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.

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