Sacramento County
Biographies
JAMES WELCH
JAMES WELCH, a farmer of Sutter Township, was born in Ireland in 1834, son of James and Mary (Stack) Welch. In their family were three sons and four daughters, all of whom excepting one daughter came to America. Two sons and two daughters are now living. In 1847, when but fourteen years old, Mr. Welch came to America, landing at New York, and first visited his parents at Syracuse, that State. The first three years he spent with his brothers at Brockford, Monroe County, New York, and was well taken care of and educated by them. Then, in 1861, he sailed from New York City and came by the Panama route to San Francisco, landing March 16. He began working on a farm, first for a man on the lower Stockton road in this county. During the flood of 1862 he lost some money; after that he worked by the month again until he accumulated a little means, and then he worked upon rented farms three years, and then bought a place about a mile below where he now lives. Three years afterward he sold out and rented a ranch adjoining for one year. In the fall of 1870 he moved upon his present place, containing fifty acres, on the Freeport road and about six miles from Sacramento. For the six years ending in 1874 he also followed teaming and peddling up in the mountains. He has been moderately successful in whatever he has undertaken and he has also met with some heavy losses. He was married in 1878 to Mrs. Eliza Flood, widow of Michael Flood. Her maiden name was Carpenter, and she was a native of Ireland, and was ten years old when she came to this country. She came to California in 1862.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Davis, Hon. Win. J., An Illustrated History of
Sacramento County, California. Page 595. Lewis
Publishing Company. 1890.
© 2007 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.