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Source:
History
of
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
including Its Early Settlement and Progress to the
Present Time;
A Description of its Historic and Interesting
Localities; Its Cities, Towns and Villages;
Religious, Educational, Social and Military History;
Mining, Manufacturing and
Commercial Interests; Improvements, Resources,
Statistics, etc.
Also:
Portraits of Some of its Prominent Men, and Biographies
of
Many of Its Representative Citizens.
Vol. II
Chicago, Ill:
A Warner & Co., Publishers
1889
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ANDREW WALKER,
gardener, postoffice Mansfield Valley, a son
of John and Jane Walker, was born in
County Down, Ireland, in 1834, and came to
this country in 1855. His occupation
has been that of gardener and florist, and
he had charge of Chartiers cemetery for
twelve years. His parents came to this
country in 1870, his father dying a few
months after his arrival, at the age of
sixty-six years. His mother is still
living, hale and hearty, at the age of
eighty-three years. They were parents
of seven children: Sarah (widow
of Alexander Lanaghan), Andrew,
Mary Jane (wife of Samuel Calvin),
Alexander, David, Annie (wife of
William Moore) and Robert, all
living in this county. Andrew
Walker was married in 1857, in
Steubenville, Ohio, to Margaret,
daughter of James and Easter McAteer,
of County Antrim, Ireland. Mr.
Walker has been in Chartiers township
since 1862. He is a member of the
Presbyterian Church, and the L. O. A.
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 614 |
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DAVID H. WALKER.
Option, the son of Jonathan adn
Jane (Payne) Walker, was born in his
present home, Pleasant Hill, Jefferson
township, Jan. 23, 1835. His
great-great-grandfather, William Walker,
was a native of England. He served as
lieutenant in Queen Anne's army during her
war with Germany, and came to this country
in 1710. He was married to
Elizabeth Curry, who was of English
parentage. His great-grandfather,
William Walker, was born in Lancaster
county, Pa., in 1721. He married
Elizabeth Hoge, who was born in Chester
county, Pa., in1720; she was of Scottish
parentage. His grandfather, William
Walker, was born in Cumberland county,
Pa., in 1742, and came to Western
Pennsylvania in 1795. His
brother-in-law, John Reed, took out a
patent called Reedsburg, in 1778, which
William Walker bought in 1796 for
£1,039
10s. The farm is still in the
possession of the family, being occupied by
the fourth generation. He married
Mary Reed June 9, 1777. "In the
revolutionary struggle he voluntarily
stepped forward as one of the defenders of
this country, and was in battles of the
Brandywine and Gulf Mills. On the
retreat of the Americans from Philadelphia
he had his sword-scabbard shot from his
side." He died in the eightieth year
of his age. His family were
William, David John, Jonathan, Hannah, Mary
and Eliza. William removed
to Cincinnati, where he died. David
married and had his home in Washington
county, Pa., where he died. John
died at home. Hannah
married William McDowall, and died in
Braddock, Pa. Mary married
Charles McCreery, of Fairfield,
Westmoreland county, Pa., where she died.
Eliza married John Morton, of
Mingo, Washington county, Pa., where she
died.
Jonathan,
father of D. H., was born in 1797; he
married, May 29, 1821, Jane Payne.
She was born in York county, Pa., in 1794,
of English parentage. Their children
were William (whose home is still
with D. H.), Joseph P.
(deceased), Mary R. (now Mrs. D.
C. Hultz, of Allegheny City), Susan
B. (wife of W. N. Miller, M. D.,
South Pittsburgh, died 1870), Eliza J.
(married to F. G. Shiebler, of
Pittsburgh, died in 1873). The father
died June 22, 1849, the mother June 27,
1851.
In 1865 D. H. married Anna, daughter of
James Blair, of Ravensvale, Jefferson
township. Mr. Blair was born on
the island of Jamaica in 1799. He and
Mrs. Blair were of Scotch-Irish
descent. William, D. H. and
wife still reside in the old home with their
four sons: James, Blair, William Hultz,
Thomas Holmes and David Harold.
The connection mentioned were all
Presbyterians. D. H. and family
are members of Lebanon Presbyterian Church.
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 502 |
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GABRIEL WALKER,
farmer, postoffice Noblestown, was born in
Allegheny county, Pa., in 1823. at an
early date four brothers named Walker
came to Allegheny county from Lancaster
county, Joseph and Gabriel
being the names of two of them.
