The Marsh Family Legacy
The Amherstburg Echo was established in November, 1874 by William D. Balfour and John A. Auld. Upon Balfour's untimely death in 1896, Arthur W. Marsh came to Amherstburg and joined Auld at the Echo. Shortly after arriving here Arthur married Bessie Hicks and in their Dalhousie Street home they raised a son and a daughter, John and Helen.
When Auld died in 1924, John Marsh had just graduated from McGill University and joined his father at the paper. Helen was teaching at Amherstburg Public School. After her father was killed in a car accident in 1940, Helen joined her brother at the Echo and the two operated their beloved weekly until 1980, when Helen retired following a bout with poor health.
In 1981 John, then 80 years old, sold the paper to John and Linda James and he, too, somewhat begrudgingly gave up the life he had loved for almost 60 years. Both John and Helen continued to write a column for two or three years before finally settling into retirement.
Realizing their collection of historical books, papers, photographs, genealogical references and personal recollections was a valuable asset to the community - particularly to researchers of local history - John and Helen, with the help of their attorney and long-time friend, Richard Thrasher, Q.C., founded the Marsh Collection Society, registered with five directors in 1984 as a non-profit organization.
The
Marsh family left not only a legacy in the way of research materials
but also a foundation which can operate the collection for several
years. One of the few stipulations John insisted upon was that a
facility would not be opened until after his death. Helen Marsh
passed away in March, 1986, and John in February, 1993.
In October of 1994, the Marsh Collection Society found a home on the second floor of 235 Dalhousie Street, across from the Amherstburg Echo, with a view of the Detroit River where the brother and sister team had spent their entire lives. We think they would be pleased.