Oral History

Interviewee:        Emmett D. Welin (b. 06/29/1898 – d. 09/09/1983)
                             Edith B. (Campbell) Welin (b. 11/11/1897 – d. 05/28/1979)
Interviewer:         Ceil Rix - SHM Volunteer
Audio Number:   116    
Duration:              01:01:08

Date:  January 24, 1978
Acquisition Number:  ACC# 2021.100

Topics Discussed:   John Emil Welin; Pioneer Oil; Purity Oil; Farmer’s and Merchant’s Bank; Chino, California; Mr. Roland; Meyer Brewing Company; Crude oil production; Coalinga, California; Vista, California; Farming; Mountain Arts Guild formation; Western Bank; Mountain Arts Guild gallery locations; KYCA Radio; Father’s transit donation to Sharlot Hall Museum; VA Hospital; World Tour; “Heaven on Earth”.

Time        Topic /Subject Discussed
00:00:21    Lived in Prescott since 1966  (12 years)
00:00:25    Father was a surveyor in Prescott
00:00:42    Father: John Emil Welin
00:00:59    Father came from Sweden
00:01:05    Married native California girl
00:01:05    Father spent his whole life in Southern California
00:01:28    Pioneer Oil man
00:01:36    From Sweden went to North Dakota – Stayed 1 year
00:01:49    Worked in hardware store
00:01:59    Owner of Purity Oil came to store – offered Father a job
00:02:17    Hardware store was in Spokane Washington
00:02:26    Purity Oil owner’s brother - president of Farmers and Merchants Bank, Los Angeles, CA - Mr. Graves
00:02:33    Mr. Graves put Father to work 
00:02:43    Oil refinery, Chino, California
00:02:58    Rolling Hills
00:03:00    1899
00:03:30    Worked 45 years in all branches of production, development and sales
00:03:48    Kerosene
00:03:57    Kerosene stoves and kerosene lamps
00:04:02    Crude oil used on paved roads
00:04:20    Mr. Roland – land owner
00:04:44    Meyer Brewing Company
00:04:56    Coal oil
00:05:09    Dilute crude oil
00:05:30    Burners and oil
00:05:52    Crude oil under brewery building
00:06:10    Locomotives
00:06:38    Oil fields and boilers
00:06:51    Start fire and burn oil
00:07:02    Steam pressure
00:07:11    Creates vapor
00:07:47    Father superintendent of oil lease – Coalinga, California
00:07:59    Bought piece of land
00:08:06    Developed land
00:08:15    Walnut trees
00:08:21    25 acres
00:08:34    Civil engineering and surveying
00:08:44    Didn’t have to work on the wells
00:08:59    Good mechanic
00:09:12    Emmett took mechanical engineering in college
00:09:26    Emmett says should have gone into journalism
00:09:47    Emmett writes poetry
00:09:55    Came to Prescott in 1965
00:10:06    Had summer retirement in Vista, California
00:10:17    Farmed – walnuts, oranges, poultry
00:10;22    200 large avocado trees
00:10:40    Fishing
00:10:52    Wife Edith
00:11:04    Edith was school teacher
00:11:23    25 years
00:11:30    Primary grades
00:11:40    Hay fever
00:11:59    Developed into asthma
00:12:08    Vista – Allergies better
00:12:21    Son in law born and raised in Arizona
00:12:28    “Go to Prescott and get well”
00:12:40    1965 – came to Prescott to visit
00:13:02    Son in law’s parents lived in Prescott
00:13:08    Edith had a little apartment in Prescott
00:13:26    1 daughter, 3 grandchildren
00:13:41    Edith felt much better in Prescott
00:14:20    Decided to move to Prescott
00:14:35    Mr. Welin – healthy
00:15:01    Been in Prescott 12 years
00:15:12    Edith has an organ
00:15:21    Edith – artist – paintings
00:15:39    Mountain Artists Guild
00:15:57    Lost sight in one eye- second eye not good
00:16:16    Sees enough to get around
00:16:33    Had to quit driving
00:16:35    Emmett had eye trouble
00:16:42    Daughter lives in California
00:16:57    Edith – founding member of Mountain Artists Guild
00:17:07    Helped name it
