Robert WELCH

The following bio was taken from page 440 of the book entitled “Rusk County History”

compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Gloria Riley

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

Robert W. “Bob” Welch was born September 17, 1819 in North Carolina. Mary Ann “Pollyanna” Nelson, his wife, was born January 2, 1817 in Jefferson County, Tennessee. They were married October 1, 1839 in Bedford County, Tennessee. Pollyanna was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Mansfield Nelson. John Nelson, who had fought in the War of 1812, died in Bedford County in 1830. Elizabeth Nelson, his wife, died in Rusk County, Texas after 1862. A son, Andrew Nelson, died at the Alamo in Texas, in 1836. The Welch Family came to Texas about 1848. In selecting a place to live, Bob Welch decided upon a location with plenty of water—a creek with springs. It became known as Welch Springs. It was reported that at one time seven springs along the creek had a different kind of water in each. Three springs are still to be found. One is pure water and was used by several families as a “wash” spring. The main tile-lined spring contains water with a high sulphur content and is thought to have curative powers. In the 1890’s the site of the springs was used as a camp meeting ground, and later a hotel was erected by Nanthaniel Johnson so people could stay and drink the healing waters. The home built by Bob Welch was farther down the creek. It was a story and a half log cabin. Water was brought to the house by a bucket on a long wire, drawn by a windlass. This family was said to have brought with them the first sewing machine and the first iron cook stove seen in the community. Bob Welch was a farmer and stockman. He grew his own tobacco and hung it underneath the stairway to dry. He and his family were members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church at Pine Grove. Only daughters were born to Bob and Pollyanna Welch—ten of them! The first four were born in Bedford County, Tennessee and the last six, at Welch Springs, Rusk County, Texas. Sarah Elizabeth (1841-1884) married Benjamin F. Jones; Amanda (1843-1867) married Gustavus Adolphus Treadwell and died at the birth of their first child; Nancy Malinda (1845-1916) married John Martin Crow; Buena Vista (1847-1881) married her maternal first cousin, Thomas Blakemore Holland; Helen M. (1849-1886) married Jesse Knight; Margaret Jane (1854-1926) married Dr. Timothy Deason; Rosetta Washington Welch (1856-1929) married James Henry Jennings, who had come from Spartenburg County, South Carolina; Mary Alice Virginia (1858-1867), died at nine years of age; Rebecca P. (1860-1917) married George A. Brock and lived and died at Mineola, Texas. Pollyanna Welch died at the family home at Welch Springs, May 6, 1895. After Pollyanna’s death, Bob Welch married again. His second wife was Lucy Mathis from Concord. They had two children, Robert and Nora. Robert died as a young man, unmarried. Nothing is know of Nora. Bob Welch died April 4, 1901 and was buried beside his first wife at Pine Grove Cemetery. Written by Mary Franklin Deason Dunn