George and Mary's children included:

·         Mary (Walker) Byne (b. 12/10/1757) - Married General William Byne and remained in Burke County. William's lands adjoined George's lands.

·         Esther (Walker) Carter (b. 2/29/1759) - lived in Burke County.

·         John Walker (b. 09/05/1760, link: Find-a-Grave) - Married Frances Byne, a sister of General William Byne. They moved from Burke Co. to Morgan Co. in 1810. Their descendants had many interesting paths. John's grandson Peter G. Walker authored the family tree included below.

• John's plantation house is still occupied in Madison Georgia (link to photo). It had been moved from the plantation to its current location (847 Dixie Avenue, Madison GA) by John's sons, and a subsequent owner named it "Thurleston" (ref 9, pg. 43). 

·         Elizabeth (Walker) Jones (b. 12/25/1761) - Married John Jones, whose lands adjoined George's land.

·         George Walker Jr. (b. 11/14/1763, link: Ancillary Page) - Settled in Pulaski County, and established the "Longstreet" settlement. Quite a bit if info can be found regarding this family in the Pulaski County records.

·         William "Rich Billy"  Walker (b. 09/05/1765) - Settled first in Putnam County, then moved to Harris County where his offspring had significant impact on the "frontier". As the author of this web site is his descendent, his family will be documented in detail below.

·         Rebecca (Walker) Byne (b. 10/05/1767) - Married Henry Byne.

·         Thomas Walker (b. 02/05/1769) - Had lands adjoining George Walker.

·         David Walker (b. 11/08/1771, link: Find-a-Grave) - Settled on Little River in Morgan County, GA.

·         Enoch Walker (b. 01/22/1773, link: Find-a-Grave) - Settled on farm on Little River in Morgan County, along with brother David.

·         Margaret (Walker) Reynolds (b. 01/30/1775) - Married Reuben Reynolds and remained in Burke County.

·         Moses Walker (b. 05/02/1776) - Settled in Morgan County.

Here is a family tree for George Walker. He is represented on the main trunk. The family represented on this page are George's descendant through his son, William "Rich Billy" Walker. Rich Billy's branch is the first branch from the bottom right on the tree. Click here for a PDF of the tree. This tree was created sometime prior to the 1900's by Peter G. Walker. It is referred to in a 1908 letter written by my Great Great Grandfather Thacker Vivion Walker (b. 1832), and while his son, Boling Virgil Walker (b. 1874) is in the tree, Boling's children are not (eldest being Linnie Leah Walker, b. 1901, my grandmother). Note that the tree has some missing branches, such as Rich Billy’s grandson John Thacker Walker not being included (more details below), and there are many instances of children who died before reaching maturity not being included. This may have been intentional, as to save space, or unintentional, such as the compiler not being aware of the individuals.

George began acquiring land in 1760 (100 acres), with additional grants in 1767 (200 acres) and 1768 (200 acres), and in 1769 he purchased 111 acres. This latter parcel he sold in 1772, and in the deed transaction it mentions that George is a blacksmith. Also noteworthy is that in the deed for the 1767 grant, it mentions that George has three slaves. In 1783, his heirs inherit his estate. (ref 10, pg. 140) This information adds to the Walker intrigue, because George as a blacksmith and only owning a few hundred acres and a few slaves, was not an extremely wealthy man, although his descendents become extremely wealthy.

Click on picture for larger image.

In this map of the land holdings along Brier Creek, One can see the proximity of the Walker lands to lands of the Byne's and Jones', families that the Walkers would intermarry with. (ref 11, pg 53.)  Note that this map represents deed granted by the state of Georgia, after the U.S. won independence. George's original grants were from the British government, and the ownership was certified by the State of Georgia in 1785 (photo above). (ref 11, pg 193.)  

Based on the information that George was still considered a blacksmith and only owned three slaves in the grant records, I speculate that George, and perhaps his brother and sister/brother-in-law, came to the colonies as indentured servants in and took advantage of the "headright" system. In this process, colonists who willingly indentured themselves, usually skilled craftsmen, indentured themselves for about seven years, and after the indentured period was over, they were eligible for land under the "headright" process. The headright process allotted to the head of the household 100 acres, and 50 acres of land for each family member or slave. In the settlement of what became Burke county (named Halifax parish, then S. George parish, in the British colony of Georgia), the headright system was used to lure new settlers. A description of this, and a mention of George Walker as an example of the early settlers, is in the book on the history of Burke County (ref 12, pg 4). Whether or not he was indentured, George did take advantage of the headright system of obtaining free land. If he was indentured, this might explain the pattern of time between George's arrival in the colonies as a blacksmith, circa 1750, and the initial request for a 100 acre land grant in 1758, and the subsequent request for an additional total of 400 acres in 1767 and 1768, by which time he had eight children. I have no confirmation of this theory, only that it is a coincidence that the timeline pattern fits the process of indenture and headright land grant processes.

Chapter 2 – My 4^th Great-Grandfather Rich Billy’s Generation   

William "Rich Billy" Walker (1765 - 1831) (links: WikiTree, Find-a-Grave) - George's son William "Rich Billy" Walker (b. 1765) was born in Burke County, GA, and moved to Putnam County where he was noted as a large landowner (ref 4, pg. 14), and according to the 1810 Census, he is the largest slave owner in the county with 47 slaves (ref 7, pg. 47). In the 1820 Census, he is living in Putnam County, and the tally of family members by age indicates that all of his children, except for the eldest (Virgil) are living with him. The 1820 census also indicates that he has 62 slaves. Most of his children were born in Putnam County. By the mid-1820s, he had migrated to Mulberry Grove, Harris County, GA, and is noted as one of the original pioneers of the county (ref. 2, pg. 558). He had large plantation holdings in Harris, Putnam, Troup, Jasper, and Meriwether counties, as many as 20,000 acres according to some reports (ref 8, vol. 3, pg. 505), with over 1,000 slaves. In a notice in the April 14, 1814 Georgia Journal newspaper, he is selling "a valuable plantation in Washington County on Williamson's swamp" that includes a two-storey house, a cotton gin, and apple and peach orchards. He was still living in Putnam County at this time.

Court records show that in 1828 Rich Billy started buying up a large number of sections of land in Harris County. Shortly after the removal of the Creek Indians from the area, the State of Georgia began giving land away to settlers in a land lottery, with each section or lot being 202.5 acres. There was a formula for citizens to have their names in the lottery, based on certain qualifications. Evidently when the lottery was drawn, Rich Billy bought up land along Mulberry Creek between Hamilton GA and Columbus GA from the lottery winners. This area became know as "Mulberry Grove", and became one of the "bon ton" (fashionable) settlements in Harris County (ref 2, pg. 551). It's a little difficult to track which family member acquired what, when, but across all the family members, there's at least 53 "plantation" lots (202.5 acres each) in Harris County, 19 of which were passed from Rich Billy to family members at the time of his death (color coded in map). 

