Surname: WELSH MACK SITTS SMITH NIVER

----Source: LOYAL CENTENNIAL BOOK (Loyal, Clark County, Wis.) - 1970

Welsh, William

William Welsh was qualified as a surveyor when he first came here (Loyal, Clark County, Wis.) to settle in 1864. He and the Mack brothers had scouted the area together some years before. The territory was not exactly new to him.

With him were Abram J. Smith, William Hill and Henry Sitts when they selected property joining at the quarter post where they had stopped to eat their lunch. Together they made their way to the Galloway Land Office in Eau Claire to make their claims at the quarter section between 10 and 11.

There was a rare and unusual coincidence, which probably never happened before and may never happen again. These four men grew up in Dodge co., Wis. There was not a year's difference in their ages. They came to Clark County together. They took joining farms at the same time and built their homes and moved into them at about the same time. They remained here for approximately 30 years. For many years they shared the same dug well near the corners of their property. The spot was quite visible for many years after. The next year (1865) William Welsh brought his wife, Elizabeth (Niver), and their five children, Lydia, Adda, Douglas, Rhoda and Grant.

That winter Welsh worked near Neillsville, Clark County as a carpenter and later he worked with David Fulmer building a farmhouse near the same place. They walked home about twice a month during the job.

As a man of all trades, Welsh was respected highly in the community. In addition to being a surveyor, carpenter and family man, he acted as both judge and lawyer and also performed marriage ceremonies for the community. He was a man who had books and enjoyed them well into the later years of his life.

Nine other children came to bless their home at Loyal. They were Caroline, Harriet, John, Elizabeth, Mary, Martha, Ellen, Hattie and George. The mother had the distinction of being Loyal's oldest resident for many years (died at 101 in 1934).

At first the families had a fear of Indians, but in time they became friends and were glad to see the settlers. Because of his many talents, William Welsh left a more lasting impression than some of the other early settlers.