History of the Welsh in Chicago
January 26, 2008 by · Leave a Comment
History of the Welsh in Chicago
We are slowly wading through our society’s archives to piece together the history of the Welsh in Chicago since 1853. The society was originally founded at that time to meet a perceived need for those of Welsh descent who had settled in the Chicago area and had fallen on hard times. A flyer from 1912 recruiting new members states that the society “…was organized for the sole purpose of caring for the destitute Welsh, or those of Welsh descent…” Sometimes a family needed money for food, for a suit of clothes for a job, or for train fare to travel to another city where they had relatives who could take them in. It has been noted that no Welsh family requested assistance from the city following the Great Fire of 1871 though undoubtedly many were affected. Read more
Cemeteries and Graves Project
January 12, 2008 by · Leave a Comment
We have recently begun a study of the records in our possession and hope, eventually, to have a complete listing of Welsh graves in the Chicago area. There is still much to be done and we have been working with cemetery staff to check for accuracy and to fill in the blanks. Our hope is that we will ultimately have a resource for those who may be searching for information about Welsh ancestors. The Board has also authorized funds to repair and restore a marker at Oak Ridge Cemetery, to straighten tilted headstones and, to generally tidy up the area. Read more