The life of this venerable and highly respected citizen has been led
along lines of honorable and useful endeavor and has resulted in the
accomplishment of much good not only to himself but to those with whom he
has been associated. He has seen the development of the West and has taken a
leading part in it, consequently in his old age he can look back over a life
well spent and for which one should have no regrets.
Joseph Hill
Walker was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, twenty miles from Pittsburg,
October 19, 1822, and he lived there until 1848 when he moved to Jackson
county, Ohio, and then to Marion county, Illinois, in 1862. Our subject is
the son of William Walker, who was born in Beaver county, the old Keystone
state, in 1773. He was a Democrat and a Presbyterian. Our subject is one of
nine children, six boys and three girls.
Joseph Walker obtained what
education he could in the pioneer schools of his day. He bought land in
Marion county and began farming, but when the war between the states began
he gladly left his work and his home and offered his services in defense of
the flag, enlisting in the army in the quartermaster's department and served
three enlistments as a wagon maker, one in West Virginia, one at Nashville,
Tennessee, and one at Little Rock, Arkansas, having been foreman of the
wagon department at the last named place. He learned the trade of wagon
making in Pittsburg, in which city he worked at his trade for many years.
After the war he returned to Marion county and resumed farming. He has been
a hard worker and has made all the extensive improvements on his farm which
ranks well with Marion county's excellent farms. He has a good residence and
barn and everything about his place shows thrift.
Our subject was
married to Josephine Miles, who was born in Jackson, Ohio, September 17,
1834. She came to this county when twenty-six years old. There was no town
where Vernon now stands when she came here. She was the daughter of Branson
and Angeline (Sargent) Miles. Branson Miles was born in 1808, in Shenandoah
valley in Virginia. His wife was born in Ohio in 1821. Our subject and wife
married October 9, 1850. His wife and family drove from Ohio to Vandalia on
the old National Turnpike and from Vandalia to Marion county during the war.
The following children have been born to the subject and wife. Angeline,
born December 3, 1851, married Abner Moore, who is in the real estate and
insurance business at Irving, Illinois. They are the parents of four
children. Frank, the subject's second child, was born in 1854, and died in
March, 1875; Miles, born August 29, 1857, married Emily Johnson. He is
engaged in the creamery business in Ewing, Missouri. They have four
children. Thomas B., born February 25, 1860, married Nora Jackson, later
marrying Mary Taylor, three children having been born by the first union and
one by the second union. Thomas B. is station agent at Patoka. Ellen, the
subject's fifth child, was born June 5, 1864. She married Charles King, a
factory manager in Chicago, and they are the parents of two living sons;
Henry was born April 26, 1868, married Mary Mealy. They live in St. Louis
and are the parents of three children.
Mr. Walker has devoted his
life to farming and stock raising with great success, and he now lives
retired in Vernon. In politics he is a stanch Republican, having first voted
for Henry Clay in 1844, although our subject never took a very active part
in politics. In religion he is a faithful supporter of the Methodist church.
Mr. Walker is widely known in this section of the country and he numbers his
friends by the score, for he is known to be thoroughly honest, a fine and
friendly old gentleman to meet, making all feel at home who visit him.
Extracted 27 May 2019 by Norma Hass from 1909 Biographical and Reminiscent History of Richland, Clay and Marion Counties, Illinois, pages 497-498.