E. A. (Ed) Welch was born in Fort Dodge in 1875 and had two brothers—Sam and W. R. (Dick) Welch. Sam was in the shoe business with Ed; Dick was in the drug business, operating the drug store in the Carver Building (now O’Connell Drugs).
Both Ed and Sam were sales representatives for the Greene-Wheeler Shoe Manufacturing plant here for many years. In 1907 they purchased the Ed Rank Shoe Store at 607 Central Ave. and operated it under the name of Welch Bros. Shoes. After a year in this location the store moved to 818 Central Ave. where it remained until moving in 1963 to its present large and attractive location at 915 Central Ave.
Richard O. Welch, son of E. A. Welch, joined his father in the shoe store in 1930. The elder Mr. Welch retired from the firm in 1947 and died in 1953. Mrs. Welch, now 96, is a resident of Friendship Haven.
Dale Happ joined the firm in 1952 when he and Richard Welch became sole owners of the business. They reorganized the firm as the Welch Shoe Company with Welch as president and Happ as vice president and treasurer. Sale of the store to four employes was announced late in January with Robert L. Thiele one of the purchasers to be president and general manager of the firm. Welch will remain as consultant and assistant for one year. Happ will retain an association with the store but will take an extended leave of absence.
THE HAVILAND HOME
The Haviland home
926-928 3rd Avenue North
The two-family residence pictured here is believed to be the first of its kind built in the city and dates its history back to 1870, according to city assessor’s records. Located at the northwest corner of Third Avenue North and Tenth Street, the house was the homestead of Andrew J. Haviland, noted horticulturist, who came to Webster County in 1855.
Old-time photos of the house show that it has not changed much since it was erected 105 years ago. Of two-story frame construction, the house has two identical apartments with addresses of 926 and 928 3rd Ave. N. Each apartment has a living room, dining room, kitchen and utility room on the first floor; two bedrooms and bath on the second floor.
There is a basement area where old hand-hewn beams can be observed and there is a tunnel leading from the furnace room to the outdoors so as to make removal of ashes easier.