Walsh performed as a child as part of a singing and dancing duo with her mother, Alice, and the two appeared in productions together until the early 1890s.

[1] Her father Edward Walsh was a civil engineer, and her mother Alice was a character actress famous on the Pacific Coast.

[9] Walsh was the recipient of a benefit performance in 1882 at the Baldwin Theater in San Francisco when Dot, or the Cricket on the Hearth was presented.

[10] By the age of 15, despite having appeared on the local stage only occasionally, Walsh was described by The Boston Globe as a natural "remarkable dancer", having never had any formal tuition; she was also described as a "chubby child".

[4] In the fall of 1885, her dramatic company was playing in towns in Colorado when they got stranded in the Rocky Mountains, 60 miles away from the nearest railroad.

During her stay, several benefit performances were provided by the local population to show their appreciation to Walsh and her contribution to their entertainment.

[11] Walsh was engaged to appear in a production of in Charles H. Hoyt's play Rag Baby in 1885 at Bush Street Theater in San Francisco, after one of the actresses withdrew due to illness.

[14][13] Her last theatrical appearance was on January 12, 1893, at the Tremont Theatre, where she played Bossy Brander in A Texas Steer; the role marked "the greatest hit of her life".

Tim Murphy, who had performed alongside Walsh, noted she would be remembered for her manner of moving "about like a ray of sunshine, cheering everyone by the geniality of her kindly disposition".

The occasion was an intimate affair of friends and close family due to the ill health of Hoyt's father.

[19] Hoyt met Walsh when she came East in A Tin Soldier and was impressed by her performances; he wrote A Hole in the Ground to provide her with better acting opportunities.