Willis Y. Walker
Throughout the state of California no name is held in higher repute than that of Walker, the labors and accomplishments of three generations, and their various branches contributing to its upbuilding in permanent and various ways. Long before the gold-seekers had been attracted to the west, members of this intrepid family had hewed their way to the Pacific coast, making several journeys between Oregon and California before they finally located in the latter state, being attracted finally by the finding of gold at Captain Sutter’s camp in 1848. An interesting and detailed account of the family will be found in the sketch of John Walker elsewhere in this volume.
A native son of the state, Willis Y. Walker was born near Sebastopol, Sonoma county, November 19, 1870, the youngest of the seven children, four sons and three daughters, born to his parents, John and Eleanor (Morin) Walker. By the time he had reached school age the educational advantages offered to the children of that locality were exceptional as compared with what they had been a few years previously, and he wisely made the best use of his opportunities. After completing his studies in the common school he received further advantages by attending a course in Santa Clara College. When his course in the latter institution was over he returned to the home ranch and helped his father I the care of this vast acreage, consisting of forty-three hundred acres of fine cattle and dairy land. This the father had purchased from the Joaquin Carrillo Rancho Company, the land at one time having been a part of an old Spanish grant. In the early days of the father’s life on this property many thousand head of cattle bearing his brand roamed the unfenced and brought their owner a handsome income.
Willis Y Walker continued on the home ranch with his father until attaining his majority, when his father gave him six hundred acres of fine land, upon which he raised cattle and sheep and also maintained a dairy business on his own account. Later he sold the property and purchased the Aaron Barnes estate on Main street, Sebastopol. The greater part of this property he retains today, and in the meantime it has increased in value fifty per cent. Recently his disposed of a portion of the land and bought the T. B. Miller ranch on Russian river known as the Knob Hill ranch. This includes one hundred and fifty acres, of which seventy-five are in hops, which yield about forty-five tons annually. He has sixty acres in the home place in Sebastopol, all in Gravenstein apples, which yield bountifully. He also has an evaporating plant on the place, in which some of the fruit is dried for the market.
Mr. Walker’s marriage united him with Miss Olive Ingram, a native of Monterey, Cal., and one son, Donald Ingram, has been born to them. Politically Mr. Walker is a Democrat, fraternally is an Odd Fellow and socially a Native Son of the Golden West.
History of Sonoma
County, California
History by Tom Gregory : Historic Record Company, 1891
Los Angeles, Ca. 1911
Transcribed by Roberta Hester Leatherwood
January 3, 2012 Pages 797-798
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