This map shows the location of the family's lands in Harris County, representing approximately 10,000 acres. Interestingly enough, while Rich Billy's son William G. has extensive holding in Harris County, none of Rich Billy's lands in Harris County were passed to William G. In addition to these lands, upon his death Rich Billy passed along  lands in Meriwether, Jasper, Troup, and Putnam counties (link to map).

There is also a deed indicating that Rich Billy's wife Mary (Vivion) Walker (1771-1857) deeded 6 acres of land about five miles south of the plantation home to the Mt. Olive Baptist Church. In the deed, included below, Mary gives the land in perpetuity to the deacons of the church as long as it is always used as a Baptist church. Evidently, if it stops being used as a Baptist church, the land reverts to Mary's heirs. The official Land Map of Harris County Georgia of 1957 that indicates lot numbers show a primitive road, no longer existing in 2016, that runs from Rich Billy's home to the church (locations 1 and 4 on the above map).

In Rich Billy's estate distribution, Mary receives six 202.5 acre lots, the lots in Harris County where the plantation house is located and the surrounding lots (see map for locations), as well as 30 slaves, and $2,432 in perishable property (presumably the house furnishing and plantation equipment). In the court record, Mary signed with an "X" indicating she was illiterate. 

Rich Billy’s Merriweather County Georgia land holdings were near Stovall (near the Troup County line, so his Troup County holdings may have been near by). In his will, the Merriweather County lands pass to daughter Mary Cook and sons Thacker, Austin, and William.

Mary has an interesting family background:

One version is that her great-grandparents were John Vivion and Diana (Cummings) Vivion. John came to the American colonies in the 1640's as an emissary of King Charles II, sent to Virginia to intercede in Bacon's Rebellion (an uprising against Governor Berkeley's lax treatment of the Native Americans). After investigating, John Vivion sided with Nathanial Bacon, and supported his cause. Another supporter of Bacon's cause was Diana Cummings, the niece of Governor Berkeley, who meets John Vivion, and they eventually marry.

An alternative version is that her 5th Great Grandparents, Samuel Thomas Walker and Isabel Walker (More Walkers!) came to Jamestown VA in 1609. Thomas was killed in the James City Massacre of 1622.

I need to do more research here, as it could be that both of these are true, or netiher. Regardless, here we are.

Rich Billy and Mary had a large family, and he built a plantation house for himself, and one for several of his eight children. Rich Billy's house burnt down in the late 1990's, and the house of one of his sons, Virgil Homer Walker (b. 1792) is still standing as of 2016 and is still occupied. Rich Billy's house has been referred to as "mansion in the wilderness" (ref 5, pg 398) and is a major point of fond reference for the Hood and Terrell families (ibid, and ref 2 pg 561). Because of the amount of information available on the Walker Plantation houses, I've created a separate page for this. The architectural aspects of Rich Billy's house, and the houses of several of his sons (William Jr., Virgil, Thacker, and David) are discussed In the book "Pine Log and Greek Revival" by William Davidson, published in 1965 (ref 3, pg. 192-199). This book mentions that Rich Billy's house was built between 1816 and 1818 which, if correct, was well before Harris County was formed in 1827.       

The plantation holdings Rich Billy established on Mulberry Creek were quite extensive, and included a cotton gin, grist mill, distillery, tannery, apiary, brick kiln, and was in fact a self-sustaining village. It was said that they produced clothes and shoes for the family, slaves, and for the local population. As mentioned, the slaves were trained in building construction, as well as in the all the operational functions of the plantation. According local legend, but not documented, the Walker's trained the slaves to be highly skilled (i.e. higher market value). To be detailed later, the Walker's had building interests in Columbus Georgia, utilizing the natural and human resources of their plantation to build "pre-fabricated" houses in Columbus. Additionally, there is still standing a house in Hamilton that is a copy of Virgil's house, built five years later (1832), and it is presumed that this house was also built by the Walker family for Judge Wiliamson Switzer (ref 2 pg. 463, ref 3 pg. 201). Also, in at least two generations of Walkers, some sons were sent to medical school to became physicians, (Rich Billy's son Austin, and grandsons Vigil Homer Jr., Thacker Vivion, and William A.) and presumably returned to the plantations to care for the slaves. The Walker's evidently had a good reputation among the slaves, although at least one of the overseers, Elijah Cook (who married Rich Billy's daughter, Mary Vivion "Polly" Walker) was not liked by the slaves. Not much else is directly known about the Walker plantation operations, however some details about the plantation operations of Rich Billy's brother, George Walker II, has been discovered. That is described in the section on George II's family (link to ancillary- George II bookmark), and one can presume that Rich Billy's operations were somewhat similar.

Court records of Rich Billy's estate holdings at the time of his death in 1831, his will, and other related estate documents have been obtained from Harris County records. They provide a fascinating insight into life in the early 1800's. Important items included in his estate listing include household furnishings, primarily bedroom furnishings, in three counties. This photo is a montage of the first and last pages of the estate listing found in the Harris County GA court records The estate listing is 11 hand-written legal-size pages long, of which a transcription can be found here.

Note that at the time of his death in 1831, his estate was worth $95,148.87 1/2 (don't miss that half a penny!). In 2016 dollars, his estate was worth $2,498,896.10 give or take a few half-cents. He really was "Rich Billy"!

A number of carts, horses, mules, pigs, sheep, and various farm implements, including parts of a distillery components, provide insight into plantation life. There were a few books included in the listing, mainly religious works, but also includes "Sufferings in Africa" by James Riley, a narrative of the crew of a U.S. trading ship that was shipwrecked in Africa in 1819, and the crew were taken as slaves by Arabs. It's curious that this book held such importance that it was included in his estate listing. A reference in the Davidson book "Brooks of Honey and Butter, Vol. 1" (ref 5) indicates that the "extensive literary accumulations for the William Walker and Dr. Erastus C. Hood families at the Mulberry Grove Plantation" were placed at Duke University, possibly in the 1950's or 1960s. I have yet to visit Duke's library, but it's on my list!

In the estate distribution, Rich Billy's wife Mary, seven of his surviving children, and one grandson each receives $15,000 in property, in addition to what he gave to them while he was alive. This is equivalent to $400,000 in 2016 dollars. The following photo is the first page of the estate distribution, and a transcription can be found here, for those interested. Note that in the estate listing and distribution documents, slaves are mentioned by name. While this information can be disturbing, some genealogical researchers have found these materials useful in tracing descendents of slave families. For example, a researcher was seeking information on ancestors Edmund Walker, who was believed to have been a slave on Thacker Walker's plantation, and his wife Lucinda. Both of these people were found in this transcription.

The Walker Family Cemetery is on the grounds of Rich Billy's former house, although very overgrown. There are several old photos of the cemetery, as well as a map of the layout on the Walker Family Cemetery page. Rich Billy, his wife Mary, and several (but not all) of his children are buried there.

A number of years after Rich Billy's death, the majority of the plantation in Mulberry Grove was sold to Dr. Erastus C. Hood in 1859 (ref 2, pg. 561) by Rich Billy's son-in-law, Elijah Cook (husband of Mary V. "Polly"). Quite possibly, much of the household furnishings were sold with the plantation. Evidently, Elijah invested his fortune in Confederate War Bonds, and ended up penniless.

