A Fort Dodge shoe dealer, E. A. Welch and his wife, Helen, built this attractive English type home nearly 50 years ago at 1105 Crawford Avenue. Designed by Mrs. Welch and architect Frank Griffith, the house is patterned after the Ann Hathaway Cottage at Stratford-on-Avon where author William Shakespeare resided.

The two-story home has gray cedar shingle shake siding with white wood trim and a thatched shingle roof. The first floor includes hallway inside the front entrance, living room with arched entryway, a den converted from a former porch, kitchen with glassed-in dining room, bedroom and bath.

The formal dining room on the first floor has a round walnut table with six leaves—a gift from Miss Maude Lauderdale, first curator of the Webster County Historical Society. There are also 12 walnut chairs, a gift of O. M. Oleson, pioneer Fort Dodge pharmacist and uncle of Mrs. Welch. The upstairs had two bedrooms and full bath and a large attic playroom. The house is now owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Richard O. Welch and family.

E. A. (Ed) Welch was born in Fort Dodge in 1875 and had two brothers—Sam and W. R. (Dick) Welch. Sam was in the shoe business with Ed; Dick was in the drug business, operating the drug store in the Carver Building (now O’Connell Drugs).

Both Ed and Sam were sales representatives for the Greene-Wheeler Shoe Manufacturing plant here for many years. In 1907 they purchased the Ed Rank Shoe Store at 607 Central Ave. and operated it under the name of Welch Bros. Shoes. After a year in this location the store moved to 818 Central Ave. where it remained until moving in 1963 to its present large and attractive location at 915 Central Ave.

Richard O. Welch, son of E. A. Welch, joined his father in the shoe store in 1930. The elder Mr. Welch retired from the firm in 1947 and died in 1953. Mrs. Welch, now 96, is a resident of Friendship Haven.

Dale Happ joined the firm in 1952 when he and Richard Welch became sole owners of the business. They reorganized the firm as the Welch Shoe Company with Welch as president and Happ as vice president and treasurer. Sale of the store to four employes was announced late in January with Robert L. Thiele one of the purchasers to be president and general manager of the firm. Welch will remain as consultant and assistant for one year. Happ will retain an association with the store but will take an extended leave of absence.