Mineral County, West Virginia Biography of Richard A. WELCH This file was submitted by Vivian Brinker, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume II. pg. 182 RICHARD A. WELCH. For considerably more than half a century the name Welch has been one of prominence in the Mineral County bar. The record is not quite continuous, since Richard A. Welch was not qualified to begin practice until about a year after the death of his father, who was one of the ablest lawyers and men of affairs in Keyser from about the close of the Civil war. The first American of this name came to this country in the colony of Lord Baltimore, and for several generations the family lived on the eastern shore of Maryland. Many states and localities have families descended from the original one in Eastern Maryland. The family supplied a number of soldiers to the Revolutionary war, and the ancestor of the branch of family in Mineral County was in the struggle for independence. Shortly after the close of that war he moved to Allegany County, Maryland. John Welch, grandfather of Richard A. Welch, spent all his life in Allegany County, Maryland, where he was a "gentleman farmer." William M. Welch, the pioneer lawyer of Mineral County, was born in Allegany County, Maryland, January 10, 1841. He attended the old Allegany County Academy and read law for a time under Judge Hunter at Cumberland. He was admitted to practice there in the fall of 1862, but soon afterward left the law to join the army as a Union man. He was commissioned a captain in the Quartermaster's Department, and for a time was stationed at New Creek, now Keyser, then at Wheeling, and finished his service at Clarksburg. He was mustered out soon after the surrender of General Lee. At the close of the war Mr. Welch came into Eastern West Virginia, about the same time as Judge Francis M. Reynolds, and both located at Romney, county seat of Hampshire County, which then included Mineral County, and they were together in practice. When the party was divided and Mineral created both these young lawyers destined for great prominence in the future, moved over to Keyser, the new county seat, and they continued to be associated until 1872. After that William M. Welch practiced law alone. He became widely known for his masterful handling of cases at trial, and was undoubtedly one of the best trial lawyers in Mineral County. His successful career in this profession continued until his death on September 5, 1898. His name was also well known in democratic politics. For seven different terms he represented Mineral County in the House of Delegates and was twice Speaker of the House. He was a delegate to two national conventions, that of 1876, when Samuel J. Tilden was named for President, and that of 1884, when Grover Cleveland was nominated. He was useful to his party and to his friends in a number of campaigns, but had no ambition for more of the political honors that were given him. He was not a member of any church, but was a Master Mason. William M. Welch married Virginia Adams, who was born at Clarksburg, on the same day of the month and the same year as her husband. She is now living at Keyser. Her parents were Josiah and Hannah (Moore) Adams. The Adamses were a Massachusetts family and the Moores came from Delaware. Josiah Adams settled at Clarksburg and secured a patent from Virginia for from 26,000 to 28,000 acres. He was one of the prominent farmers and land owners of that section. The Moore family came into that region about the same time. William M. Welch and wife had the following children: Mrs. T.P Smith, of Parkersburg; Mrs. Louise B. Martine, of Chicago; Mrs. Ida V. Rathbone, of Parkersburg; W.A., of Keyser; Richard A.; and Ralph P., of Holdenville, Oklahoma. Richard A. Welch was born at Keyser, April 17, 1878, and during his boyhood and youth he profited from the public schools, and after finishing high school took his academic work in the University of Virginia. He left there at the end of his junior year and enrolled in the law department of West Virginia, where he graduated LL. B. in 1899. He at once returned to Keyser and began practice, and a considerable part of his father's law business drifted to him. He has continued his professional work alone, and always in general practice. The law has abundantly satisfied him and he has permitted himself no diversion into the field of politics for the sake of office. However, he has done considerable campaign work as a democrat, and until state conventions were abolished he was one of the leaders of his party in this section of the state. He was a delegate to the Denver National Convention of 1908, and in 1912 was a member of the West Virginia delegation pledged to the nomination of Champ Clark at Baltimore, though personally he was a Woodrow Wilson man, and voted for Wilson as soon as the West Virginia delegation was released from its instructions. He also served as a member of the Democratic State Committee for eight years. While a good and loyal democrat, Mr. Welch cast his first presidential vote for Swallow, the prohibition candidate, declining to support the nominee of his own party. His practical public service has been given to his home town. He consented to serve seven consecutive terms as mayor. During these administrations a large amount of paving was done, sewers laid, concrete walks built, water works installed, and when these improvements had reached a satisfactory stage he felt that his obligations to the community had been discharged and he was satisfied to retire. During the World war he was chairman of the Legal Advisory Committee for Mineral County, of all of the Liberty Loan drives at Keyser, and member of the County Council of Defense. At Martinsburg, West Virginia, August 16, 1911, Mr. Welch married Miss Mary D. Edwards, a native of Martinsburg. her father, William G. Edwards, was a business man of that city, and by his marriage to Miss Roush had three children: William G. Edwards, Jr., of Chicago; Mrs. Welch, who was born October 5, 1887; and Mrs. Nell Sherpick, of New York City. Mr. and Mrs. Welch have a family of four young children: Virginia, Mary, Louise and Richard A., Jr. Outside of his profession Mr. Welch has been interested in some business organizations that have contributed to Keyser's advancement. he was associated with Doctor Gerstell in the organization of the Farmers and Merchants Bank, and is a director of and attorney for the bank. For a time he was a director for the Keyser Electric Light Company, and for many years was president and director of the Alkire Orchard Company.