The arrival of the coal industry in the 1890s dramatically transformed the landscape of the New River coalfield as company towns emerged almost overnight along the coal seam under the guidance of managers of newly founded companies, bringing infrastructure, housing, and commerce to previously vacant settings. These coal towns were often fleeting, sometimes disappearing after mine closures and at other times being absorbed into neighboring developments. One such community was MacDonald, designed by MacDonald Collieries Company owner Symington MacDonald on an 830-acre lease of the Thomas McKell property. The company built its tipple on the hill above Dunloup Creek, drawing workers from the South and abroad. MacDonald grew rapidly alongside Mount Hope and functioned essentially as one community with it into the 20th century, and by 1915 most of MacDonald had been formally annexed into Mount Hope.