John Walker

 

A native of Missouri, John Walker was born in Jackson county, February 5, 1826, the son of Joel P. Walker. A brother of the latter, Joseph R. Walker, displayed an intrepid spirit, when, in 1840, he launched forth from the family moorings, bound for the far-off Pacific coast. He joined a party who were making the trip in the interests of the American Fur Company, under the leadership of Captain Dripps, who made the trip annually with forty carts drawn by mules to the Rocky Mountains to buy furs of the mountaineers, they meeting him at Green River for this purpose. The Walker family, with Father Desmith and three missionaries and their wives, finally left Captain Dripps’ party and under the leadership of two old mountaineers, traveled westward until they reached Fort Hall. After resting there one day they again took up the march their next stop being at Fort Boise, this being, as was Fort Hall, a Hudson Bay trading post. The missionaries decided to pass the winter at Fort Boise, but the Walker family continued on their way and arrived in the Willamette valley September 11, 1840, stopping at a little Methodist mission in charge of Rev. Jason Lee. The Walker family were not pleased with the outlook there, and as about this time there was an opportunity afforded to make the journey to California under the protection of a large party, they took advantage of it. This party was made up of a portion of Commodore Wilkes’ crew, who had been engaged in exploring the Pacific coast. A short time had been passed in the Willamette valley, and the commodore passed one night in the Walker household. On leaving Oregon in 1841 one of his ships was lost, the Peacock, having been wrecked on the bar at the mouth of the Columbia river. A part of the crew was compelled to make the journey to California by land, under the guidance of Lieutenant Emmons, and it was with this party that the Walkers first came to the state. October 19, 1841, they arrived at Captain Sutter’s camp, made famous in history a few years later as the place where gold was first discovered on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Captain Sutter had been at the camp only about a year, and as no crops had been raised, food was scarce and very poor, poor beef and such small wild game as they could shoot, forming their chief diet. Early in the spring of 1842 the Walkers removed to Yount’s ranch, now in Napa county, but then a part of Sonoma county, and here, as in the entire state of California, Mr. Walker’s mother, Mrs. Mary Walker, and a sister, Martha Young, were the only white women.

 

The family remained in Napa valley until the spring of 1843, when Joel P. Walker returned to Oregon, as advantages were better there for the education of his children. He went in May of that year, with a party of forty men, driving three thousand head of cattle which took north for Gen. M. G. Vallejo. They were continually molested by bands of Indians, who succeeded in stealing and killing some of their stock, but they counted themselves fortunate to escape with their lives. When they had accomplished about half of the journey they met a company on their way to California, among the number being Captain Hastings, J. M. Hudspeth and others. July 15, 1843, Mr. Walker reached the Willamette valley, locating near Salem, where he followed farming until 1848. It was on account of the report concerning the discovery of gold in California that he returned to this state, coming by the water route to San Francisco, and settling at Napa City. With him Mr. Walker brought his wife and a number of their children, John Walker, when twenty-two years old, coming overland and reaching the state in September, 1848. Going at once to the mines on the American river, he remained there until June, 1849, when he came to where Sacramento city now stands and opened a hotel, known as the Missouri house, which he kept for about four months. He gave it up at the end of this brief time to join the fortunes of his uncle, Capt. Joseph R. Walker, in a gold-prospecting trip to the southern part of the state, through the country which his uncle had traversed in 1843, a portion of which still bears the name of “Walker’s Pass.”

 

After about three months spent in prospecting with varying degrees of success, John Walker returned north to his father’s ranch in Napa valley, remaining there until 1850, when he came to Sonoma county, settling in Santa Rosa valley. That same year he built the first redwood house in the valley, near where Sebastopol is now located. In 1851, in partnership with Joseph Morgan Miller, he established the first merchandise store in the county outside the town of Sonoma, and the first postoffice of the country roundabout was kept in the old house now standing at the rear of the old Walker homestead in Analy township[, Mr. Miller being appointed postmaster. Subsequently Mr. Walker became interested in general farming and stock-raising, on a four thousand acre tract, from which he derived a handsome yearly income. Here his death occurred February 16, 1895. The wife who had shared his joys and sorrows for forty-four years passed away a few months after his demise, her death occurring July 11 of the same year, when she was sixty-three years of age. In maidenhood she was Miss Eleanor Morin, and her marriage to John Walker was celebrated November 6, 1851. Seven children, four sons and three daughters were born to them, as follows: Harriet Jane, Mary J., Joel M., John L., Ella D., Edward L. and Willis Y.

 

As the first pioneer in what is now the thriving town of Sebastopol, John Walker took a leading part in the building up of his community as well as the entire county. When Sebastopol was struggling to progress from the stage station period of her early history and have a branch railroad pass through the town, John Walker was a leading spirit in the contention which resulted before this object was gained. When the last spike was driven and the day for jubilation set apart, at the unanimous desire of the entire community Mr. Walker accepted the presidency of the day, an honor which he placed above any other that his fellow-citizens might have bestowed upon him. Probably no better idea of the repute in which Mr. Walker was held by his fellow-associates count be given than to quote from ‘The Times of April 30, 1890: “In connection with the celebration of the completion of the Sebastopol branch of the San Francisco and Northern Pacific Railroad, Mr. Walker, as president of the day, appears before us as one who has seen the desire of years fulfilled, and it is with honest pride that he accepts the congratulations of our citizens, knowing that his long and continuous efforts to bring Analy township into connection with the rest of the world are at last successful. Without ignoring the labors of others, we all acknowledge that it is owning to his personal efforts and influence more than anything else that the railroad has been built.” Mr. Walker was a well-known and prominent member of the Masonic order, and his funeral was conducted under the direction of Sebastopol Lodge, F. & A. M., of which he was a member, his remains being placed in Pleasant Hill cemetery.

 

History of Sonoma County, California
History by Tom Gregory : Historic Record Company, 1891
Los Angeles, Ca. 1911
Transcribed by Roberta Hester Leatherwood
July 21, 2011  Pages 1079-1081

 

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