History
of
Hamilton County Ohio
Biography and Portrait of
Captain George W. Walker
pages 384-385,
portraits
facing page 377
transcribed by Linda
Boorom
George W. Walker
CAPTAIN GEORGE W. WALKER.
Joseph WALKER was a native of the isle of Guernsey, born in 1774 of
an English-French family. Hettie STIBBS was born in New Jersey, United
States, 1780, of Holland stock. She became Mrs. WALKER after the
immigration
of her husband to New York city in 1806 - probably about 1807 or 1808.
He labored as a house carpenter, and also, under the direction of his
friend
the renowned Robert FULTON, he shaped at his shop by night, after the
labors
of the day were over, the model for the Clermont, the first steamer to
navigate the Hudson river The family, comprising then but two children,
with the parents left the Atlantic coast in 1811, prompted thereto by
the
prospect of war with Great Britain and the consequent danger to him as
still a British subject, and started for Cincinnati. From New York to
Philadelphia
they journeyed by ocean vessel, thence three weeks' travel took them
by.
wagon across the mountains to Pittsburgh, where they embarked upon a
flatboat
for the river trip. Arriving at the young Queen City he reentered upon
the pursuits of his trade, and in a short time became a prominent
builder,
being much in the employ of John H. PIATT, the enterprising speculator
of that day. After a useful and honorable career Mr. WALKER died in
Cincinnati
in June, 1838, and his wife in December, 1859, at the age of
seventy-nine.
Five children were born to them in the city, among them the subject of
this sketch. George W. WALKER was the fifth child and fourth son, born
January 28, 1817, near the corner of Third and Sycamore streets, which
neighborhood was then mainly devoted to dwellings. His father's house
was
just at the brow of the "Hill," which had not then been graded down.
George
was educated in the city schools, which were then almost exclusively
private,
and somewhat costly. Among his early teachers were Caleb KEMPER, Mrs.
WILLIAMSON,
Mr. WRINGLET, and other well-known early pedagogues. Following the
example
of his father and an elder brother, he learned the business of
house-carpentering,
to which he afterwards added the trades of ship-carpenter and
steamboat-joiner,
and practiced them all for some years. When about twenty-three years
old
his savings enabled him to invest in a steamer, the Mail, jointly with
Captain Thomas J. HALDEMAN. - Thus early, in 1840, did the business
association
of these two gentlemen begin, which continued almost unbroken in
steamboating
and paper manufacturing until the death of Captain HALDEMAN in October,
1874. The company with which Captain WALKER is now connected, still
bears
from him the name of the HALDEMAN Paper company. On their first venture
with the Mail, Mr. HALDEMAN went out as captain and Mr. WALKER as
carpenter.
Selling this vessel at the end of a year, they, with others, built a
fine
new steamer called the Express Mail, for the New Orleans trade. It
proved
a profitable investment, and was run by its owners four years, when
they
sold it to build the more costly steamer Yorktown - a powerful vessel
built
for the rapid transit of passengers rather than for freight, and
bearing
also on the wheel-house the designation of "Fast Mail." Captain WALKER
continued to serve as carpenter of the steamers; but when Captain
HALDEMAN
retired to take the post of inspector of steamboats at Cincinnati - the
first appointment there under a law of Congress which he had been
largely
instrumental in securing - Mr. WALKER assumed the captaincy of another
vessel purchased by them - the Norma. In a short time this became a
total
wreck by snagging at Choctaw Bend, on the Mississippi, the cargo, worth
about three hundred thousand dollars, being mostly saved. For a year he
was then engaged at Cincinnati and Madison in superintending the
lengthening
of steamers for the People's Line to Louisville, of which Captain
HALDEMAN
was president. He then engaged in real estate operations and
house-building
in the city, also making purchase of a farm in Clermont county and
taking
stock in a National bank in New Richmond. In 1866 he removed to his
farm,
nine miles from that place, but was called away from it in three years
to accept a superior opportunity for investment in the paper-making
business
at Lockland. A reconstruction of the company of Decamp, HALDEMAN &
Parker had become necessary by the death of Mr. PARKER, who was killed
in one of the mills January 31, 1867. It became the HALDEMAN Paper
company,
with Captain HALDEMAN as president, who invited his old friend and
associate
to an interest in the new company. For a time Captain WALKER employed
his
mechanical talent in the improvement and repair of the mills, and
superintended
the construction of the new mill in the summer of 1877, upon the site
of
the old mill where Mr. PARKER was killed. Upon the death of Captain
HALDEMAN,
Mr. J. C. RICHARDSON was promoted from the vice-presidency to the
vacant
place, and Captain WALKER became vice president, in which capacity he
has
since served the company He has made his home in Lockland ever since
his
connection with the mills; is a member and trustee of the Presbyterian
church at that place, which holds the faith of his fathers; and an
uncompromising
Republican since the outbreak of the late war.
In 1858, February 28th, Captain WALKER was married to Margaret,
daughter
of Judge Robert HAINES, of New Richmond, Clermont county. She is still
living. They have two children, daughters - Hettie May, born May 10,
1859,
in Cincinnati, now at home with her parents; and Alice Quinlin, born in
Newport, Kentucky, December 28, 1863, and residing at home.
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©2003 by Linda Boorom