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

Additional Information
Date of Birth 2nd Apr 1850
Date of Death 8th Apr 1910 VIEW SOURCE
Occupation Railroad bridge builder, Read Estate Agent, mine owner VIEW SOURCE

Comments

  • Do you not have any details of his parents or other family such as siblings?

    Jan

    Thursday 19th August 2021 08:32AM
  • Yes, I have just found Thomas F. Walsh's parent's names and am in the process of revising the Thomas F. Walsh biography.

    His parents were: Michael Walsh and Bridget Scully.  Known siblings of Thomas F. Walsh were Michael Walsh and Maria Walsh. 

    Two of Thomas F. Walsh's paternal aunts were: Catherine Walsh and Bridge (Walsh) Power of Massachusetts.

    There is a lot more biographical information about Thomas F. Walsh, miner on Wikipedia.

    Also, I was delighted to see that Thomas F. and Carrie Bell (Reed) Walsh's daughter, Evalyn Walsh wrote a book about her life, giving lots of information about her parents, etc. The book is called: Father Struck it Rich [1936]

    The book can be read on Internet Archive online.  

    I will continue to add additional information as I find it.

    J.S. [portals2history@gmail.com]

     

    PrairieRose

    Thursday 19th August 2021 02:15PM

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