Joel Calvin Walker

As printed in 1914

JOEL CALVIN WALKER.

One of the distinguished citizens of Fort Madison and eminent politicians of Iowa at an early day was Dr. Joel Calvin Walker, who was born in Springfield, Ohio, February 7, 18 12, and came of an old and honored family, being a son of Joel and Margaret (Armstrong) Walker, both natives of Virginia. His father was born in Rockbridge county and his mother in Bath county. The former was a son of Samuel and Jane (Patterson) Walker, also natives of the Old Dominion. The parents of Samuel Walker were John and

Katharine (Rutherford) Walker, who were born in Wigtown, Scotland, where they were reared and where they were married January 7, 1702. They subsequently came to America, leaving the old country in May, 1726, stopping first in Pennsylvania and from there removing to Virginia. Elizabeth Graham Walker, the eldest child of Joel and Margaret Walker, was born near Natural Bridge, in Rockbridge county, Virginia, June 14, 1793, and at a very early day she and her sister Jane traveled on horseback three hundred miles when the family moved to Ohio. It was on account of slavery that John Walker left his native state and went to Ohio, which was a free state.

Dr. Walker was the eleventh child of a family of twelve children, ten of whom came to Fort Madison, but he was the first to arrive here, making the journey from Ohio on horseback in Januarv, 1836. He returned, however, to Ohio on a visit in 1841, traveling in the same manner. From 1836 until his death, which occurred on the 17th of October, 1888, he made his home in Fort Madison and was regarded as one of its most prominent citizens. After acquiring his literary education he took up the study of medicine in the office of Drs. Olds and Gibson at Circleville, Ohio, and attended lectures at the JefTerson Medical College of Philadelphia for some time. He was engaged in practice for only a short time in Fort Madison, however, as he early became prominently identified with public affairs, serving as clerk of Lee county and collector of internal revenue, being the first collector of the first district of this state, under appointment by President Lincoln. He became one of the organizers of the republican party in Iowa and was a delegate to the national convention at Chicago, where the martyred president was nominated. Previous to this time he had been an anti-slavery democrat and had visited the home of Andrew Jackson. He also attended the convention where James K. Polk was nominated for the presidency and was present when that executive was inaugurated. The greater part of his life was devoted to politics, and he was a recognized leader in public affairs. He was a man of wide intelligence, a constant reader of retentive memory and remained active throughout his entire life. He was reading a paper at the time of his death, just seven days after the fiftieth anniversary of his marriage. He and his wife were charter members of what is now the Union Presbvterian church of Fort Madison, which was organized in March, 1838, and of which he was an elder for many years, and he was a liberal contributor to its support as well as to other enterprises which he deemed would prove of public benefit. The bridging of the Mississippi river at this point was a project the consummation of which he much desired to see and he contributed seven hundred dollars to the fund given the Santa Fe Railroad as an inducement for it to construct its line through Fort Madison.

It was on the loth of October, 1838, in Fort Madison, Iowa, that Dr. Walker was united in marriage to Miss Martha Maria Stewart, who was born in Florisant, Missouri, January 20, 1820. Her grandfather, Abram Stewart, was born in Scotland in 1742. Her father, also Abram Stewart, was a native of Vermont and was assistant surgeon in the United States army at St. Louis. He died in Hannibal, Missouri, in October, 1834, and subsequently his widow, Mrs. Emily (Ayres) Stewart, born in Marietta, Ohio, January 22, 1795, came to Fort Madison with her children, Joseph Bufifon and Martha Maria, who subsequently became Mrs. Walker. Here Mrs. Stewart joined her father, Ebenezer Ayres, who had located here in May, 1834, and had taken up government land. His wife bore the maiden name of Deborah Davenport and was a representative of an old Connecticut family. They were members of the Connecticut colony who settled in Marietta, Ohio, in 1793. Mrs. Ayres died in St. Charles county, Missouri. Mrs. Stewart died in Fort Madison, July 18. 1879. She became a charter member of the Presbyterian church in March, 1838. She had come to this city in October, 1835, at which time there was only one frame house and three log houses in the place.

Six children were born to Dr. and Mrs. Walker. James Douglas was born January 3, 1841, and died in infancy. He was named for the Doctor's brother-in-law, who was the first postmaster of Fort Madison and who was killed on the boat Moselle at Cincinnati April 27, 1838, while on a business trip to secure his reappointment as postmaster of Fort Madison. He was the father of Mrs. John Van Valkenburg. Emily Stewart Walker, the next of the family, is now the widow of George D. Stewart, D. D., and resides in the old home, which has been the family residence since April, 1864. Miss Margaret Armstrong Walker is also a resident of Fort Madison. Chalmers and Helen both died in infancy. Bufifon Stewart Walker is a resident of Des Moines and is vice president of the Chamber of Commerce, of which he was president for two years, and is a man of great public spirit, interested in all philanthropic and civic matters. Mrs. Martha M. Walker, the widow of Dr. G. C. Walker, died May 14, 1905. "Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also and he praiseth her."

In Fort Madison, October 4, 1864, Miss Emily Stewart Walker was united in marriage to Rev. George D. Stewart, pastor of the

First Presbyterian church of Burlington, Iowa, and in the latter city they made their home for six and a half years. He then became pastor of the First Presbyterian church of Omaha, Nebraska, and on the ist of April, 1877, came to Fort Madison as pastor of the Union Presbyterian church here. He continued to fill that pulpit until entering his eightieth year, having for over a quarter of a century devoted his life to the moral development of this community. He passed away April i, 1910, and his death was widely and sincerely mourned. Mrs. Stewart was born in Fort Madison, Julv 8, 1843, and began her education in private schools here, but after the public schools were established attended them for a time. Subsequently she was a student at Denmark Academy and in 187 entered the female seminary at Steubenville, Ohio, established by Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Beatty and one of the oldest schools for girls west of the AUeghenies. She was graduated there in March, 1860. In 1901 she made a tour of Europe as a guest of one of Dr. Stewart's former parishioners in Omaha. Four years later she and her husband visited the Holy Land and Egypt, while she spent the winter of 1910-11 with her daughter Anna in Italv. She has also traveled extensively over the United States and has thus broadened her knowledge of places and events, as onlv travel can do. She has always taken an active interest in literary affairs and is one of the charter members of the Monday Afternoon Club as well as the Woman's Missionary Societv of the Presbyterian church. She still occupies the old family residence at No. 833 Third street, where she was married and which has been the family home for over fifty years. Here she is surrounded by a host of warm friends and is prominent in both social and literary circles.

Dr. and Mrs. Stewart became the parents of four children, George Bourdillion, Helen Walker, Anna and Miriam. Helen Walker died when five years of age, December 29, 1872, at Omaha, Nebraska. George B. Stewart received his general education at the Denmark Academy, Iowa, and Cheltenham Academy, near Philadelphia, and the University of Pennsylvania, and subsequently took a law course at the State University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, graduating in the class of 1888. He has since practiced his profession in this city. He married Miss Adele Kretsinger and they became the parents of two sons: Kretsinger, who died when four months old; and Alan, who is attending school at Lake Forest, Illinois. Miss Anna Stewart attended the high school of Fort Madison, was a student in the Berkley school at Cambridge, Massachusetts, and also at Rockford College in Illinois. She has made several trips to Europe. On October i,

1903, Miriam married Thomas P. Hollowell, who was for eight years postmaster of Fort Madison and is now the proprietor of the Fort Madison Gem City, an evening daily. They have two sons, Thomas Patrick Hollowell 3d and George Stewart Hollowell.

As printed in Story of Lee County, Iowa; (1914). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.