                    Chapter 4 – My 2^nd Great-Grandfather Thacker Vivion Walker’s Generation

Virgil Homer Walker (b. 1792) and Ann's children included doctors, farmers, lawyers, judges, and a Civil War General (well, at least a sergeant). After Virgil's death, they began migrating west, primarily, but Ann stayed on at the Mulberry Grove plantation until her death in 1869, at which point Virgil and Ann's house passed into the hands of other families. I have done the most research on my Great-Great Grandfather, Thacker Vivion Walker (b. 1832), Virgil and Ann's seventh-born child, but as previously I'll proceed in the order of their birth. However, I do have some information on each of Virgil and Ann's kids, but there's most likely more out there than I have discovered. If you are reading this and have additional information, I'll be happy to include it on this site.

The general notes for these folks include they were an educated lot, and they moved around quite a bit, mainly to Alabama. Two brothers and two sisters move to Alabama permanently, while another (Thacker) goes to Alabama to find a wife, then moves on to Texas, and another (Calvin) moves around a bit in Alabama before heading to Texas.

Calvin Walker (1820 - 1892) (links: Wikitree, Find-a-Grave) was born in Putnam County Georgia Nov. 18, 1820, and died in Dennison Texas on March 9, 1892. He married Elizabeth Porter (1828-1914) on Dec. 22, 1847. Elizabeth was the daughter of William (1786-1862) and Lucy (Cook) Porter (d. 1847). Calvin may have attended Duke University, as upon his death his personal papers were donated to the Buke University Library.

As with most of the Walker clan, Calvin was a “gentleman farmer” maintaining a plantation while pursuing other occupational interests.  Calvin went to law school, and in 1844  begins his law practice in Hamilton, GA. This is announced in the newspaper in Morgan County GA (ref "Early Morgan County, Georgia Newspapers, 1842-1861" Harris, pg. 145), presumably because the Walker relatives in and around Madison GA. Elizabeth was born in North Carolina, and they were married in North Carolina.

Calvin in 1870.

By 1847, Calvin has relocated to Lumpkin, in Stewart County, GA, just southeast of Columbus. On Dec. 22, 1847, Calvin marries Elizabeth Francis Porter (08/11/1828  - 03/14/1914), a native of Stewart County and the daughter of William Porter (b. 1786 in N.C. – d. 1762) and Lucy Cook (d. 1847), married in 1815 in N.C. (ref HSC-vII): History of Stewart County Georgia, Volume II, by Sara Robertson Dixon, pg. 737-738, accessed in Columbus GA Library). Calvin and Elizabeth’s first child, Alexander, is born in 1849 and dies quickly, and is buried in the Walker Family Cemetery on Rich Billy’s plantation.

During the 1850’s, Calvin prospers. He is a lawyer and a Judge in Lumpkin, and is also listed as a Civil Engineer (ref HSC-vII pg. 1020). They are trusted members of the community, as a local guide book in the 1850’s states that “young ladies can board in the home of Judge Walker from $10-$12 per month. They will be required to be orderly and courteous at the boarding houses.” (ref: History of Stewart County Georgia, Section 1, by Helen Eliza Terrill pg. 222, accessed in Columbus GA Library,).

In the 1860 Census, Calvin is residing in Stewart County, GA and had $5,600 in in personal estate value ($149,075 in 2016 based on inflation rate), and no land value listed. This may be because his land holdings were in other counties. The 1860 Census of slaveholders lists Calvin as a slaveholder in Stewart County (29 slaves), Quitman County (4 slaves, west of Stewart Co., and across the river from Eufaula AL.), Chattahoochie County (31 slaves, between Stewart County and Columbus GA), and Clark County Alabama (1 slave).

Calvin and Elizabeth reside for 20 years in Stewart County, until about 1865. From this point, they migrate around, eventually settling in Texas (HSC-vII – pg. 1021). I presume that as a Judge, he was probably taken off the bench following the Civil War. With emancipation, he would have lost most of his personal wealth, and the land would have been further devalued with the economic devastation that resulted in the south.

Most of Calvin and Elizabeth children are born in Lumpkin, but following the Civil War the family begins to migrate. In 1865, Calvin is living in Clayton Alabama near brother Luther, and here one child is born. In 1866 Calvin has moved to Eufaula, Alabama, and in 1868, he moves to Macon Georgia, where another child is born. (ref: HSC-vII, pg 1021). It is interesting to note that Macon is where Dr. Austin Walker spent his final years, and Virgil Jr’s home in Eatonton was not too far away, so there may have been some family relations around Macon. Also, his late Aunt Lucina’s husband co-founds Mercer College in Macon at some point.

After about two years in Macon, Calvin moves the family to Calvert Texas, where they remain for about 12 years (Ref: HSC-vII, pg 1021). Calvert Texas, in Richardson County, is near where brother Thacker Vivion Walker is living (Brazos County, then Bell County), and also near Montgomery County Texas there Calvin’s two sisters, married to Philips brothers, reside. In 1882, Calvin moves to Dennison Texas, in north Texas, where he spends the final 10  years of his life.

Upon his father Virgil’s death, Calvin became the executor of Virgil’s estate, and he also took on the guardianship of one of his younger brothers, John B. Walker, until he reached the age of 21. After Calvin’s death, his family papers are donated to Duke University, and these include plantation records and records related to Virgil’s estate distribution. I have not been able to determine where Calvin went to law school, but there may be a connection with Duke. Duke was not in existence in 1844 when Calvin graduated from law school, but a forerunner of Duke was Trinity Institute, and they had a law program that became Duke’s law school.

Calvin and Elizabeth’s children seemed to die young, several dying in their teens or early 20’s  (Marshal 23, Eugenia 22, Thacker 14, Elouise and Louanna 12). Several dies while they lived in Calvert, and two died in Dennison but were buried back in Calvert (Anna Bell and Marshal). Perhaps these died very close together, so Calvin buried them in Calvert to keep them together (Eugenia - 1874, Thacker and Louanna – 1880, Marshal - 1882, Anna Bell – 1884). In 1873, there was a Yellow Fever outbreak in Calvert, and about 350 of the total population of 1,900 died.

Calvin and Elizabeth’s children include (ref: History of Stewart County VII, pg. 1021):

• Alexander Hamilton Walker  (1850-1850) buried at Mulberry Grove

• Elouise Porter Walker (1851  - 1863) buried in Clayton AL

• Eugenia Frances Walker (06/24/1852 – 07/28/1874) – Born in Lumpkin GA, died in Texas attended Wesleyan College in Macon. Find-a-Grave: )

• Anna Bell Walker (11/20/1855 – 06/24/1884) – born in Lumpkin GA, died in Dennison TX, buried in Calvert TX (find-a-grave)

• Henry T. Walker (02/22/1857 - 1947) born in Lumpkin GA, buried in Dennison. Wife – Isabel Porter Walker (perhaps a relative of mother’s Porter family). (Find-a-grave)

• Marshal J. Walker – (04/16/1859 – 02/14/1882) – born in Lumpkin GA, died in Denison  Texas. (Find-Grave)

•  Imogene (Walker) DeWitt – (04/11/1861 - ?) born Lumpkin GA, died Dallas TX . Married Edgar DeWitt in Dallas TX in 1891. Four children Ireline (DeWitt) McCormick, Roscoe DeWitt,

•  Ireline (Walker) Kneur – (01/31/1864 – 10/27/1922) born Lumpkin GA, married Al Kneur.

