Being the new home for an advancing tycoon, Duckburg experienced rapid growth for many years to follow. Shortly after the charge-up Killmotor Hill, McDuck teared down the rest of the fort and started the construction of his famous Money Bin, designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Drake who mostly designed barns.


Illustration 5.1 - The first $1.000.000.000 inside the Money Bin.

New times in Duckburg


Illustration 5.2 - The new Money Bin.

The famous McDuck Money Bin, the new landmark of Duckburg, was finally finished after six months. In the beginning the Money Bin contained six barrels of money containing a total value of ca. $1.000.000.000, but the amount of money raised quickly.


Illustration 5.3 - $crooge McDuck takes a view over the town.
Illustration 5.4 - $crooge telling his nephews about the growth of Duckburg.


Illustration 5.5 - $crooge McDuck tell about his first years in town.

In 1903, shortly after the Money Bin was finished, McDuck started traveling all around the globe to increase his already big fortune. During the first few years after his arrival in Duckburg, McDuck also invested a lot in developing the local infrastructure. In "A little something special" (takes place 50 years after his arrival in Duckburg = in 1952) he says that he built a railroad out of the town 48 years before (= in 1904), that he built the main sewer of Duckburg 47 years before (= in 1905) and that he condemned the railroad because he determined it wasn't strong enough to support a loaded train, 46 years before (= in 1906).

In 1908 McDuck started a new voyage all around the globe to further increase his fortune. For many reasons he didn't return home before 1930, 22 years later. However as a result of the steadily growth of the McDuck-empire, Duckburg experienced a remarkable growth during these years.


Illustration 5.6 - Elvira "Grandma" Ducks confirms the sale of Coot-land.

In Lo$ chapter XII - The Richest Duck In The World Don Rosa shows that Elvira Duck (the granddaughter of Cornelius Coot), sold all of her part of her family's old land, except her farm, to Scrooge.

New landmarks


Illustration 5.7 - Notre Duck.
Illustration 5,8 - The Mad Dukes castle.

Many of Duckburg's later landmarks were constructed in these years. Don Rosa says: Both Notre Duck and the Mad Dukes Castle would have to be fake renditions of Euro-style architecture, so they would have come when the town was much larger. 1920's at the soonest. Examples of reconstructions of old European buildings (cathedrals, medieval castles, etc.) are also known from other places in America. The "Mad Duke" is likely to have been a character with some similarities to "Emperor Smith" in Lucky Luke. There's also a theory that the phantom in Notre Duck is a descendant, or other relative of the Mad Duke.

McDuck's return to Duckburg


Illustration 5.9 - McDuck's return to Duckburg in 1930.

In 1930 McDuck finally returned to Duckburg to rule his great empire from there. At the arrival he appeared as almost another person than the one who left the town 22 years earlier.


Illustration 5.10 - The life of $crooge McDuck 1930-1947.

He appeared hostile towards his surroundings including his own family who thus left him alone. At the same time as the family left, McDuck fond himself "The richest man in the world".

The close down of McDuck's empire

In 1942 McDuck closed down his business and his Money Bin, and unlike his previous lifestyle, he retired to a big house in Duckburg. There he stayed alone only surrounded by a servant. He stayed away from public life until the Christmas of 1947.

Biography:

Born 1867 in Glasgow, Scotland as the oldst child of Fergus McDuck and his irish wife Downy McDuck (born O'Drake). The richest Duck in the world. One might say that if Cornelius Coot was the founder of the 19th century town called Duckburg, $crooge McDuck was indeed the founder of the 20th century city with the same name. Since he owns 99% of the city it has in practice become "McDuckburg".

McDuck earned his first dime as a 10 year old in 1877. 3 years later in 1880, he left for America as a 13 year old. In 1898, after a lot of adventures he finally ended up in Klondike. There he found a golden rock at the size of a goose egg (his famous Goose-egg nugget). The next year he reached his first $1.000.000 and bought the deed for Killmule Hill from Casey Coot, the son of Clinton Coot and grandson of Cornelius Coot.

McDuck finally ended up in Duckburg in 1902. After some dramatic events where he faced both the Beagle Boys and president Roosevelt and his "Rough Riders" at the same time, he teared down the rest of the old fort Duckburg and raised his famous Money Bin at the same site.

In the years to follow, McDuck traveled all around the world in order to increase his fortune. When he finally returned in 1930 he found himself the richest man in the world. He had however changed. The new $crooge McDuck was tough and hostile toward his surroundings. As a result his own family left him. In 1942 he closed down his empire and retired to a big house totally unlike his previous (and later) lifestyle, in Duckburg.

On Christmas day in 1947 he invited his nephew Donald Duck and his grand nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck after testing their guts in summer-house in Bear-Mounatin. After finally being reunited with parts of his family he decided to return to the public life. In the next 20 years to follow McDuck and his nephews experienced more great adventures than ever before...

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