Gabriel purchased a large tract of land
on Robinson's Creek. His
son, Gabriel, born in 1783, was
reared on this tract, became a farmer, and
married Elizabeth, daughter of
Joseph Walker. Of their children,
Gabriel, whose name heads this
sketch, is now the only surviving member of
the family. For a number of years he
has followed sheep raising and dairy
business, and has been very successful.
He married Levina Hastings, daughter
of John Hastings, of Washington
county, and seven children have been born to
them, six of whom are living, viz.:
Ida J., Clara, H. P., Newton, Lawrence S.
and Wilder J. Mr. Walker has
served as school director. He is a
member of the Presbyterian Church;
politically a republican."
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 500 |
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GEORGE WALKER,
farmer, postoffice Walker's Mills, was born
in Franklin county, Pa., in 1819. This
family has been connected with Allegheny
county since 1836. James Walker
came to Collier township in 1838 and settled
on his wife's property, now owned by the
subject of this sketch. He married
Mary, daughter of James and Mary
(Walker) Stewart. Robert Walker,
grandfather of our subject, by occupation a
farmer and fuller, came from Ireland about
1788, and settled in Franklin county, where
he died. He married Jane Miller,
also of Ireland, by whom he had three sons
and five daughters. James, the
oldest son, was eight years of age when his
parents came to America, and died in 1850,
aged seventy years; his wife died in 1845,
aged sixty-five years. James
was a farmer, mechanic and fuller.
George Walker whose name heads this
memoir, came to Pittsburgh in 1836, and
served an apprenticeship of four years at
the hatter's trade, which he never followed,
however. He came to his present farm
in 1842, and has since resided there.
Dec. 15, 1852, he married Margaret
Stephenson, daughter of Johnston and
Catherine Stephenson, and six children
were born to them, two of whom are now
living: William S. and
Margaret Jane. Mr. Walker is
assisted in his work on the farm by his son.
He has been school director eight years, and
is now auditor of the township. He is
a member of the Presbyterian Church;
politically a republican.
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 482 |
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JAMES T. WALKER
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 567 |
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J. J. WALKER,
thoroughbred-stock breeder, P. O. Walker's
Mills, is a great-grandson of Gabriel
Walker, one of four brothers who
emigrated from Scotland to Allegheny county
at an early date. He is a son of
James Walker, born in 1825, who married,
June 24, 1858, Minnie Flinner, of
Germany. Two children were born to
them, of whom J. J. is the only
survivor. He was born and reared on
his present farm, which he owns. He
has been successful in the dairy business,
and keeps only the finest stock. His
cows are partly imported, and are of the
Holstein-Freisian breed; he also was the
first breeder to introduce this famous breed
of cattle in this country. He resides
on the farm with his mother. He is a
member of the U. P. Church of Noblestown,
Pa., and is a democrat.
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 483 |
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MAJ. JOHN
WALKER Source: History of
Allegheny County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ.
Chicago, Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers -
1889 - Page 103 |
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MAJ. JOHN
WALKER Source: History of
Allegheny County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ.
Chicago, Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers -
1889 - Page 104 |
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MAJ. JOHN
WALKER Source: History of
Allegheny County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ.
Chicago, Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers -
1889 - Page 122 |
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MAJ. JOHN
WALKER,
Source: History of
Allegheny County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ.
Chicago, Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers -
1889 - Page 125 |
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JOHN JOSIAH WALKER,
justice of the peace, Wilkinsburg, was born
in Allegheny City, Feb. 1, 1841. His
grandfather, Joseph Walker, was many
years keeper of the prison in Londonderry,
Ireland, and was twice married.
James, a son of the first wife, was
brought to America by an elder sister when
nine years old. When sixteen he paid a
visit to his native land, and his visit
there occupied nine months. His father
came to this country in 1850, and passed his
remaining days here. James Walker
was forty years keeper of the Western
penitentiary, and three years steward of the
Allegheny County Home. He died in
1875, aged seventy-three; his widow is now
living at Mercer, Pa., in her eightieth
year. He helped to organize the First
U. P. Church in Allegheny, and was an elder
for fifty years. He was originally a
whig, afterward a democrat, but became a
republican after the administration of
James Buchanan. John J.,
who is the eighth of twelve children,
attended the public school till fourteen
yeas of age; then commenced the trade of
painter, and was a partner in a firm of
painters at the outbreak of the civil war.
He was one of the first thirty men who left
Allegheny to enter the Union army.
After three months' service in the 7th
P. V. I. he helped organize Bat. I, 112th,
taking the rank of second lieutenant.