• Thacker Vivion – (03/06/1866 - 10/10/1880) - b. Clayton AL d. presumably Calvert TX (see next sibling) (find-a-grave)

• Louanna Phillips Walker – (07/14/1868  - 10/21/1880)  -  b. Macon GA d. Calvert TX (Find-a-grave)

Luther William Walker (1822 - 1888) (links: Wikitree, Find-a-Grave) was born Feb. 18, 1822 in Putnam County, GA, and died June 14, 1888 Union Springs, Bullock County, AL. Luther married Mary Victoria Thompson (3/28/1831 – 2/1/1910) on May 18, 1849, in Russell County, Alabama. Victoria’s sister Josephine Lancaster Thompson married Luther’s brother Merriott. By the 1850 Census, Luther is living in Bullock County Alabama, in or near Union Springs. There are deeds in Barbour County Alabama that Luther is buying land in that county in 1851 and again in 1853.Luther seems to be the confirmed planter in the family. The 1860 Census indicates that he has 104 slaves in Bullock County, so his plantation was probably extensive. He may have gone to college to study agriculture, as most of the other sons went off to school. There are some references to descriptions he wrote on agricultural methods, and his father Virgil was known to do this as well.   

Luther was pardoned for Confederate service on Dec. 2, 1865 in Barbour county, AL. No other reference to his Confederate service has been found.

According to a eulogy written for him (link here), Luther was known as a generous neighbor, sharing his abundant crops of corn with neighbors who were struggling during the Civil War.  One night in 1865, his house burned down and his family barely escaped. His neighbors came to his aid, providing the family with food and clothes. After this, Luther moved his family to Suspension Alabama (now a ghost town on highway 40 just east of Union Springs, and this area is also referred to as Peachburg), and built a new house. which costs $17,000 to build ($240,000 in 2016 dollars), and as of 1935 it was still standing (The Heritage of Bullock County, Alabama, pg. 6, and web site link here). 

Luther Walker houss circa 1936 after many years of neglect.

Luther had business interests across several areas. In addition to Union Springs, some of the locations Luther has interactions with are the towns of Clayton and Suspension (where he lived in the 1870 and 1880 Censuses).  He may be keeping with Walker trend of Rich Billy, Virgil, and brother Calvin, maintaining plantations and other business interests across a number of counties. From the court records, he regularly is travelling back to Harris County GA, but doesn’t seem to have any activity on the Walker land holdings there.

Luther was 26 with his father Virgil passed away in 1848. In addition to inheritance, Luther became the guardian of his younger brother, Thacker Vivon Walker, who wass in medical school at the time of Virgil’s death. Luther manages Thacker’s inheritance, and according to court records, kept close track of earnings from investments (leasing of the slaves Thacker inherited) and school expenditures. Based on scant records, it appears that Luther turned a profit for Thacker.

When his father died, there was an estate sale of much of Virgil’s belongings to benefit his heirs. The heirs themselves bought a number of items. In addition to tools and agricultural products, Luther purchased a traveling trunk for his ward Thacker, a diamond breast pin for $100 (about $3,000 today!), and “10 lots of whiskey” that he split with his brother Virgil. They must have held one hell of an Irish wake for their father!   

In the 1860 Census, Luther is residing in Barbour County AL and had $16,000 in land value ($425,930 in 2016 based on inflation rate), and $100,000 ($2,662,066 in 2016) in personal estate value, and owns 104 slaves. By 1870, his land value increased to $20,000 ($332,930 in 2016) but had lost most of his personal value, only retaining $20,000 ($332,930 in 2016) following the Civil War.

There are a couple of references that state Luther served the Confederacy, and one reference indicates he was a General. The eulogy mentioned previously has a file name title indicating it was for “General Luther W Walker” but I have found no other evidence that Luther served in the Civil War (military rosters, grave markers, etc.), and the eulogy doesn’t mention any military service, and certainly would have if Luther had served. However, a record in Alabama states that a Luther Walker with the correct birth and death dates served the Confederacy, but it doesn’t mention in what capacity (source: Ancestry.com). Also, there is a record for Luther W. Walker being pardoned for Confederate service on Dec. 2, 1865, in Barbour County, AL  (source: Ancestry.com).

In the 1870 Federal Census, Luther is living in Suspension, Bullock County,  Alabama (Suspension is now a ghost town). He is listed as a farmer, with a personal wealth of $20,000 and real estate valued at $20,000. Children living at home include Victoria (age 19), Bradford (15), Ella (13), Benjamin (12), Adele (10), Merriott (5), Sarah (6), and Moselle (3).

In the 1880 Federal Census, children living at home include Henry (Bradford, age 25), Ella (23), Benjamin (22), Corrinne (Adele, 20), Sallie (Sarah, 16), Warren (Marriott, 14), and Moselle (13).

Luther and Victoria’s children included:

• Mary Victoria Walker (1851 - 8/7/1888) married James H. Troutman

• Theodore Thompson Walker (1852-1912)

• Josephine Louise Walker (1854 - ?)

• Henry Bradford Walker (04/06/1855 - 03/24/1906) – Married Mary (Kennon) Walker 05/23/1893 – Father of Margaret Louise Walker, Warner Walker (became a priest) and William Luther Walker (Warner’s twin). Henry attended University of Georgia, Class of 1876. He was a merchant and farmer in Union Springs. He was born near Clayton, AL, and moved to Suspension where he lived most of his life. He was a resident of Columbus GA the last few years of his life.

• Benjamin L. Walker  (4/29/1858 – 1885)

• Ella Walker (1/10/1859-1941) – married 1) Frank Scott Boykin 2) Henry Holman

• Corrine Adele Walker (1860 - ?)– married Warren Reid

• Sallie Walker (1654 – 1902)

• Merriott Warren Walker (1866 - 1930) – married Mamie Stubbs

• Moselle Walker (1867 - 1939) female

• Lucy Walker

• Sonnie Walker

Virgil Homer Walker Jr., M.D. (1825 - 1896) (links: Wikitree, Find-a-Grave) was born Dec. 14, 1824 in Mulberry Grove, Harris County, GA, and died Sept. 12, 1896, in Cochran, GA. On October 5, 1852, he married his second cousin Antoinette Walker (06/25/1832 – 2/24/1910). Antoinette and Virgil had the same great-grandfather, George Walker. Antoinette was of the “Longstreet” Walkers of Pulaski County, Georgia, descendants of George’s son George (1763-1830, brother to Rich Billy), Antoinette’s parents being David Walker (1798-1861) and Ann Kaziah Lucas (1811-1881). The Longstreet Walkers were quite affluent and influential in the Pulaski County area, and notes on them are included in this site’s Ancillary Walker pages <link>.

