The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-10-20
History of An Ocaa Firm MacKay & Companys New Ho1
From Small Beginning This Firm Has Risen to
One of Central Horida's Leading Business
Houses

For almost thirty years, the firm OF
George MacKay & Company, former
Iy McIver G. MacKay, has been
one of the industrial and CONNER
cial bulwarks of Ocala and Marion
county. Mr.. MacKay, indisputably the
leading architect of Marion county
and a considerable amount of the
country around it, also a contractor
and builder, gathered around him
many men skilled in construction, and
the number of structures, from tiny
cottage to a great public building or
gigantic industrial plant, that they
have erected during all those years is
almost too great to estimate. Joining
business resources with the skilled un-
dertaker, D. E. McIver, the firm
branched out into the furniture and
hardware business, and also began to
supply other building contractors with
the materials they used themselves.
Auxiliary tho smaller lines came in
like tributaries to river, courtesy,
strict faith and business honor gov
erned all the dealings of the firm, and
it's establishment grew from two
modest store rooms and a warehouse
to more buildings than could be hived
on a city block, while its operations
reached out not only over Marion
county but all this part of the state.
The combined business of the firm
began thirty years or more ago in a
warehouse for building supplies, etc,
alongside the tracks Of the Florida
Railroad and Navigation Company
(row the Seaboard Air Line Railway
and next to it's freight and passenger
station, now its freight depot. A lit
tie later the firm came up town and
put a stock of furniture in the store
room in the then Miller block, (now
occupied by Green's drugstore) on
North Magnolia street, across the
street from the Baptist church. This
place was not long large enough for
Vie firms increasing trade, and it re-
moved into the store a few doors
south, previously occupied by the
grocery firm of Birdsey & Sons. At
that time, the west side of Magnolia
at that point was filled from the Miller
block to the Thompson block (now
Parker & Guynn's store, by three one
story brick stores. One of these had
-
opened into one, to make room for the
Birdseys. Mr.. MacKay and his part
ner had not been long in this location
before they found it necessary to re-
model it and put on a second story,
the center of which was used as
salesroom, while reserve goods were
stored on the sides and in the corners.
, They bought for their undertaking de-
partment small brick block adjacent
to the northwest of their property. In
a few years they had purchased two
thirds of the land on the block, and
put up two large iron-sheathed ware
houses. One of these, full of goods,
was burned about eight years ago, but
was replaced and reflled in a few
months. Then the firm purchased the
store next to it on the north, cutting
q wide connecting door thru the wall,
and moved its stock of hardware into
it About 1907, a neat chapel was
built in the front rooms of the under
taking department building. The pic
ture framing department was in the
second story of this building. From
this building over to the main store
was a bridge, on which was located
the comparatively small but largely
important offices devoted to the ar
chitects and craftsmen. To this de-
partment, Mr.. MacKay always gave
his particular, personal attention.
The foregoing is brief but compre-
hensive and tolerably accurate sketch
Of the establishment as it existed up
to February II last. Not expecting
fire, the writer had not made any
plans and specifications, and is max
ing this description from memory, but
as he rambled over almost the entire
establishment once or twice a week
for years he believes he is reasonably
correct.
THE BIG FIRE
AS the MacKay firm had added
from time to time to it's space, it had
carefully put in the best protection
obtainable, and as it tried to keep only
careful men on its payroll, it had
right to consider itself reasonably safe
from fire However, man has never
vet built a structure where men can
live and work that the fire demon
can't find a weak place in. This was
again proven on the morning of Sat
urday, Feb. 18, 1922, when after a
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