McDonald Cemetery began in the 1850s on the original homestead of William and Clarissa Johnson and their family. Although there may have been earlier interments, possibly including William Johnson, the earliest documented burials were those of two young daughters of Dr. and Mrs. J. C. Privett in 1856. Dr. Privett died in 1857 and was buried next to his daughters. After Clarissa Johnson married Thomas McDonald in 1858, her homestead became known as the McDonald farm. By 1870 the small graveyard on Clarissa's farm had become a community burial ground known as McDonald Cemetery, though it was not formally designated as such in deed records until 1930. Members of the Johnson and McDonald families are buried there, along with many others, in over 550 documented burials as well as a number of unmarked graves. The original one acre plot set aside for the graveyard was enlarged in later years through additional land acquisitions. For well over a century, the cemetery has stood as a reminder of Cherokee County's pioneer heritage and remains one of the area's important cultural resources.