In 1844, Virgil is listed as the postmaster of the Mulberry Grove area. He was 19 years old at the time. At some point, Virgil went to college (not sure where), and he became a physician. When his father, Virgil Sr., passed away in 1848, Virgil Jr. became the guardian of his brother Merriott.

Virgil and Antoinette were married in 1852 at Longstreet, and settled in Barbour County Alabama, just southwest from Columbus GA, where their 11 children were born. Barbour County borders on Bullock and Russell Counties in Alabama, and Stewart County in Georgia, where most of Virgil’s siblings had plantations. He is not listed in the 1860 Census for Barbour County as a slaveowner, although he is listed as a “planter” with a personal estate worth $33,800 ($1,032,881 in 2016) and real estate worth $8,700 ($231,600 in 2016). With that much wealth, he must have had large plantation holdings somewhere, perhaps just not in Barbour County.

In 1870, their last child is born in Wilcox County, GA, possibly the only child not born in Alabama. In the 1870 Census, Virgil Jr. and family are living in Pulaski County, GA. He is listed as an M.D., with a personal worth of $10,000.

In both 1860 and 1870 Census, there is a James L. Walker living in the household, about 10 years younger than Antoinette. This might be Antoinette’s younger brother, James Lucas “Jim Crow” Walker, born 1838. He has an interesting history, some of which is noted in the ancillary Walker pages <link>. He married in 1872, and served during the Civil War, so it is possible that he lived with Virgil and Antoinette prior to 1872.

In the 1880 Census, Virgil and Antoinette are living in Wilcox County, GA, with Virgil listed as a “farmer”.

Later in life, they relocated to Cochran, Bleckley County, Georgia, the next county over from Pulaski County, and not too far from the Longstreet area. Antionette’s brother, Dr. Thomas Duhart Walker (called Dr. Tom), and their cousin Dr. Thomas Frank Walker (called Dr. Frank) both practice medicine and are active in local politics in Cochrane.   

Antoinette died in 1910 at Pineview, Wilcox County, GA at the home of her daughter, Fannie (Walker) Dennard.

Virgil’s and Antoinette’s children, all born in Barbour County, AL except the last, included:

• Ann Lucina Walker (5/23/1854 – 9/30/ 1873) – “Annie Lou” in the George Walker family tree.

• Ida Evelyn Walker (b. 12/14/1855) married Robert Murray (or Murrell in the family tree)

• Preston Lucas Walker (b. 8/27/1857 in Clayton, AL, d. 6/29/1940) – married Mattie Williams. Preston is buried in Attalla, Etowah county, AL

• Virgil Homer Walker III (8/29/1858 – 12/22/1929) – “Homer” in the family tree, married Lee Watson

• David James Walker (4/17/1860-10/24/1864) born and buried in Clayton AL

• Francis Juliette Walker (10/19/1861 – 11/19/1949 – married Joseph J. Dennard (1844-1914). She is also referred to as “Fanny Judith”, and “Fannie Dennard” in the family tree.

• Martha Virginia Walker (5/15/1863 – 7/7/1948) – Married Walker Denny. May be referred to as “Mattie” in the family tree.

• Nettie Walker – (2/17/1866 – Nov. 1871)

• Mary Augusta Walker (4/18/1868 - Jan. 1871)

• Charles R. Walker (11/23/1869-5/19/1946) – Married Ollie Noajin –

  • TThis may be mistaken in ancestry files. Charles and the next sibling have birth dates too close together, and the next sibling names one child with the names of his mother and sister. However, there is a “Charlie” in the family tree.

• George Philips Walker (b. 2/1/1870 in Wilcox County, GA - d. 12/1/1947 Attalla, Etowah County, AL) – Married Beatrice Gentry, had two children: Julia Antoinette (Walker) Russell and Beatrice Walker.

Ann Bell (Walker) Philips (1827 - 1895) (links: Wikitree, Find-a-Grave) – was born August 30, 1827 at the Mulberry Grove planation. Around 1848, she married Abram Phillips of Union Springs Alabama, and died December 20, 1895, in Montgomery County, Texas. Her husband was the son of General Charles Philips of Ellerslie, GA (Barfield pg 559), and Ellerslie is about 20 miles from the Mulberry Grove plantations. She lived most of her adult life in Montgomery County Texas, just north of Houston, and she was buried in Union Springs Alabama.

There are interesting family ties to Alabama and Texas in her history. She, and sister Mary Lucina, who married Abram’s brother George, either were living in the Union Springs AL area, or visited there regularly. Their brothers Luther and Marriott lived there from the late 1840’s on, and their brother Thacker Vivion, after graduating from medical school in 1854, married Virginia Cox whose family lived in the Union Springs area. Both Ann and Mary’s families, as well as Thacker’s and his wife, move to the area north of Houston Tx in the 1850’s, with brother Calvin joining them in the area in the 1870’s. The two Philips families lived in Montgomery County TX, near the town of Porter; Thacker lived initially in Boonville, in Brazos County, and Calvin moved to Calvert, Richardson County, Texas just north of Brazos County.

When her mother died in 1869, Ann is listed on the deed selling Virgil and Ann’s house and property in Mulberry Grove, GA.

Ann and Abram had the following children:

• Twins Minnie and Taddie Philips

• Eugene Hightower Philips

• Walter Jackson Philips

• Clarence Walker Philips – b. 9/11/1847 in Georgia, d. 7/15/1887 in Houston TX

  • He is said to be buried in the “old Philips home place near the Enloe Cemetery in Porter, Montgomery Co., TX.

  • Married Sarah Ann Gibson on 3/5/1877 in Montgomery County, TX.

• Love Buhl Philips

 Lucina Mary (Walker) Philips (1828 - 1879) (links: Wikitree, Find-a-Grave) was born March 14, 1828 at the Mulberry Grove planation. On Oct. 4, 1848, she married Dr. George Nix Phillips of Union Springs Alabama, and died Feburary 12, 1879, Montgomery County, Texas. She lived most of her adult life in Montgomery County Texas, just north of Houston, and she was buried in Union Springs Alabama. Her husband was the son of General Charles Philips of Ellerslie, GA (Barfield pg 559) and Ellerslie is about 20 miles from the Mulberry Grove plantations.

In 1844, Lucina was attending the Macon Female college in Macon GA, according to a letter written to her from her brother Calvin.

When her mother died in 1869, Ann is listed on the deed selling Virgil and Ann’s house and property in Mulberry Grove, GA.

Lucina and George’s children include:

• Henry Moffett Phillips, was born July 31, 1849 and died in Montgomery County TX March 6 1875.

• Merriott Walker Phillips, was born in Montgomery County TX on Jan. 10, 1860, and died there March 5 1863. He is buried in the Union Springs family plot

John B. Walker (1830 - 1864?) was born in 1830 on the Mulberry Grove plantation. Compared to his brothers and sisters, there is not a lot of information on John. Based on some rather murky information, I believe he died in 1864 in the Battle of New Hope Church.

