'He understood the need to preserve a person's dignity'
During his half century in the hostelry business, Auburn's James E. "Jim" Walsh greeted some of the nation's most famous people. Among them were the automobile magnate Henry Ford, President Herbert Hoover, California Gov. Leland Stanford and the Tiffany family of New York.'
But Uncle Jim, as he was known, also had a heart for the homeless. On more than a few occasions his cooks provided dinners out the back door to victims of the Great Depression.
Walsh, who held long tenure at the W.A. Freeman Hotel, was one of Auburn's original citizens. Best known as the gentleman who ran the Freeman, Walsh was a community leader whose contributions to his hometown spanned virtually all his adult life, some 65 years.
Born the same year Theodor Judah surveyed the Sierra for a transcontinental railroad (1860), Walsh was one of four sons of an early day pioneer family. Twenty-eight years later Auburn would be incorporated and become the seat of government for Placer County.
"He was a wonderful man, charming, witty and very personable," recalled Marilyn Schrader of Auburn who is Walsh's granddaughter. "He was very well-suited to his job as greeter at the Freeman Hotel.
From a humble beginning as a hotel clerk, Walsh eventually acquired part, then full interest in the establishment, running it as his own from 1900 to 1944, when the family sold it.
The hotel, which occupied a large city block on upper Lincoln Way across from the railroad depot, was a three story structure with 100 rooms and a fine dining room.
It was a popular Saturday night gathering place, made all the more so by Walsh who had a reputation as an easy-going Irish host.
Nephew Jack Walsh said during an interview five years ago that his uncle never turned his back on a hungry person during the 1930s. More meals were served on the Freeman's back porch undre Walsh's management than in the dining room, he said.
Schrader said her grandfather secretly helped those less fortunate that himself. "We never really had it rough during the Depression, but there were lots of people in Auburn who were helped by him. But it was always in secret. He understood the need to preserve a person's dignity," she said.
Walsh was not only a good-natured hotel operator, he was president of the First National Bank and Auburn Savings Bank as well as and officer in the Central California Corp. and the Central California Building and Loan Association. Those financial connections were important in Auburn during the early part of the 20th century, for they provided the monetary wherewithall for auburn's development into a self-sufficient city.
Sxhrader said her grandfather wasn't interested in local politics; his associations with the financial institutions gave Walsh the avenue to nurture the community's growth.
But Walsh's greastest assist for Auburn jprobably was in 1908 when the Southern Pacific Co. was planning to select a headquarters for construction of the eastbound railroad tracks between Rocklin and Colfax.
SP officials had been touring the foothills that hot day, and their Locomobile pulled up in front of the two men and offered them cool beers "on the house."
For the price of those beers, Walsh was rewarded with all the railroad business he could handle.
Story by/John Trumbo
Photo/Courtesy of Marilyn Schrader
Transcribed/Glenda Ragan
From:
Those Who Make Memories
Auburn Centennial
1888-1988
Auburn Journal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CDI has the 27th as birthday where this article has listed as the 2nd. He died at 2:20 A.M. at 151 Elm Street - heart disease.
During his half century in the hostelry business, Auburn's James E. "Jim" Walsh greeted some of the nation's most famous people. Among them were the automobile magnate Henry Ford, President Herbert Hoover, California Gov. Leland Stanford and the Tiffany family of New York.'
But Uncle Jim, as he was known, also had a heart for the homeless. On more than a few occasions his cooks provided dinners out the back door to victims of the Great Depression.
Walsh, who held long tenure at the W.A. Freeman Hotel, was one of Auburn's original citizens. Best known as the gentleman who ran the Freeman, Walsh was a community leader whose contributions to his hometown spanned virtually all his adult life, some 65 years.
Born the same year Theodor Judah surveyed the Sierra for a transcontinental railroad (1860), Walsh was one of four sons of an early day pioneer family. Twenty-eight years later Auburn would be incorporated and become the seat of government for Placer County.
"He was a wonderful man, charming, witty and very personable," recalled Marilyn Schrader of Auburn who is Walsh's granddaughter. "He was very well-suited to his job as greeter at the Freeman Hotel.
