A Bit of History

Had a very interesting experience on Sunday. Part of the Holiday Home Tour featured the MacDonald House, the old stage stop and toll house on the east side of MacDonald Pass.


The new owner of this house is Mike Maixner and his bride, Annie. Here’s the news story that caught my interest. Mike’s from Harlo, and his folks were my godparents, so Ann and I went out to look at the place. Interesting, and it gets more interesting.

The Maixners bought the place from Peggy Phalen. She and her late husband Ambrose used to ranch on the Smith River outside White Sulphur Springs, then ranched over here. She still lives in another home on this property and says her “rent” consists of telling Mike and Annie as much history as she can recall. I’m betting Cousin Jim knows something of the Phalens.

Well, the most interesting piece of history is this. One of Alexander MacDonald’s daughters, born in that house, married Edgar Moore Hall. He was the son of Nancy Moore Hall; Nancy, of course, was sister to Perry, John, and Sanford Moore.

I learned the MacDonald connection by chance. Standing in the kitchen, I overheard a visitor talking about “Mrs. E.M. Hall” with Peggy, and they were looking at a 1939 newspaper article about her memories of growing up in that house. The visitor mentioned she was a Hall relative, so I introduced myself. She was the great-granddaughter of E.M. Hall. I’m sorry I don’t remember her name, but her mother, Linda Hall Jacquez, was also there. We chatted about the family connection and exchanged phone numbers.

I know the Halls have been a Helena family for many decades, but this is the first time I met any of them. I hope to gather some additional family history to add to the impressive work that Kay and others have done.