According to court records, John was about 18 years old when his father Virgil died. Joh was the oldest of the “minor” Walker children at the time of Virgil’s death, and his inheritance was placed under the guardianship of his oldest brother Calvin. While the other two minor sons, Thacker and Merriott, were in college and there are court records listing expenses paid from their inheritance, such records do not exist for John, so it is assumed that he stayed on the plantation. This is somewhat confirmed by the 1860 Harris County Census that indicates John, age 30, is living in the home of Ann (head of household). No other family members are listed. Since all the other siblings had moved off with families, John evidently stayed on with Ann to tend the plantation.

In Harris County Military History (Harris County and Her People, A Genealogical / Historical Quarterly, May 1985, Vol. 1, No. 1, page 61) a J.B. Walker is listed as a 4^th Sergeant, enlisting on March 4, 1862. He was captured at Jackson Miss. on May 14, 1863. He was paroled, and subsequently killed in the Battle of at New Hope Church (near Dallas in Paulding County, GA) in May of 1864. Given that several of his brothers went by their initials (CJ Walker, TV Walker), and that no information on John can be found following the Civil War, I am assuming that the reference to JB Walker from Harris County who died at New Hope is this John B. Walker

Additionally, the court record of the sale of Virgil and Ann’s house has all of Ann’s sons (and sons-in-law) signing the record, except John. Since John was living with Ann at the time of the 1860 census, I assume that if he were living, he would have inherited the plantation. Since he is not listed at all in the court record of sale, I presume he was no longer living. 

Also, since Ann is buried in the Walker Family Cemetery (1868), as well as Virgil Sr.’s brother Thacker (1873), I believe that if John was still in Harris County at the time of his death, he would have been buried in the family cemetery. If he died at New Hope, he is probably buried in the battlefield cemetery.

And finally, if John was still living with Ann at the time of her death, the home and lands would have probably passed to him.     

Thacker Vivion Walker (1832 - 1917) (links: Wikitree), commonly referred to as "T.V.", was born July 7, 1832, in the home of Virgil and Ann in Mulberry Grove and was raised on the plantation. He became a physician, married Virginia Antoinette Cox 11/11/1856 in Union Springs, Alabama, and moved to Texas shortly after marriage. He died at the Old Mason’s Home in Arlington Texas in 1917. In a document from 1863, he is listed as being 5’10” tall. Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate his and Virginia’s graves, presumably in or near Quanah Texas, based on information from the Old Masons Home regarding his death.

Thacker, my 2^nd great-grandfather, is the author of the letter mentioned at the beginning of this web page, and the inspiration of my search into the family history. While the letter doesn’t mention much about himself, he must have had a very interesting 85-years of life.

In his early years, as a child, he experienced a lot of action going on around him. He was surrounded by the massive plantation holdings of his grandfather, father, and uncles. Within a mile or two of his home, there were the plantation homes of his grandparents, three Uncles, and an Aunt. He and his siblings and cousins would have been surrounded by great hustle and bustle of very active frontier plantation activities. As has been described above, one Uncle committed a murder and disappeared to Texas for a couple of years, at the time of the Texas Revolution. In his letter written at age 78, he describes this Uncle in hero-like terms, so he must have left quite an impression. Thacker’s father stood up a militia unit to defend Harris County in the Creek War of 1836, and two of his Uncles, David and John T., participated in the Hichity (ref 13, pg. 52). Columbus Georgia, 20 miles down the road, where two of his Uncles lived, was a bustling frontier boom town. And Mulberry Grove was described as the “bon ton” community in the area, and was also active in social gatherings lich church revivals and July 4^th celebrations.

 By 1848, around age 16, Thacker is at the University of Georgia in Athens, along with a cousin with whom Thacker will have a life-long bond, William Austin Walker, son of William G. Walker. While in school in March of 1848, Thacker’s father, Virgil, dies. Thacker’s inheritance is placed under the guardianship of his brother, Luther. Luther, living in Union Springs Alabama by this time, manages Thacker’s inheritance very well. According to court records, Luther rents or leases out the slaves that Thacker has inherited, and uses that income to pay for Thacker’s college expenses. The court records are interesting, as they list the costs for tuition, books, clothes, room and board, travel, etc. that Luther pays on Thacker’s behalf out of his inheritance. It appears form these records that Luther turned a profit, which was a great benefit to Thacker upon graduation.

Thacker graduates from the University of Georgia in 1850, then proceeds to medical school at the Jefferson College of Medicine in Philadelphia. Thacker graduates from medical school with an M.D. in 1854. Thacker’s cousin William also attends Jefferson, graduating the same year. Also, a more distant cousin, Frank Duhart Walker, grandson of Rich Billy Walker’s brother George, also attends Jefferson, graduating as an M.D. a couple of years after Thacker.

I do not have evidence that Thacker and Thomas Duhart Walker knew each other, but… In researching the history of the Walkers, I keep coming across instances where Thacker’s life intersects with this other branches of the Walkers, and others in their community. For example, Thacker’s brother Virgil Jr. marries Thomas Duhart Walker’s sister Antoinette, and late in life Virgil and Antoinette live in Thomas’ town of Cochran, GA. Also, inTexas, Thacker lives in the Census household adjacent to where Thomas Duhart and Antoinette’s brother David lives. Additionally, around 1860, Thacker has land transactions in Texas from the “Longstreet” family (Rebecca Canfield, Augusta B. Longstreet, and Gilbert Longstreet), the seller of the land living in Augusta GA, not far from the relative of Thomas Duhart/Antoinette, and whose farming area is known as “Longstreet”. Also, the attorney for that land transaction is an Augustus B. Longstreet, brother to the woman who sold the land to Thacker, whose law practice is located in Columbus GA, where Thacker’s Uncles (and his father before his death) had many business interests. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

Thacker graduated from medical school in 1854, and presumably returned to Georgia to claim his inheritance. It is not known whether he stays for a while in Georgia, or whether he moves on to Alabama where his brother Luther is holding his inheritance. In November 1856, Thacker marries Virginia Cox, daughter of William Cox, a plantation owner in Macon County, Alabama. I have tried to find information on the Cox family, as they are my ancestors, but other than slight information that William Cox was in Georgia before Alabama, I have been unable to find much information on the Cox family. I have found Macon County deeds that indicate Virginia’s father and mother, William and Mary Cox (often both listed on deed transaction), were major property owners in and around Enon Alabama, about 15 miles east of Union Springs AL. In the 1840’s and 1850’s, they were buying and selling both large acreages (300 acres) and small lots (25 acres, and town lots). They lived in the town of Enon, a ghost town now. Their son Moses also had numerous land transactions, and he is buried in the Enon cemetery, as is his brother William H. Cox and his sister Annie Caroline (Cox) Cleckley. Also mentioned in deed transactions are Moses’ wife Martha, and an A.J. Cox (those initials do not align with members of the William Cox children).