In August, 1862, he enlisted in Co. G, 139th
Regt. In 1864 he was made hospital
steward in the regular army, and has such
served till Dec. 10, 1865. He took
part in twenty-three regular engagements,
and at the battle of the Wilderness he
received a scalp-wound, was shot through the
finger and had three ribs broken by the
recoil of his gun. In the spring of
1867 he came to Wilkinsburg, and
carried on a successful painting business
till compelled by ill health to abandon it.
While Wilkinsburg was part of Pittsburgh he
was the alderman; has been three times
elected justice of the peace, and was
appointed to fill vacancy for two years; was
six years deputy clerk of courts, and isnow
the republican nominee for jury
commissioner; is a member of the M. E.
Church; Past d. D. G. M. of the I. O. O. F.,
Past Representative K. of P., member of the
G. A. R., Veteran Legion, Jr. O. U. A. M.
and Heptasophs. In 1861 Mr. Walker
was married to Sarah Ann, daughter of
Jacob and Ann Gould, of same German
extraction as Jay Gould. One
son and one daughter have been born to
Mr. and Mrs. Walker: Sarah A. M.,
a teacher in the Wilkinsburg public school;
Loyal John, a bookkeeper for
the Singer Manufacturing company,
Pittsburgh.
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 718 |
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JOHN P. WALKER,
grocer, Pittsburgh, is a native of Alsace,
Germany, born at Three Fountains, Sept. 28,
1837. His father, Francis Walker,
a son of Matthias Walker, a farmer,
and for several years mayor of his native
town, married Mary R., a daughter of
Anthony Girard, a farmer. In
1842 Francis Walker immigrated with
his family to America. For sixteen
years he followed agricultural pursuits in
Erie county, N. Y., and in 1860 came to
Pittsburgh, where he died in 1872, at the
age of seventy-seven; his widow died in
1886, at the age of eighty-three. Of
their eight children all are living except
the eldest son, John P. being the
fifth. In 1854 he went to learn the
being the fifth. In 1854 he went to
learn the art of glass-blowing, and finished
his apprenticeship at Pittsburgh, where he
arrived in 1859, after spending two years at
Wheeling, W. Va. In 1866 he became a
member of the glassmaking firm of Stewart,
Estep & Co., selling out seven years
later. In 1874 he established a
grocery business on the site he now
occupies, where he built a fine brick
building in 1885. He was one of the
incorporators of the German Savings and
Deposit Bank, and has been two yeas a
director. He was one of the founders
of St. Peter's R. C. Church, in which he was
eight years a trustee; he has always been a
democrat. Mr. Walker married,
Nov. 11, 1862, Pauline, daughter of
Peter and Mary R. (Bellotte)
Schlernitzauer, all natives of Three
Fountains, Alsace, and following are the
names of their children: Frank,
Victoria, John, Mary, Albert, Theodore
and Leo.
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 543 |
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JOHN S. WALKER.
The first of the Walker family
to settle in this county was Samuel, with
his wife, Elizabeth (Springer) Walker.
They were natives of Wilmington, Del., and
assisted in bringing the first
printing-press west of the Alleghenies,
which was used in the office of the
Pittsburgh Gazette. Their
eldest son was Maj. John, who
was a youth of seventeen years when he came
with them to this borough, where he spent
the remainder of his life, and died at the
age of eighty-six years. He was a
boat-builder, and constructed many of the
first boats used on the river. He
built the pirogues used in the Lewis
and Clark expedition to the
northwest, and also the first steamboat
built west of the Allegheny mountains.
He also was engaged in hotel-keeping for
many years. His wife was Diana,
daughter of Robert and Mary
(Davidson) Craighead; the
former was born in Virginia, the latter in
this borough. John Walker participated
in the war of 1812, and gained the rank of
major. His family consisted of three
sons and five daughters, only two of whom
are living: John, of
Denver, Col., and Maj. Robert C.
Walker, of Helena, Montana, who married
a sister of Hon. James G. Blaine.
The deceased are Samuel, Mary
(Mrs. Solomon Speers),
of Belle Vernon; Matilda (Mrs.
William K. Van Kirk) of this borough;
Diana (Mrs. Samuel Frew), Sarah (Mrs.
William Penniman) and Julia B. (Mrs.
John McDonough). Samuel, the
eldest son of Maj. John Walker, was
born in 1798, in this town, and engaged in
mercantile business, and also built many
boats (over three hundred), among the number
being the celebrated J. M. White. He
was also the first postmaster in Elizabeth.
