James Davis WALKER

• General Notes
  • middle initial D. may stand for DAVIS, mother Rebecca's maiden name
    
    b. Mays Lick, Mason Cty, KY 4 Aug 1815
    removed from (KY) to IN circa 1820
    m. Daviess Cty, IN 21 Jan 1837 to Belinda MATTINGLY
    d. (Daviess Cty,) IN
    buried St. Peter's Cemetery, Montgomery, IN
    
    James D. was born in Mays Lick, Mason County, Kentucky, where his family was sojourning for a few years en route from Maryland to Indiana.  According to James' brother Zachariah's political biography, the family removed to Indiana in 1820; at that time, the first stagecoach line down the Old Buffalo Trace had begun.  (At that time, a trip on horseback from Louisville, KY to Liverpool (Washington, IN) took at least four days.)  In 1829, James' brother Joseph Jr. married Nancy Norris in Daviess County.  By 1835, when James was 20 years old, the family had bought land there from the federal government office in Vincennes, located in neighboring Knox County.  James was named as a beneficiary in his father's will, which was executed in 1836.
    
    In 1837, James married Belinda Mattingly, whose family had also reached Indiana via Kentucky, probably as part of the wave of Catholic migration from Maryland that began in the late 18th century.  Together they had ten children.  Between 1850 and 1870, the value of James' accumulated property and holdings rose from $500 to 6,800, a comfortable sum; he appears to have been an astute businessman.
    
    During James D.'s lifetime, there was an Underground Railroad route through Daviess County (see below).
    
    grandson Louis Bernard WALKER in 1965:  "My great-great-grandfather Joseph Walker came from England either with or shortly after Lord Baltimore and lived for a time in St. Mary's County, Maryland and lived fora time in Virginia coming from there to Mason County, K[entuck]y near a little town Mays Lick where my grandfather James Daviess Walker was born Aug. 4, 1815.  His father Joseph Walker came to Daviess County April 1820 and settled just West of Mount Olive Church in Barr Tp."  (courtesy Fran Walker Lichtenberg)  (CMB note: As LBW's g-g-grandfather Joseph d. SMC, MD 1794, he is apparently speaking of his g-grandfather Joseph (1765-1836) who emigrated to KY > 1803.)
    
    g-grandson Jerome Walker in 1977:  "Our great-grandfather James Daviess Walker I hear was 6'4" and weighed around 210 lbs.  His wife was real short.  The old boy would hold his arm straight out and the top of his wife's bonnet would not touch his arm, but I remember our great-uncle Jim saying that momma was still the boss.  I don't guess women's lib has changed too many things over the years."  (courtesy Fran Walker Lichtenberg)
    
    1888 plat map for Daviess Cty shows large swath of S5 T2N R5W owned by heirs of James D.  (note by Fran Walker Lichtenberg)
    
    burial record:
    Walker, James D., Aug. 4, 1815 - July 25, 1885, [Section] C
    cf. ff.:  Walker, Belinda Mattingly, Apr. 2, 1817 - July 30, 1895, Wife of James D., [Section] C; tombstone inscription "James D. Walker / born Aug 4, 1815 / died July 25, 1885 / May his soul rest in peace Amen"; buried next to wife Belinda
    
    source:  Cemeteries of Daviess County, Indiana compiled 1988-1990, vol. III, pg. 169, accessed 7/06 at Carnegie Public Library, 300 W. Main St., Washington, IN; tombstone transcription by CMB 7/06
    
    1880 US Census (Jun 3 & 4), residing in Barr Twp, Daviess Cty, IN, head of h/hold is James D. WALKER, farmer, b. KY, f/m b. MD/MD, living with wife Malinda 68 (sic; should prob. be 63) KY, f/m b. MD/KY, and children Francis M. 34 IN "lives at home" schoolteacher, and William M. 29 IN works on farm, James H. 24 IN works on farm, Christopher 21 IN works on farm, Samuel 20 IN works on farm, plus "neice" Laura E. 25 IN f/m b. KY/KY.
    
    record citation:
    Year: 1880; Census Place: Barr, Daviess, Indiana; Roll: T9_271; Family History Film: 1254271; Page: 456C; Enumeration District: 137; Image: 0274.
    
    1870 US Census (Jun 21), post office Washington, residing in Barr Twp, Daviess Cty, IN, dwelling 360, family 353, head of h/hold is James D. WALKER, farmer, val of real/pers estate 4800/2000, age 54, b. KY, living with Belinda 53 KY, Francis M. 24 IN farm laborer, John M. 22 IN laborer, William M. (16) IN, Margaret A. 16 IN, James H. 14 IN, Christopher 11 IN, Samuel 9 IN, and also Elisabeth MATTINGLY 45 IN  (possible sister-in-law through spouse Belinda?) and Malissa KELTY 24 IN (est b yr 1846).  (Note, In 1910, there is a Maliza KELTY 1842 IN f/m KY/KY in h/hold of James' son George W.)   Near neighbors include (bro-in-law/sister) James F./Jane E. BREWER 42/32 KY/IN, and William/Susan WALKER 77/(46) KY/KY plus Mary A. 29 and John 23.
    