·     The 1850 Census for Macon County Alabama (Macon County was subsequently sub-divided into several counties, so this can be confusing), William (age 43) and Mary (age 40) cox have the following children living in their household: Moses (age 19), Mary J, (16), Martha M., (14), Virginia (12), Thomas J. (10), William (6), Zachary T. (4), and James (0). Also living in the household is James Cox, aged 71, probably Virginia’s grandfather.

     According to stories told to me by my Aunt Marji, her grandparents Boling and Maude Walker described the Cox family as being large plantation owners, which may have been true, but I don’t find the wealth of information on them like I have found with the Walker’s. However, in the area around Enon Alabama, there is a rustic retreat named “Enon Plantation”. As best as I can determine, this is on property that was once owned by William and Mary Cox, Virginia’s parents. According to that web site, the plantation house was build in 1840 by  a James Banks. In my search of property records for William Cox, which is incomplete, that area was bought by William Cox in 1847. I can’t confirm whether they lived in this house or not. Also, on current maps, the creek running through this area is maned “Cox Creek”.  The search continues…

Following their marriage in late 1856, Thacker and Virginia move to Boonville Texas. I believe this must have been almost immediate, as the 1860 Census lists them as having two children, Jane aged 2 and Rachael aged 1, and the record indicates that both were born in Texas (unfortunately, neither of these daughters survive to adulthood). Also, the Census record indicates that Thacker has 32 slaves, so he would have brought these from Georgia/Alabama with him. Also living in the household are two adults named Conway, listed as overseer and housekeeper, and their two children aged 4 and 2, listed as being born in Texas.

As mentioned previously, the slave-holding aspect of the Walker history in the deep south is troublesome. However, the logistics of a young, 24-year old physician and his 18-year old bride managing to bring 32 slaves to Texas, presumably a month-long journey by wagon train considering the equipment and supplies necessary for such a household, seems daunting. Since the Conway’s had a 4-year old child, born in Texas, accorign to the 1860 Census, it possible that the Conway’s did not travel to Texas with Thacker and entourage.  

Whatever the circumstance of their travel, based on Census records, they arrived in Texas a rich young plantation family. In 1860 Census records, Thacker had a personal net worth of $30,000 ($880,000 in 2016 dollars) and real property worth about $2,000. He had 32 slaves. By 1870, he obviously no longer has slaves, but his real estate value is $16,000, and personal worth is $1,000. Between 1860 and 1870, he must have purchased a lot of land.

I had the opportunity to visit Brazos and Burleson Counties in Texas, and was able to pull property records on Thacker dating back to the 1850’s. Thacker originally lived in Boonville, in Brazos county, one of the original frontier town in Texas and a center where a lot of the action for independence from Mexico occurred years earlier. Boonville was the original county seat, but that was moved to Bryan a few years after Thacker and Virginia moved to Texas. Through the 1860’s and 1870’s, Thacker bought and sold land as he was establishing a plantation, and also city lots as he was also establishing a medical practice.

The first land transaction is found in 1857, 700 acres near Boonville, and this is the land he acquired from the Longstreet family (mentioned briefly above), and was in the area around the town of Boonville. He holds this land until 1871, when he sells it, and some additional property, for $5,600.  Note that in the 1871 transaction, the County Clerk named David McIntosh confirms that Thacker originally received this land from Rebecca Canfield in 1857. McIntosh will appear again… In this 1871 transaction, Thacker had also received 150 acres due to him from a lawsuit from a man named Newsome. Newsome had originally acquired that land from the heirs of Gilbert Longstreet. It’s interesting that Thacker acquired this Newsome land, links it with the previous land, also originally “Longstreet” land, and then sells it. The simple story might be that the Longstreet’s originally had this land from the “leagues” granted to early Texas settlers, and that it made geographic sense to combine the property for a large sale. This is pure speculation on my part.

Thacker also started purchasing land about 10 miles west on the Brazos River, both on the Brazos County side and on the Burleson County side, at a point where Jone’s Ferry crossed the river. This also has interesting land transaction questions. Thacker purchased 325 acres on the Brazos County side in 1858. They sell this land in 1875 to an MW McGraw. In 1876 Thacker buys 525 acres in Burleson county from MW McGraw.  Also in Burleson county, adjoining the Brazos River across from the land Thacker holds on the Brazos County side, Thacker acquired another 150 acres from a lawsuit. Interestingly enough, the Court Clerk in these transactions is one David McIntosh. This court clerk eventually obtains ownership of this land. This is conspiracy theory stuff, because around 1900 this land becomes the Experimental Farm for Texas A&M University. Could the court clerk have known that Texas A&M, founded in 1871 at College Station Texas, between Boonville and the Brazos River, was going to want that land in the future? Did he screw Thacker on a land deal?

Thacker had other land transactions as well. In the late 1860’s and early 1870’s, he bought and sold several lots in the town of Bryan, and at one point seemed to own about half of a city block on main street, and his physician practice was located there (currently 24^th and Main in downtown Bryan). Here and there he bought land at public auction, and this might be part of the “lawsuit” activity. Sometime around 1874, Thacker and family had moved on to Salado, in Bell County Texas. One son, Thacker Jr.,  was born in Bryan in 1873, and the next one Boling Virgil, was born in Salado in 1874. Interestingly enough, this was at a time when there was a Yellow Fever epidemic raging in Brazos County and Robertson County (to the north). Pure speculation is that Thacker moved the family out of the path of this epidemic.

This is Bryan Texas in 1870. Thacker was a physician with his office located on this street (office probably isn't in the photo).  

The final land transaction found in Brazos or Burleson Counties occurred in 1887, when Thacker is listed as a resident of Bell County. In it, he and Virginia are the guardians of two children named Echols. They are purchasing three acres of land, consolidating it with some other land known as the “Echols Homestead”, and selling it off for the benefit of the children.

After 1874 or so, Thacker seems to be on a downward financial slide. After all of these land dealings, Thacker will eventually end up in north Texas and considered a “pauper” such that the Masons admit him to their old folks home. In Thacker’s letter of 1908, he refers, longingly it seems, to family members who are financially successful. Remember, he started out as a very wealthy young man graduating from medical school.

Other interesting things occurred in Thacker’s life. During the Civil War, he was a 2^nd Lieutenant in the “Brazos County Minute Calvary Co.”, serving as the Enrollment Officer for conscripting Brazos County men into the Confederate service, the equivalent of the “draft board”. He ran into trouble for conscripting one W. W. Jones into service. It seems that Jones had been recently elected County Commissioner, and as such was exempt from Confederate service. Thacker was found by the court to have “overstepped his bounds” but he suffered no penalty; Jones had to pay the court costs. (“Brazos County History”, Brundidge, 1986, pg. 88, and Brazos County District Court, Civil Minutes, Volume C, page 245).

On September 30, 1865, Thacker took the amnesty oath in Boonville (Pioneers of Brazos County, Texas, 1800-1850, Smith, 1962).

Thacker had other civic duties as well. In 1872, he represented Brazos County at the Democratic Convention in Galveston, Texas (Galveston Daily News, June 4, 1872, page 1).