00:17:13    Still member of the guild
00:18:06    Used to be quite active
00:18:12    Galleries in different parts of town
00:18:16    Gallery was located where Western Bank was in 1965
00:18:39    Not very accessible
00:18:53    Kept gallery open and answered questions
00:19:21    Gallery was also at old Junior High School
00:19:40    Gallery in Prescott Armory – upstairs balcony
00:19:56    Edith painted until up to 2 to 3 months ago
00:20:10    Vision limits art
00:20:36    Has some of her work in the house
00:21:11    Emmett entered poetry contest
00:21:31    Won television set and radio
00:21:51    KYCA Radio – Valentine’s Day contest
00:22:06    “How did you meet your wife?”
00:22:23    Bird series
00:22:41    Bird Jingle
00:22:50    6 years working on bird poems
00:23:04    Brought Father’s Transit to Sharlot Hall Museum
00:23:16    2 brothers
00:23:27    Floyd Welin – Pharmacist in Pasadena
00:23:35    Glen– Shell Oil Company
00:24:35    Father build transit
00:25:08    Father used transit for surveying
00:25:28    Emmett used to survey fences
00:26:14    In good hands at Sharlot Hall Museum
00:26:33    All of the material is brass and glass
00:27:21    Grandson suggested giving to Sharlot Hall Museum
00:27:59    Edith enjoyed working in Guild and helping out
00:28:29    VA Hospital is convenient
00:28:29    Different things to do in Prescott – helps asthma
00:29:25    No gulls – no moles
00:29:42    Rabbits
00:29:51    No house flies
00:30:04    One  occasionally
00:30:20    Cold is beneficial
00:30:31    Dry air
00:30:43    Lots of advantages
00:30:57    Edith and Emmett were classmates in High School
00:30:58    Classmates in college
0031:02     War
00:31:24    Married in 1922
00:31:34    56 years in June
00:31:46    Golden Anniversary – party at daughter’s
00:32:09    Daughter lives in West Covina, CA
00:32:30    Daughter married to John Kasneisis
00:33:38    John’s father is 85
00:033:49  Born in Albania
00:34:09    Days occupied by art work and TV
00:34:09    Edith went to adult classes
00:35:02    Arts and handicraft classes
00:35:15    Edith shows artwork
00:36:06    Ended classes – 3 to 4 months ago
00:36:37    Art workrooms
00:36:58    No heat in rooms
00:38:34    Strong magnifying glass
0039:02     Can see enough to read a little
00:39:03 – 00:40:20 Talks about art projects
00:41:15    Edith suddenly lost eyesight
00:41:18    In hospital one week
00:41:26    Couldn’t wait to see colors
00:42:03    1 eye was pretty good, the other was gone
00:42:29    Emmett – Poems about birds
00:43:15 – 00:45:36 Emmett reads poems
00:46:20    1962 – Emmett and Edith took a trip around the world – 3 months
00:46:46    Japan
00:46:47    Okinawa
00:46:48    Formosa
00:46:53    Hong Kong
00:46:55    Singapore
00:46:58    Port Puntingham (?)
00:47:09    Ceylon
00:47:14    West Coast of India
00:47:23    Plane to New Delhi
00:47:25    Taj Mahal 
00:47:39    Karachi, Pakistan
00:47:42    Ship to Suez Canal
00:47:59    Cairo (Edith and grandson)
00:48:21    Cargo ship
00:48:31    Sphinx and Pyramids
00:48:43    Suez Canal
00:48:53    Naples, Italy
00:48:57    Barcelona, Spain
00:49:00    Italy
00:49:08    Florence
00:49:10    Rome
00:49:12    Genoa
00:49:23    New York
00:49:51    1200 pictures
00:50:21    Philosophy of Life
00:51:23    More practice
00:52:54    Over population
00:52:03    Social Security
00:52:12    1934
00:52:20    Good plan
00:52:29    Too many people living off of Social Security
00:52:46    Need to revamp systems
00:53:02    Religion has changed
00:53:18    Went to church every week
00:53:32    Read bible every day
00:53:82    Thought the Sermon on the Mount was the best formula ever made for the human race
00:55:00    Emmett believes Heaven is here on Earth