Amongst these pages you will find many of the names, dates and places featured in "History of the Oshkosh Welsh Settlement", originally written in Welsh by Reverend David Davies, M.A., D.D. (pub. 1897), and later translated to English by his son, Reverend Howell D. Davies, D.D. (pub. 1947).
"History of the Oshkosh Welsh Settlement" delves into how the first Welsh settlers came to be in Wisconsin, stopping first in Waukesha County, then later in Winnebago and Fond du Lac counties beginning in 1846. It also gives us a glimpse into the everyday life of these settlers, touching on the geography and agriculture of the settlement itself, as well as their Sabbath meetings, various societies, conventions, the schools and churches, and most importantly, I feel, the people themselves. Author Rev. David Davies looks deeply into the families, giving particular attention to detail. He lists as many family members as possible, including children and the people they later married. In addition, Rev. Davies includes mention of family members who had perished during their voyage to the settlement, their burial locations, and even those who only stayed a short time and decided to press on westward to Minnesota, the Dakota Territory and beyond.
I have used this book as my source point in conjunction with the outstanding collection of microfilmed newspapers at the Oshkosh Public Library to find obituaries, as well as HeritageQuest.com to obtain census images. I have only begun to piece together the true genealogical history of this highly- accomplished community.
Check back often for updates. Please feel free to offer corrections and additions to any data found within.
Chad E. Goodrich
* Photos posted with the expressed permission and support of Frances Higgins- Kent, great-granddaughter of Rev. David Davies, author