From a humble beginning as a hotel clerk, Walsh eventually acquired part, then full interest in the establishment, running it as his own from 1900 to 1944, when the family sold it.
The hotel, which occupied a large city block on upper Lincoln Way across from the railroad depot, was a three story structure with 100 rooms and a fine dining room.
It was a popular Saturday night gathering place, made all the more so by Walsh who had a reputation as an easy-going Irish host.
Nephew Jack Walsh said during an interview five years ago that his uncle never turned his back on a hungry person during the 1930s. More meals were served on the Freeman's back porch undre Walsh's management than in the dining room, he said.
Schrader said her grandfather secretly helped those less fortunate that himself. "We never really had it rough during the Depression, but there were lots of people in Auburn who were helped by him. But it was always in secret. He understood the need to preserve a person's dignity," she said.
Walsh was not only a good-natured hotel operator, he was president of the First National Bank and Auburn Savings Bank as well as and officer in the Central California Corp. and the Central California Building and Loan Association. Those financial connections were important in Auburn during the early part of the 20th century, for they provided the monetary wherewithall for auburn's development into a self-sufficient city.
Sxhrader said her grandfather wasn't interested in local politics; his associations with the financial institutions gave Walsh the avenue to nurture the community's growth.
But Walsh's greastest assist for Auburn jprobably was in 1908 when the Southern Pacific Co. was planning to select a headquarters for construction of the eastbound railroad tracks between Rocklin and Colfax.
SP officials had been touring the foothills that hot day, and their Locomobile pulled up in front of the two men and offered them cool beers "on the house."
For the price of those beers, Walsh was rewarded with all the railroad business he could handle.
Story by/John Trumbo
Photo/Courtesy of Marilyn Schrader
Transcribed/Glenda Ragan
From:
Those Who Make Memories
Auburn Centennial
1888-1988
Auburn Journal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CDI has the 27th as birthday where this article has listed as the 2nd. He died at 2:20 A.M. at 151 Elm Street - heart disease.
'He understood the need to preserve a person's dignity'
During his half century in the hostelry business, Auburn's James E. "Jim" Walsh greeted some of the nation's most famous people. Among them were the automobile magnate Henry Ford, President Herbert Hoover, California Gov. Leland Stanford and the Tiffany family of New York.'
But Uncle Jim, as he was known, also had a heart for the homeless. On more than a few occasions his cooks provided dinners out the back door to victims of the Great Depression.
Walsh, who held long tenure at the W.A. Freeman Hotel, was one of Auburn's original citizens. Best known as the gentleman who ran the Freeman, Walsh was a community leader whose contributions to his hometown spanned virtually all his adult life, some 65 years.
Born the same year Theodor Judah surveyed the Sierra for a transcontinental railroad (1860), Walsh was one of four sons of an early day pioneer family. Twenty-eight years later Auburn would be incorporated and become the seat of government for Placer County.
"He was a wonderful man, charming, witty and very personable," recalled Marilyn Schrader of Auburn who is Walsh's granddaughter. "He was very well-suited to his job as greeter at the Freeman Hotel.
From a humble beginning as a hotel clerk, Walsh eventually acquired part, then full interest in the establishment, running it as his own from 1900 to 1944, when the family sold it.
The hotel, which occupied a large city block on upper Lincoln Way across from the railroad depot, was a three story structure with 100 rooms and a fine dining room.
It was a popular Saturday night gathering place, made all the more so by Walsh who had a reputation as an easy-going Irish host.
Nephew Jack Walsh said during an interview five years ago that his uncle never turned his back on a hungry person during the 1930s. More meals were served on the Freeman's back porch undre Walsh's management than in the dining room, he said.
Schrader said her grandfather secretly helped those less fortunate that himself. "We never really had it rough during the Depression, but there were lots of people in Auburn who were helped by him. But it was always in secret. He understood the need to preserve a person's dignity," she said.
