Vincent A. Walkup

WALKUP, WEST, KINNAIRD, FISHER

Posted By: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs (email)
Date: 5/18/2009 at 13:42:41

1889 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
SHELBY AND AUDUBON COUNTIES, IOWA
W. S. DUNBAR & CO., PUBLISHERS
113 ADAMS STREET, CHICAGO

pages 729-730

VINCENT A. WALKUP, Superintend-
ent of the Audubon County Poor Farm,
took charge of this institution in 1888.
The farm consists of 200 acres, formerly be-
longing to Michael O'Donnell, and was pur-
chased by Audubon County for $7,000. It
is situated one and a half miles south of the
county seat, on the Bluegrass Creek. There
is a beautiful natural grove on the farm, west
of the house and barn, which affords fine
shade in the summer and serves as a wind-
break in the winter, besides adding very ma-
terially to the attractiveness of the place.
Mr. Walkup was born in the State of Ken-
tucky, January 8, 1844. He is a son of John
and Nancy (West) Walkup, natives of Scot-
land. His mother was well educated and
taught many terms of school in the South.
She died in 1865. After the death of the
mother, the father and family removed to
Iowa and settled on a farm near Winterset,
Madison County. Here the father passed
the remainder of his days. He died in Feb-
ruary, 1879. He was reared on a farm, and
at the age of nineteen entered the Union
army, Company L, Thirteenth Kentucky
Cavalry, and went to the defense of his
country. He took part in many skirmishes,
and scoured a large territory. He was taken
prisoner November 17, 1863, at Columbus,
Kentucky. and was paroled several days after-
ward. He never lost a day when in active
service, and was honorably discharged Jan-
uary 25, 1865. He removed to Madison
County, Iowa, and settled on a farm near
St. Charles, where he lived several years. In
the spring of 1881 he came to Audubon and
resided here six years. He built the first
steam flour-mill in Audubon, which he kept
running for some time, but it was not a pay-
ing investment, and he retired from the
business and took charge of the water-works.
He was appointed city marshal, in which
capacity he served three years. Mr. Walkup
was then appointed superintendent of the
poor farm, a position he is well fitted to
fill. Mr. Walkup was married in 1865 to
Miss Ann Kinnaird, of Kentucky, a daughter
of Joseph Kinnaird, a prominent farmer of
that State. They are the parents of six chil-
dren -- Robert A., Cornelia, wife of Samuel
Fisher; Alexander, Joseph, Mack and Sylves-
ter. Mr. Walkup is a member of Veritas
Lodge, No. 392, A. F. & A. M., of the I. O.
O. F., of the Knights of Pythias, and of the
G. A. R, Allison Post.