In 1819 he was married to Nancy
daughter of Noah and Nancy (Frey) Speer,
of Belle Vernon, and in 1869 they celebrated
their golden wedding. They reared ten
children, seven of whom are living:
Lucinda (Mrs. R. P. Voorhees),of
California; William B. of Missouri;
Diana (Mrs. Gen. Ekin) of Louisville,
Ky.; Noah, of Colorado, Tex.;
Samuel, Jr., a merchant of this borough;
Nancy L. (Mrs. Pope), of Macon City,
Mo.; Mary (Mrs. Barnes), of East End.
The deceased are Thomas P., James S.
and John S., all of whom were natives
of this borough. Mr. Walker
died in 1876.
John S. Walker, a son of Samuel, Sr., was
born in the Mansion House, of Elizabeth,
Sept. 30, 1829. He was reared here,
and educated at the public schools. He
was a merchant here until 1857, when he
removed to Minneapolis, Minn., engaged in
the boot and shoe business, and there
remained until his death, in 1874. He
was treasurer of Hennepin county, Minn., two
terms. He was married, in 1850, to
Angeline G., daughter of William K.
and Matilda (Walker) Van Kirk.
They have one son, by adoption - Albert
J., an attorney at law in the law-office
of Miller & McBride, of Pittsburgh.
John S. was a member of the Masonic
fraternity, I. O. O. F. and K. of P., and
his funeral was conducted by these
societies. After his death his widow
and son returned here, where they have since
resided.
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 403 |
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JOHN T. WALKER,
marble dealer, Allegheny, was born in
England in 1831, a son of William and
Harriet Walker, and came with his
parents to America same year, settling in
Pittsburgh. Of six children born to
the parents only two are living: James T.
and George J., latter of whom was in
the United States army during the entire
period of the civil war. William
Walker was a contractor and builder; he
died in 1841 at the age of thirty-one years.
James T. was married Nov. 5, 1856, to
Mary, daughter of Samuel and Jane
Lewis, and to them were born two
children: Thomas M. and Edith M.
Mr. Walker learned the marble trade,
which he has always followed. In 1880
he and his son Thomas M. formed a
partnership, and started the marble business
under the firm name of Walker Marble
company, which they still continue in the
city of Allegheny.
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 567 |
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JOSIAH WALKER,
is a direct descendant of Joseph Walker,
one of our four pioneer brothers who took up
large tracts of land on Robinson's creek.
The pioneer, Joseph, had a family of
seven children, of whom the eldest,
Joseph, born in 1777, died in 1860.
He married Mary Glenn, to whom were
born eleven children, of whom seven are yet
living: Joseph, John, James,
Josiah, Mary (Mrs. Elliott), Rebecca and
Letitia J. Of these, Josiah
and two sisters live on the old
homestead, which contains two hundred acres,
and is part of the tract purchased by his
grandfather. Ezekiel, a
brother, died in March, 1888.
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 500 |
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SAMUEL WALKER
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 82 |
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SAMUEL WALKER
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 104 |
| |
SAMUEL WALKER
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 106 |
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WESLEY J. WALKER,
wholesale grocer, McKeesport, was born in
that city, Oct. 24, 1850, a son of A. E.
and Jane (Phillips) Walker. His
father, a native of Carlisle, Pa., settled
in McKeesport in 1848, where he has settled
in McKeesport in 1848, where he has since
resided. He is a carpenter by trade,
but kept a grocery for a time in that city.
The maternal grandfather of subject was
John Phillips, a pioneer of what
is now Lincoln township. Wesley J.
was reared and educated in McKeesport,
and during the last twenty years has most of
the time been engaged in the grocery line.
In 1885, he embarked in the wholesale
grocery business in that city, and has built
up a successful trade. In 1875 he
married Ellen A., daughter of Rev.
P. H. Thomas, of Frederick county, Md.,
and has two children living: Jesse
A. and Daisy H. Mr. Walker
is a prominent business man, is a member of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in
politics is an advocate of prohibition.
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 359 |
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J. G. WERTZ,
butcher, postoffice Sharpsburg, was born in
that town in 1855, a son of Gottlieb
Wertz, who came to Allegheny county from
New Orleans, and from 1850 to 1874 was
engaged in the general meat business.
He married a Mrs. Proyer, who bore
him four children, J. G. being among
the oldest. The latter was educated at
the public schools of Sharpsburg, and early
in life assisted his father in the meatshop,
and assumed full control of the business in
1874, the date of his father's retirement.
Our subject's market is at 816 Main street,
where he has a successful business. He
is a member of the Masonic fraternity and A.
O. U. W. Politically he is a
strong republican.
Source: History of Allegheny
County, Penn. - Vol. II - Publ. Chicago,
Ill., A Warner & Co. Publishers - 1889 -
Page 745 |
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