Walsh was not only a good-natured hotel operator, he was president of the First National Bank and Auburn Savings Bank as well as and officer in the Central California Corp. and the Central California Building and Loan Association. Those financial connections were important in Auburn during the early part of the 20th century, for they provided the monetary wherewithall for auburn's development into a self-sufficient city.
Sxhrader said her grandfather wasn't interested in local politics; his associations with the financial institutions gave Walsh the avenue to nurture the community's growth.
But Walsh's greastest assist for Auburn jprobably was in 1908 when the Southern Pacific Co. was planning to select a headquarters for construction of the eastbound railroad tracks between Rocklin and Colfax.
SP officials had been touring the foothills that hot day, and their Locomobile pulled up in front of the two men and offered them cool beers "on the house."
For the price of those beers, Walsh was rewarded with all the railroad business he could handle.
Story by/John Trumbo
Photo/Courtesy of Marilyn Schrader
Transcribed/Glenda Ragan
From:
Those Who Make Memories
Auburn Centennial
1888-1988
Auburn Journal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CDI has the 27th as birthday where this article has listed as the 2nd. He died at 2:20 A.M. at 151 Elm Street - heart disease.
During his half century in the hostelry business, Auburn's James E. "Jim" Walsh greeted some of the nation's most famous people. Among them were the automobile magnate Henry Ford, President Herbert Hoover, California Gov. Leland Stanford and the Tiffany family of New York.'
But Uncle Jim, as he was known, also had a heart for the homeless. On more than a few occasions his cooks provided dinners out the back door to victims of the Great Depression.
Walsh, who held long tenure at the W.A. Freeman Hotel, was one of Auburn's original citizens. Best known as the gentleman who ran the Freeman, Walsh was a community leader whose contributions to his hometown spanned virtually all his adult life, some 65 years.
Born the same year Theodor Judah surveyed the Sierra for a transcontinental railroad (1860), Walsh was one of four sons of an early day pioneer family. Twenty-eight years later Auburn would be incorporated and become the seat of government for Placer County.
"He was a wonderful man, charming, witty and very personable," recalled Marilyn Schrader of Auburn who is Walsh's granddaughter. "He was very well-suited to his job as greeter at the Freeman Hotel.
From a humble beginning as a hotel clerk, Walsh eventually acquired part, then full interest in the establishment, running it as his own from 1900 to 1944, when the family sold it.
The hotel, which occupied a large city block on upper Lincoln Way across from the railroad depot, was a three story structure with 100 rooms and a fine dining room.
It was a popular Saturday night gathering place, made all the more so by Walsh who had a reputation as an easy-going Irish host.
Nephew Jack Walsh said during an interview five years ago that his uncle never turned his back on a hungry person during the 1930s. More meals were served on the Freeman's back porch undre Walsh's management than in the dining room, he said.
Schrader said her grandfather secretly helped those less fortunate that himself. "We never really had it rough during the Depression, but there were lots of people in Auburn who were helped by him. But it was always in secret. He understood the need to preserve a person's dignity," she said.
Walsh was not only a good-natured hotel operator, he was president of the First National Bank and Auburn Savings Bank as well as and officer in the Central California Corp. and the Central California Building and Loan Association. Those financial connections were important in Auburn during the early part of the 20th century, for they provided the monetary wherewithall for auburn's development into a self-sufficient city.
Sxhrader said her grandfather wasn't interested in local politics; his associations with the financial institutions gave Walsh the avenue to nurture the community's growth.
But Walsh's greastest assist for Auburn jprobably was in 1908 when the Southern Pacific Co. was planning to select a headquarters for construction of the eastbound railroad tracks between Rocklin and Colfax.
SP officials had been touring the foothills that hot day, and their Locomobile pulled up in front of the two men and offered them cool beers "on the house."
For the price of those beers, Walsh was rewarded with all the railroad business he could handle.
Story by/John Trumbo
Photo/Courtesy of Marilyn Schrader
Transcribed/Glenda Ragan
From:
Those Who Make Memories
Auburn Centennial
1888-1988
Auburn Journal
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CDI has the 27th as birthday where this article has listed as the 2nd. He died at 2:20 A.M. at 151 Elm Street - heart disease.
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