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WELLS F. WALKER, an enterprising farmer of section 16, Magnolia Township, has been a resident of Harrison County since May, 1857, and worked at the carpenter's trade at Magnolia most of the time until 1860, then went to Council Bluffs, and was there until the spring of 1861, and then went to the mountains, where he worked at mining until the autumn of that year returned to Council Bluffs, which he counted his home until 1863, during which time he was in the employ of Frederickson and Jackson, who were engaged in freighting across the plains, and he was employed...
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WELLS F. WALKER, an enterprising farmer of section 16, Magnolia Township, has been a resident of Harrison County since May, 1857, and worked at the carpenter's trade at Magnolia most of the time until 1860, then went to Council Bluffs, and was there until the spring of 1861, and then went to the mountains, where he worked at mining until the autumn of that year returned to Council Bluffs, which he counted his home until 1863, during which time he was in the employ of Frederickson and Jackson, who were engaged in freighting across the plains, and he was employed as a weigh-master, and handled goods for them. In February, 1863, he started across the plains, taking charge of a train of wagons for them, his objective point being Denver, Col. When they left Council Bluffs, the snow was twenty inches deep, and he had a four-horse team, loaded with four thousand pounds of ham. They put runners under their loads, and lashed the wheels on and traveled with the sled four days getting to Elkhorn fifteen miles west of Omaha, at which point he attached the wheels, and traveled for fifty days, when they reached Denver. The same year he made three trips for the company, and after two years in their employ he returned to Harrison County, Iowa and rented a farm in Magnolia Township, continuing to farm on rented land until 1867, and then bought eighty acres of wild land -- his present place, and moved a log house from Magnolia for his residence. This house was first built on a claim west of Magnolia, by a Mr. George, and was one of the very first houses built in Harrison County. This served our subject until 1877, when he built his present residence a two-story frame structure 16 x 22 feet, with an addition 14 x 16 feet. the pioneer cabin referred to above is still in existence, and is used as a calf stable, by Mr. Walker; could its rough logs but speak, a tale of wonderful interest of pioneer days it would relate.
In 1883 our subject erected a basement barn 30 x 40 feet. To his original farm Mr. Walker has added until he now has two hundred and fifty acres, one hundred and fifty are under the plow, while the balance is in meadow and timber land, generally keeping about seventy head of cattle, and does a general farming business. When he commenced to farm, everything he marketed had to be hauled to Council Bluffs, where he also did most of his trading. He has sold dressed hogs at that point for $2 per hundred weight, and at the same time having to pay $160 for a farm-wagon, without a brake seat or double-box. when he first went on his farm, there was no schoolhouse, near enough to send his children to, but finally the district divided, and by furnishing their own schoolhouse, the were enabled to draw on the public fund for money with which to pay their teacher. A few of the neighbors clubbed together, and went down on the Missouri bottoms, where they bought cottonwood lumber enough to build a schoolhouse 12 x 14 feet. This building is now used by Mr. Walker for a granary.
To return to the boyhood days of our subject, the reader is informed that he was born in Fayette County, Ind., October 14, 1832, and remained there with his parents until about 1853, and then worked for an uncle in Wabash County until 1857, when he came to Iowa. He was married in Harrison County, April 5, 1863, to Miss Candace E. Hopkins, by whom eleven children have been born: Orrin B., January 6, 1864; Alberta, March 13, 1866; Mary M., November 23, 1867; Maude and Morton (twins), July 30, 1869; Charles W., December 19, 1871; Preston G., July 25, 1874; John W., July 25, 1876; William R., August 5, 1879; Jennie R., August 17, 1881 and Hattie J., March 4, 1883. Mary M. died September 3, 1868; Charles W., December 22, 1871; and William R., September 16, 1879. Candace E. (Hopkins) Walker was born in Fleming County, Ky., April 2, 1841, and in 1847 her parents removed to Wabash County, Ind., where they remained until 1859, then came to Harrison County, where Mrs. Walker remained until the time of her marriage.
Elbert Walker, the father of our subject, was born in Georgia, in 1790, came to Fayette County, Ind., with his mother, and remained there until his death in 1849. The mother of our subject, Elizabeth (Malone) Walker, was born in Ohio, in 1810; her parents coming to Fayette County, Ind., where she was married.
Mrs. Walker’s father, Benjamin Hopkins, was born in Fleming County, Ky., July 15, 1800, and remained there until 1847, then came to Wabash County, Ind., where he remained until 1859, and then came to Harrison County, Iowa, purchasing a farm in Magnolia Township, where he remained until his death, February 19, 1885. The mother of Mrs. Walker, Delilah (Jones) Hopkins, was born in Maryland, June 7, 1798, later removed to Kentucky, and was married to Benjamin Hopkins, December 4, 1824, and they were the parents of five children, of whom Mrs. Walker was the youngest and the only child now living. The mother died in Wabash County, Ind., March 2, 1849, the father being a member of the Christian Church, the mother a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Mr. Walker, our subject, is a member of Magnolia Lodge, No. 177, I. O. O. F. Mrs. Walker joined the Christian Church in Indiana, and is still of that belief, but has not united since coming to Iowa.