    record citation:
    Roll:    M593_306 
    Page:    163 
    Image:    328
    
    1860 US Census (Jun 11), post office Black Oak Ridge, residing in Barr Twp, Daviess Cty, IN, head of h/hold is James D. WALKER, val of real est 2000/600, farmer, age 45, b. KY, living with Balinda 43 KY, and 8 children, at b. IN:  Jane 22, George W. 18, Francis M. 14 male, John M. 12, William M. 9, Marget ann 6, James Hart 4, Christopher 1.
    
    record citation:
    Roll:    M653_251
    Page:    743
    
    /The Daviess County Democrat/
    Vol. 17, No. 8.
    Saturday, January 12, 1884
    "Auto-Biographical Reminiscences. Review of a Quarter of a Century of Journalistic Life. -- Field of
    Labor: Washington, Evansville, Terre Haute, and Vincennes, Ind. -- Recollections of a Veteran
    Newspaper Editor and Correspondent, Prepared Expressly for the Daviess County Democrat."
    *******************
    "NOT ON A BED OF ROSES"
    ...
    During the year 1859 there was a gerat outcry in many parts of this county, relative to the escape of
    negro slaves from Kentucky and other states, in violation of the fugitive slave law, by means of what was then termed the "underground railroad" and professed hunters of these escaped slaves were often seen in Washington, but were not molested; however, much, if to any great extent all, there was sympathy for the "underground movement;" or, beyond a few persons on the line. It was said that Mr. Peter Stephenson, of Veale township, was an agent, and that he had assisted many a colored man on his road to Canada. Whether this was true or not, he was much annoyed by the nightly surveilance of men who watched about his premises, as if he were a suspected felon, good citizen as he was.
    
    "A BRAVADO"
    There came to Washington, in the month of September, '59, one of these professed negro hunters, giving his name as Phillips. His conduct became so obnoxious that many people, of each political party, appealed to the writer of this to expose him to the public through the columns of the Telegraph, for Democrats and all felt outraged at his insolent conduct. The request of citizens was complied with,
    and the self-styled negro hunter was handled without gloves. Of course he was wroth. The Telegraph office was then in a small frame back of Van Trees' corner, on 4th, between Main and Van Trees streets, and immediately north, Mr. Henry Wise had a livery stable. Sheriff Benj. Goodwin was in the editorial room settling for some sheriff's advertisements, and ordering more, when in rushed Phillips, the negro hunter, with a great burly companion, both frenzied with wrath, one holding a revolver and the other a
    raw-hide in hand, but concealed beneath their clothing, and each demanding a retraction of what the
    paper had said concerning Phillips.
    The Sheriff, taking in the situation, and divining their purpose, took from his saddle-bags, and cocking it, placed a revolver in the editor's hand, who at once arose and firmly refused any retraction whatever. At this juncture Mr. Henry Wise entered the room, in a correspondingly towering passion, saying: "That rascal has come to cow-hide you. I'll put this one out; you kick that dog out," pointing to Phillips.
    Suiting action to the words, Mr. Wise grabbed the big fellow and "ye editor" followed suit, "possessing" the negro hunter by the nape of the neck, and at the mouth of Sheriff Goodwin's revolver, marched him out into fresh air, and without the use of a single "cuss word," either. It is trying on an editor's patience to be thus annoyed during business hours, but all positive men who are fearless "to tell the truth and shame the devil," will find the road anything but a bed of roses. The Sheriff, Mr. Goodwin, using the only approximate "cuss word" he was ever known to employ, remarked, "By Jorum! that was neatly done. See, I had another shooting iron in reserve."
    Mr. G. and the editor shook hands, buried the political hatchet there, and the Telegraph became a "Goodwin
    man" as long as he had Sheriff's advertisements to give, and revolvers to lend in time of need. How natural; nothing small about that.
    
    source:
    http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~koliver/DaviessCountyDemocrat_01121884.txt
    
    1850 US Census (Oct 22), living in Barr Twp, Daviess Cty, IN, head of h/hold is James WALKER, farmer, age 34 KY, val of real est 500, living with (wife) Belinda, age 33 KY, literacy not indicated, and 5 (children)" James E. 12, George W. 8, Mary Anne 6, Francis 4 male, John 2, all children b. in IN, none indicated as having been to school in last year
    
    record citation:
    Page:    164  Roll:    M432_140
    
    1840 US Census, residing in Daviess Cty, IN, head of h/hold is J. D. WALKER, male-female 10001-10001 (0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-30, etc.), thus 1 male age 0-5 (James E.), 1 male age 20-30 (James D.), 1 female age 0-5 (Jane Elizabeth), 1 female age 20-30 (Belinda).
    
    record citation:
    Roll:    77  Page:    22
    
    match?
    19 Jan 1840:  James WALKER (no middle initial indicated) sells to John WALKER for $31.43 and 3/4 cents "one horse, two milch cows, one a brindle[?] with a white back and face, the other a red wi[th] some white on her back and three yearlings calves one white with black Ears one red l[?] with white back and the other a red with some white on her back"  [Neither party is identified as married, no spouse's names indicated.]
    
    source Daviess County Deed Book D, pg. 433, CMB 7/06

Click here for details of James Davis' family with Belinda MATTINGLY

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