Kaila

Kaila Lamp

My ancestors immigrated from Offaly [Kings County], Ireland to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia in the early 1830's. Fed up with how they were being treated by the English, they dreamt of prosperity and a new start for their family. Harpers Ferry was extremely similar to the "homeland": the landscape, the rivers, and the limestone deposits. I am now the 7th generation that continues to live in the breathtakingly beautiful Harpers Ferry area, and it all started with them -- Patrick and Honora Welsh and their sons.

I'd like to think that Patrick and Honora would be proud of where their descendants are today. Not all stayed in the Harpers Ferry area, but the majority has. Because of their life altering decision, we have prospered, we have overcame hardships, and we have contributed to the communities in which we live. Even so, the "longing for the homeland"... it's still there.

Join me as I slowly uncover the real, raw, lost history of the Welsh family of Harpers Ferry. No ancestor forgotten; no story erased.

Learn More About Me

August 15, 2019

The unveiling of Elizabeth Slavin

By the 1860 census, a young Irish girl had taken residence with Thomas and Annie Walsh in Bolivar, [West] Virginia. Who is she and why did she live with Tommy and Annie?
June 27, 2018

The Road From York to Harpers Ferry

The Flanagan clan was not known to have ever settled in Harpers Ferry. Instead, they traveled further and settled for a short period in present day Bardane. Later, they moved to the outskirts of Harpers Ferry. […]

Timeline Help

A chronological listing of historical events which may have affected the lives of residents in eastern Jefferson County and surrounding areas.
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