source of biographical sketch: “History of Harrison County, Iowa”, 1891, pages 938 - 939
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Wells Franklin WALKER
One of the oldest residents of Harrison county, Iowa, a native of the Hoosier state, who is now retired and is living with F. H. Cadwell, of Magnolia township, Harrison county, is Wells Franklin Walker, who was born in Indiana, October 14, 1832, the son of Elbert and Elizabeth (Malone) Walker, the former a native of Georgia, and the latter a native of Ohio. The Walker family were pioneers in the middle west. The subject's grandfather, John Malone, settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, when there were only three houses in the city. Mr. Walker's father had migrated from his native state to Franklin county, Indiana, when a young man, and here he was married to Elizabeth Malone. Wells Franklin Walker was born in Franklin county, Indiana. His father, a farmer and cobbler by occupation, followed these two occupations during his entire life. He and his wife died in Franklin county, Indiana, after having reared a family of several children, all of whom are now deceased, except the subject of this sketch. Two children died in infancy. The others were Emeline, Zella Ann, Augustus Henry, Mary, Caroline, Elizabeth, Charles, John, Margaret and Orleffa.
Educated in the common schools of Franklin county, Indiana, Wells Franklin Walker has experienced a most interesting career, as a pioneer, in the region of the country west of the Mississippi river. After having helped his father on the home farm until he was twenty-two years old, he came to Independence, Iowa, where, after remaining for two months, he left to come to Harrison county in 1857. Having driven through with a young man and his wife, the party first located in Magnolia township, where they remained two years, and where Mr. Walker worked at the carpenter trade. Subsequently, he went to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he worked for Frederickson and Jackson. In the meantime, however, this firm had established a branch store in Denver, Colorado, and all of the goods and merchandise were freighted overland by team and wagon. Mr. Walker was driver for this freight route for three years, from 1860 to 1863. He made his first trip west to Colorado in 1859, and here he worked in the mines for one year. During 1858 and a part of 1859, he carried the mail from Magnolia to Adel, Iowa, and also from Sioux City to Denison, Iowa. During this period he had many thrilling experiences, since Indians were numerous and wild game might be seen in abundance.
Wells Franklin Walker returned to Harrison county in 1863 and on April 5, of that year, was married to Candace Elizabeth Hopkins, the daughter of Benjamin and Delilah (White) Hopkins, natives of Kentucky and early settlers in Harrison county, having lived in Magnolia township. Mr. and Mrs. Walker had eleven children, two of whom died in infancy, and one other, Mary, is now deceased. The living children are Orrin B., Alberta, Morton and Maude, twins, Preston G., John W., Jennie R. and Harriett J. The mother of these children and the wife of Mr. Walker died January 20, 1904, while the family was living in Jefferson township. Mr. Walker had retired in 1900.
A Democrat in politics, Wells Franklin Walker was at one time a school director and also a trustee. He also held other minor offices. While the family leans to the Christian church, Mr. and Mrs. Walker and family were not actively identified with any religious denomination.
Wells Franklin Walker has lived to see a vast prairie, comprising the great state of Iowa, land that was formerly little more than a treeless waste, transformed into beautiful farms that produce abundantly the good things of the earth. As a pioneer resident of this section, he has had no small part in this wonderful transformation. Today, in the evening of life, he is well known in the community where he lives, admired and respected by all the people with whom his active life has brought him into contact, and at the same time loved and cherished by the family of children he helped to rear to honorable and useful lives.
source of biographical sketch: "History of Harrison County, Iowa: its people, industries and institutions, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families", 1915, pages 971 - 972
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WELLS FRANK WALKER DIES AT LOGAN
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PIONEER WHO CAME TO HARRISON COUNTY, LOCATING AT MAGNOLIA IN 1857.
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FREIGHTED OUT OF BLUFFS
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Mr. Walker Located in this City in 1860 and for Three Years Engaged in Hazardous Work -- Man of Sterling Worth.
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Special to The Daily Nonpareil.
LOGAN, Ia., March 14. -- Wells Frank Walker died Friday morning, March 11, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. F. H. Cadwell, at Logan, after a lingering illness due to old age, 88 years. He was born in Fayette county, Indiana, October 14, 1832. He came to Magnolia in May, 1857, working at the carpenter trade.
He went to Council Bluffs in 1860, where he engaged in freighting across the plains to Denver until 1863. He then returned to Magnolia, where he purchased land north of town. He married Candace E. Hopkins April 5, 1863. She died January 20, 1904. Eleven children were born to this union. Eight of them remain. They are: Orrin B. Walker, Mrs. Maud Cadwell and Preston G. Walker of Logan; Mrs. Alberta Noy of 106 Fourth street, Council Bluffs; Morton Walker of Le Mars, Ia.; John W. Walker of Casper, Wyo.; Mrs. Jennie R. Treymuller of Magnolia, Mrs. Hattie J. Hummell of Rockwell City, Ia.
Mr. Walker was a man widely known and highly respected by all.
He was prominent in pioneer work of the early days. He became an extensive land owner and his family became active in social, educational and business circles. He moved from his farm to Logan some twenty years ago. The last few years he had made his home chiefly with his daughters, Mrs. F. H. Cadwell of Logan and Mrs. Alberta Noy of Council Bluffs. The funeral service was held Sunday, March 13, from the Cadwell home in Logan with intermen in Magnolia cemetery.
Harrison county has lost in passing of Wells F. Walker one of its few remaining and most highly honored pioneers.
source of article (verbatim transcription, including misspelled text): The Evening Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa), March 14, 1921, page 2, column 3 |
