McDonald's Railroad Freight Station
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A View of South McDonald Street

McDonald's Railroad Freight Station, also, A View of South McDonald Street. . McDonald's Railroad Freight Station , You are standing directly on the location of the former McDonald Freight Station which served our community for over 75 years. During that time the station served as the community's center for the receiving and shipping of a wide variety of small and large items. Each day items such as newspapers, U. S. mall, packages from Pittsburgh stores, lumber, other building supplies and heavy industrial equipment arrived at the freight station. , After world war one, as our country grew and prospered and other shipping. alternatives became available, the need for and use of railroad freight services declined. This picture, believed to have been taken sometime during the early 1950s, shows the station in a state of disrepair as its use was reduced. , In 1957 the freight station building was leased by the Pennsylvania Railroad Corp. to McDonald's Hi-View Lumber Co., which continued to use it for several years for periodic lumber deliveries and storage. The building, an early McDonald landmark, was destroyed by fire in 1972. , Note the concrete bumper which still sits just a few yards to your right. , , A View of South McDonald Street , The picture shown is of South McDonald St. looking North from your position...Turn around and take a look! , The picture, taken around 1910, shows the still unpaved streets and many of McDonald's early buildings, several of which still stand today. , On the left are the Pittsburgh Coal Co. and Federal Supply Store, the Cook-Shane building, the Hotel Harvey (later the Pitt Hotel) and the Gladden building. On the right are oil industry supply buildings, the Will Hotel, the Valentour-Thomassy Building and the McDonald Hotel. The Oil Well Supply building shown eventually burned down and was replaced by a brick building. , At the time these buildings were photographed they were either new or only a few years old. As a result of the oil boom, the growing coal industry and the railroad the town became very affluent and prominent business owners began to make significant investments in McDonald's Infrastructure. It was during this period that brick became the major building material instead of wood because of its fire hazard.