John H. Welty Film Collection

John H. Welty Film Collection (Wheeling in the 1930s and 1940s)

About this collection:

➤ John Schauber Welty (1847-1919) and Bertha Zoeckler (1851-1937) were married on May 5, 1870. They lived in Wheeling and had 8 children including Albert Peter Welty (1875-1967) and John Henry Welty (1875-1956) (twins), and Elmer Zoeckler Welty (1888-1973). In 1864, John Schauber Welty's father began a grocery store in Wheeling with Charles Lutz. Mr. Lutz later retired, sold his interest and the business was renamed John S. Welty Grocers. In time, John handed the business over to his sons, John, Albert, and Elmer, and it was renamed John S. Welty and Sons Grocers. This business ran until John S. decided to retire. In 1919 they announced that the business would be closing and the location would be leased to Todd Furniture company. In November of 1919, John S. fell and died while on a ladder taking inventory for the closeout. Welty's sons decided to leave the grocery business and sell automobiles instead. They soon began a family run Buick agency in Wheeling on 16th street in 1919. Both John H. and Albert decided to leave the business and handed it over to their younger brother Elmer. John H. Welty had many hobbies, including photography and film. He also ran a successful poultry business.

This collection consists of five 16 mm films by John Henry Welty during the 1930s and 1940s in and around Wheeling. These films were donated to the Library archives by members of the Welty Family, including Ellen Gano and John Welty. The films were passed down through the family upon John H. Welty’s passing in 1955. Footage includes skiing, swimming and archery at Oglebay Park, the 1940 Christmas parade, floods in downtown Wheeling, the Ohio County Poor Farm and Wheeling Downs.

Description from John Welty, Jr.:

"With regard to background on the films, there isn’t a whole lot to tell. These are digitized files from original 16 mm film shot by John Henry Welty, who was our great uncle (he was brother to our paternal grandfather, Elmer.) The films were passed down through the family upon John H. Welty’s passing in 1955. He was one of nine siblings, including his twin brother, Albert and his youngest brother Elmer. The three brothers started Welty Buick Company in 1918 but, as we learn through the films, they had many outside interests, including chicken farming, fox terrier breeding and showing, traveling, and, as you will see, filming family and local events of the day. This collection is part of approximately 25 reels that are in the Welty collection."

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Photographs of Welty Buick and the Welty Buick Fire

Welty Photo Provenance from John Welty, Jr.:

"John Schauber Welty (1847-1919) and Bertha Zoeckler (1851-1937) were married on May 5, 1870. They lived in Wheeling and had 8 children (3 boys and 5 girls) The boys were Albert Peter Welty(1875-1967) and John Henry Welty (1875-1956) (twins) and Elmer Zoeckler Welty (1888-1973) (My grandfather). In 1864 (Just before the close of the Civil War) John's father began a grocery store in Wheeling with Charles Lutz. Eventually, Mr. Lutz decided to retire and sold his interest and the business was renamed John S. Welty Grocers. In time, John handed the business over to his sons, John , Albert, and Elmer, and it was renamed John S. Welty and Sons Grocers. The Business ran until John S. decided to retire. In 1919 they announced that the business will be closing and the location was being leased to Todd Furniture company. In November of 1919, John S. was on a ladder taking inventory for the closeout and unfortunately fell and died from the fall. The boys felt that they no longer wanted to be in the grocery business and decided to try their hands at selling automobiles instead. (Their grocery store was the first business in Wheeling to use a motorized vehicle for deliveries!). But what vehicle manufacturer would they represent? They simply looked out the window of their Market Street store and noted the first three makes of automobiles that passed....Star....Essex...and Buick. They literally flipped a coin and chose Buick., and began a family run Buick agency in Wheeling on 16th street in 1919. In time, both John H. and Albert decided to leave the business and handed it over to their younger brother Elmer. John and Albert pursued other interests namely Photography for John and running a very successful Poultry farm as well as raising show quality Wired Haired Terriers for Albert."