Welsh Family Correspondence Collection
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of two letters, one envelope, and two pieces of paper pertaining to the family of George Welsh (1839-1899). Welsh writes to his eldest child, daughter Irene, from Washington state describing the area and teasing about bringing back gold from Alaska. One original envelope remains. Also included is a typed note providing family history information about George's family of origin and a small handwritten note identifying George and Alice Welsh in an 1863 photograph taken in Ontario. That photograph was not included in the collection.
Dates
- Creation: 1898-1899
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Materials are available for use in the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center only.
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Biographical / Historical
George Welsh was the son of Thomas Welsh and Elizabeth Rutledge. Born in Picton, Ontario Canada in February of 1839 he became a teacher and then a physician, graduating in medicine from The University of Michigan in 1874. He moved to Iowa and married Bridget Boyle in 1882. The couple moved westward and along the way had six children: Irene, Gertrude, Annie "Nan", Thomas and Mary. An infant son did not survive. Welsh was working in Renton, Washington and his family was in Holbrook, Iowa at the time these letters were written in 1898. Welsh died in February 1899 in Renton and was brought to Williamsburg, Iowa to be buried. However the family did not stay there, moving to Davenport, Iowa by 1900. Irene married John J. Feeney in 1909 and lived in Davenport until her death in 1968.
Welsh's obituaries indicate he was a leading physician for many years in Holbrook, then moved to Iowa City, Oskaloosa and then Renton, Washington. One obit states he died of over-exertion in trying to reach a patient with a railroad velocipede. His sister Eliza Ann wrote "Warm hearted, generous, impulsive, with a keen sympathy for the poor and distressed, he would give his last dollar to any one in need." "A fond father, whose hopes and ambitions were centered in his children."
Extent
5 items (in one folder.)
Language of Materials
English
Physical Location
Range 33 Section 03; shares box
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center Repository
321 Main Street
Davenport IA 52801-1490 United States
specialcollections@davenportlibrary.com