The 1860 Census had other interesting info as well. In the listing of the household just prior to Thacker and Virginia’s, head of household is one Jim Batts. There are a number of adults living ithe household, all with different last names. I speculate that this was a boarding house of some sort. Thus, Thacker’s “residence” was either in Boonville, or if a plantation of 700 acres, close enough that the previous dwelling was this boarding hose. Among the dwellers are a couple of names that are subsequently linked to Thacker:

·         Jesse Batt, age 10 – About a decade later, Thacker will sell land to Jesse Batt.

·    David C. Walker, age 25, teacher – This is most likely Thacker’s second cousin, the brother of Thacker’s sister-in-law Antoinette (married to Thacker’s brother Virgil Jr.). According to records related to Antoinette’s Walkers, her brother David c. Walker was in Texas teaching school. At the outset of the Civil War, David joined the Texas 11^th infantry (if I have the regiment correct). They fought in the campaigns from Chattanooga through Atlanta and defending against Sherman’s march to the sea. When they were in the area near Augusta, where David and Antoinette’s family were located, the regiment was very beaten up, and one of the Walker’s opened their home (Bonar Hall in Madison, GA) to be a hospital for the regiment. After the war, David C. stayed in Georgia, and opened a school. In 1870, David is living with his mother Ann “east of the river” in Pulaski county, AG. In 1880, he is living in Cochran GA, where Virgil Jr. and Antoinette are residing. His wife is Amelia Raiford Fischer, and their children include Fischer (b. 1868), twins Anna and Cornelia (b. 1870), John (b. 1874), and Robert (b. 1879).   

Thacker was also an active member of the Mason’s organization. He was a member in Brazos Union Lodge in Bryan, in the Salado Lodge, and the lodge in in Quanah, Texas. In Quanah, he served as a founding member and an officer, and Virginia was a founding member of the Order of the Eastern Star, the women’s auxiliary to the Mason’s organization. He had two admissions to the Old Mason’s Home in Arlington Texas late in life, and passed away in his second stint in the home.

By the 1880’s Thacker and family are living in Quanah, Texas, where he is a physician until he retires. He also serves as the postmaster for a couple of years, and also has an appointment to the Childress Star, a newspaper that is based in the next county to the west. It is unclear what his role is with the newspaper, but his appointment had been announced in the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, so presumably he wasn’t just throwing papers.

Thacker and Virginia’s children include:

• Vivia – b. 1858

• Virgie – b. 1861 – married William Maynard Griffith in 1881

• Lee – b. 1863

• Bulah – b. 1864 – 1916 married Walter Manassus Griffith 1882

• Myssie – b. 1865

• Thacker Jr. – b. 1867

• Merritt – b. 1869

• Boling Virgil – b. 1874, d. 1959 – Boling is my great-grandfather, and he will be covered extensively in the next section.

• Leconte – b. ? -

Merriott Warren Walker (1834 - 1887) (links: Wikitree, Find-a-Grave) was born March 29, 1834 in Mulberry Grove, and died  July 18, 1887 in Union Springs, Bullock County, AL. He married twice; his first wife was Josephine Lancaster Thompson, born Feb. 16, 1841 in Frederick MD, and died 11/11870 in Union Springs, Alabama. She is buried in Linwood Cemetery in Columbus, GA (find-a-grave) with her parents. Josephine’s sister Mary Victoria Thompson married Merriott’s brother Luther.  

Merriott’s second wife was Roxie Eliza Godwin, born Oct. 6, 1845 in Montgomery, AL. They married on Dec. 05, 1870, one month after the death of Merriott’s first wife. Roxie died Sept. 29^th, 1922, and is buried alongside Merriott (find-a-grave).

According to the Barfield book, Merriott served the Confederacy from 1861-1865 (Ref. X, page 560). In the 1860 Census for Pike County, AL (just southwest of Union Springs), Merriott and Josephine appear as MW and JL Walker, and they have a real estate value of $15,600 ($415,000 in 2016), and a personal value of $57,177 ($1,522,000 in 2016). And Merriott was 26 years old at the time. He is listed as a “farmer”, but Merriott had attended Vanderbilt University and had a pharmacy degree (made sense since two of his brothers were doctors).

In the 1880 Census, Merriott’s sister Anne (Walker) Philips, aged 53, is living with the family, as well as a George Thompson, aged 20, possibly Merriott’s brother-in-law or nephew of his first wife.

 Merriott’s children with Josephine include:

o   Bartow Luther (b. ~1859)

o   Lucy Philips (b. ~ 1864) – married Mr. Parish.

o   Victoria (1866)

o   Vivian (b.~1868, male, possibly Thacker Vivion?)

o   Irene (b.~1869).

Merriott’s children with Roxie include:.

o   George Henry (10/01/1872 – 10/19/1929, find-a-grave)  – Interesting details on this son include:

•  Born in Union Springs AL, died in Mobile AL. He had a degree in business from a business college in Poughkeepsie, NY.

• He became Vice President and General Manager of Osage Cotton Oil company, based in Muskogee OK. Moved to Muskogee in September of 1910, and resided there for at least 11 years (Muskogee and Northeastern Oklahoma, Volume II, 1922, Clarke Publishing company, page 250-253, incl. photo)

• He became Mayor of Muskogee 1920-1924 (Democrat), and member of Masons, Elks, First Presbyterian Church

• Married Estelle McRae 05/24/1894.Children:

  • Warren Henry – trained as a pilot in San Diego in WWI, ended as First Lieutenant, married Beulah Thompson of Joplin Missouri, and became an automobile dealer. Died in Tulsa ~ 11/05/1946 (Muskogee Phoenix obit), perhaps car dealership was in Tulsa. Wife Beulah Walker

  • Charles Merriott Walker lived at 315 ½ North 16^th, with his mother, in 1946 (Warren’s obit). Died 12/19/1969

  • Mary Godwin Walker, married C.H. Schabacher (Ft. Monroe VA in Warren’s obit). In Frances’ obit Mary is listed as Mary Knight of De Land FL

  • Francis E. Walker b. 09/15/1910 in Montgomery AL, d. 9/24/1973 Ft. Gibson OK) Married Floyd Garrett) lived in Ft. Gibson OK in 1929-1973 Her obit: on Board of Directors of First National Bank, Muskogee, and was assistant cashier for 17 years. Member of First Presbyterian Church, Muskogee

  • George Henry Jr. -  d. 7/31/1969. Engineer in WWI (Pacific), following the war rose to General and commanded Ft. Riley Kansas. Died of brain cancer and is buried in Arlington cemetery. Lived in Alexandria VA in 1946 (Warren’s obit)

  • William (b. ~1877).

  • Addie Bell (1880-1913)

  • Annie B (1887-1988)

  • Merriott W. (1882 - ?).

            Chapter 5 – My Great-Grandfather Boling Virgil Walker’s Generation

            Chapter 6 – My Grandmother Linnie Leah (Walker) Stewart’s Generation

To be continued...