 One story says that a nearby lumber mill owned by a Mr. Donaldson was the area's primary employer and so gave its name to the town. Story number two says that the son of a railroad executive named Donald opened a general store for residents who referred to him simply as Donald's son. The third tale suggests that the station and so the town were named for the son-in-law of the president of the Cairo and Fulton Railroad, which is certainly the least interesting and therefore the most likely of the stories.