EIF-B_Where We Come From

WHERE WE COME FROM
mining in Louisa County, so most people
traded their occupation from maybe being
a miner to being a farmer or an occupation
that supported farming, such as blacksmithing
or grain milling. They acquired
land and implemented soil conservation
methods to preserve the rich soil of Louisa
County. Their descendants continue to incorporate
modern conservation methods.”
Many people from Wales arrived at
a time when land was readily available
as the Iowa territory had just opened
up. Those who secured land and started
growing and raising food for their families
shared the news.
“They would
write letters back
and say ‘You
have to come.
It’s the land of
“They grew the
grain to feed
the animals.
They ate the
meat and had
a big garden to
feed the family.”
— MARGARET
PATTERSON
golden opportunity,’”
she said,
adding that it
could not have
been easy. “It’s
a big decision
to leave your
homeland and
the rest of your
family behind.”
Their travels
could be harrowing.
Many local
families have
stories passed
down through
the generations
about the challenges of crossing the ocean
and then navigating U.S. waterways to
arrive at their new homes.
Patterson recounted the story of her
great, great, great grandfather, Arthur
Griffiths, who came to Eastern Iowa with
his pregnant wife. They first made their
way through the Cincinnati area then went
down the Ohio River to Cape Giraudoux,
Missouri, south of St. Louis. Then it was
on to the Mighty Mississippi.
“Part of the way they came up the Mississippi,
which was fighting the current, in
a canoe,” she said. “Arthur got in a canoe
with a pregnant wife and made it to Burlington.
Their child, Elizabeth, was the first
Welsh baby born on the west side of the
Mississippi in the Louisa County area.
“They had to start over. They carried
EASTERN IOWA FARMER PHOTO / NANCY MAYFIELD
Among the many books related to Wales that
Margaret Patterson has in her home is “First
100 Words in Welsh,” a book with colorful
pictures that introduces first words in Welsh
and English to young children.
EASTERN IOWA FARMER PHOTO / NANCY MAYFIELD
While Patterson doesn’t speak Welsh fluently,
she did learn to say “A red sow and six little
red pigs” about the porcelain figures on a shelf
in her dining room.
what could fit in a canoe. Imagine that,”
Patterson said. Arthur, like other Welsh
settlers, built a self-supporting farm. They
would expand it a few acres at a time and
would add crop production and livestock.
“They grew the grain to feed the
animals. They ate the meat and had a
big garden to feed the family. It was an
eye-opener for some families because
it was not necessarily what they came
from,” she said.
The new arrivals formed churches and
bible study groups, initially in people’s
homes. The Welsh settlers formed three
different churches. Zion Congregational
Church, which was the first, is no longer
standing. Salem United Presbyterian
Welsh Church, southeast of Columbus
Junction, and Cotter United Presbyterian
Church are both still active in the community.
Patterson is the president of the Welsh
Society of Iowa, which was organized in
1985. She recalls the close-knit community
growing up, with many relatives
farming nearby.
“I thought the whole world was Welsh,”
Patterson said of her childhood years.
“My mother did not speak English. Her
father came from Wales in 1909 and
married my grandmother who was already
here and spoke Welsh.”
When she was old enough to attend
school, her Welsh friends who grew up in
English-speaking homes helped her learn
the language, but Patterson recalled her
mother’s very distinct accent.
“The unfortunate part is my parents did
not teach us the language,” she said.
But she has carefully preserved many
aspects of the culture in her home from
books, paintings, photographs, maps and a
copy of the Welsh national anthem.
She and others enjoy keeping up the St.
David’s Day tradition, and they extend an
open invitation to anyone who is interested
to join in the festivities.
Some 200 people attended the first
celebration in 2013.
“That was an eye-opener,” Patterson
said, noting that some people who grew
up in the area but had since moved to
other parts of the country come back for
the event. “It’s quite a gathering.”
Saturday, March 2 marks this year’s
parade.
The Iowa Welsh Society also celebrates
St. David’s Day with a banquet on or near
March 1 each year. The St. David’s Day
banquet this year is March 16 at the Pella
Golf and Country Club. The event moves
to a different location each year.
Everyone is invited to attend both
events. For more information, Patterson
can be reached by email at mepattic@aol.
com. n
eifarmer.com SPRING 2024 | EASTERN IOWA FARMER 61