George W. McDonald, left his plantation home in Missouri and followed.  Soon after his arrival the young couple were married by old Doctor Taylor of Palo Pinto.  They settled in the tiny village of Palo Pinto, where later one son, Charles, was born.

The first property that George McDonald purchased in Palo Pinto was for a home, paying $600 in gold coin for the property.  At first a three room home was built, a board house as they were called in those days.  Later, in 1884, the McDonalds built an imposing two-story structure of 10 large rooms, with wide porches almost surrounding the house.  This ranch house stood until dismantled a few years ago.  The May Hittson ranch house now occupies the site of the old home.  The modern rock home of Mrs. Hittson is located in the south edge of the town of Palo Pinto.

After coming to Texas, McDonald stocked a dry goods and general store which he operated for 50 years.  This store was in addition to the McDonalds ranching and cattle business.

Land in several ranches near and around Palo Pinto are sections of the McDonald acres.  The ranch now owned by Mrs. May Hittson was the old home place.  This place being first in Mariposa's family purchased by her uncle, Armenus Warren, when he emigrated to Texas.  Mrs. Beulah McDonald of Palo Pinto owns part of the old homestead land, and lives there.

Parts of the Barney Carter ranch west of town is sections out of the McDonald ranch lands.  The Mike Costello ranch home, north of Palo Pinto, was built on land which was a part of George McDonald's ranch.  The John Padgett ranch east of Palo Pinto was once a part of the McDonald land.  The Mack Dunn ranch on the highway east was part of the ranch.  Also other acres in each direction from Palo Pinto, and river farms were once part of the George and Mariposa McDonald's holdings.

Neither George nor Mariposa were afraid of work, and were happy working together in their home and business.  The McDonald family were members of the Palo Pinto Christian Church.

George McDonald passed away in 1924, and his wife died in 1936.  Both are buried in the Palo Pinto Cemetery.