Ralph Walker

As printed in 1883

JUDGE RALPH WALKER.

Judge Walker is the son of Ralph and Ann (Bigley) Walker, and was born in Cloncanon House, county of Galway, Ireland, November 27th, 1831. He was educated at Ranell a College Athlone, in the central portion of Ireland, and subsequently in that historic city Londonderry, where his family name became associated with the memorable defence of that place under the leadership of Governor George Walker in repelling the attacks of the forces by King James. At the age of eighteen he came to America, landing at Philadelphia in 1851, and in that year he went to St. Louis and accepted a position under his brother John, who was the agent of the Adams Express Company at that city. He continued in that position until 1854, when he accepted the first clerkship on the steamer Badger State, plying between St. Louis and St. Paul; then on the steamer Thomas Swann, from Louisville to New Orleans, and afterwards on the Edward Walsh and Michigan, between St, Louis and New Orleans.

From 1858 to 1862 he was general freight and passenger agent of the Wabash railroad in St. Louis. In the latter year he made a trip to Liverpool, England, taking over the first cargo of petroleum oil that ever crossed the Atlantic ocean. In 1865 he returned to St. Louis, and in 1866 he came to Greene county and engaged in the mercantile business at Ash Grove; organized and laid out that town. In 1870 he was elected county judge by those who favored internal improvements regardless of party fealty. He served six years. In 1876 he assisted in the reorganization of the Kansas City and Memphis railroad, in which ho became a director, and since the sale of that road to the Fort Scott and Gulf company he has laid out and organized the towns of Everton, Seymour, Cabool and West Memphis. He is also proprietor of the Ash Grove mines.

In 1857 he was married in the city of Dublin, by the Bishop of Cork, to Frances J., daughter of Major Henry Wilson, ef Her Majesty's 32d regiment of foot. They have had eight children, seven boys and one girl, two of whom died in infancy. His eldest son, Harry W., is at present connected with the Globe-Democrat of St. Louis. Judge Walker is a Mason and Senior Warden of Christ's Episcopal Church, Springfield.

As printed in History of Greene County, Missouri .. (1883). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.