Thomas Francis Walsh
- Born
- 1850-04-02 12:00:00
- Died
- 1910-04-08 12:00:00
- Gender
- Male
- Place of migration
- Migrated to/Born in USA
Thomas Francis Walsh was born at Clonmel*, Lisronagh, County Tipperary, Ireland on April 2, 1850. His parents were Michael Walsh, a farmer, and Bridget Scully. When a teenager Thomas became apprenticed to a Wheelright.
*[Note: Another source says Thomas was born at Baptistgrange, Lisronagh, County Tipperary, Ireland].
In 1869, at the age of 19, Thomas emigrated to the USA with his sister, Maria Walsh. She later married Arthur Lafferty.
[Their brother, Michael Walsh had already emigrated to the U.S. in 1865].
Thomas Walsh and his sister first settled at Worchester, Massachusetts with their aunts, Catherine Walsh and Bridget (Walsh) Power. Later Thomas Walsh moved to Golden, Colorado where he worked building bridges for two years for the Colorado Central Railroad. Eventually, he "caught gold fever," and took an interest in mining, later becoming the owner of a mine.
He married Carrie Bell Reed, daughter of Stephen Reed, in Leadville, Colorado, USA on July 11, 1879.
By 1880 the couple was living in Canyon City, Fremont County, Colorado, USA with Carrie's mother, A. L. Reed, age 41. Thomas Walsh was at that time employed as a "Real Estate Agent."
Carrie and Thomas Walsh had at least two children:
Evalyn (Walsh) McLean (1886-1947)
Vinson Walsh (1888-1905)
The family later moved from Colorado to Washington, DC.
By the time Thomas F. Walsh died in April 1910 he had amassed a fortune and was known as the "Colorado Silver Mine King." He was buried in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, DC.
Mrs. Thomas F. Walsh died in 1932.
In 1935/1936 Thomas and Carrie's daughter, Evalyn (Walsh) McLean wrote a book called "Father Struck It Rich," which told the story of her life and contains a great deal of information about the Thomas Walsh family. It can be viewed online at the InternetArchive website.
Sources:
Sioux City Journal, Sioux City Iowa, 9 April 1910, p 2 [picture]
Find A Grave dot com [Memorial-Thomas F. Walsh, Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, D.C. [picture]
"Father Struck It Rich," Brown, Little Brown and Co., 1936. [book by daughter, Evalyn (Walsh) McLean in 1936] [see online at "Internet Archive" website]
Thomas F. Walsh, Wikipedia [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Walsh_(miner)]
U S. Census 1880, Canyon City, Fremont County, Colorado, USA
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Note: This is not my ancestor--JS
