Walter, L. Paul

WALTER, BARACK, VAN GUNDAY

Posted By: Volunteer Subscribers
Date: 4/15/2003 at 22:06:39

Source: "The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated" published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.

L. PAUL WALTER, M. D.

One of the most prominent physicians and surgeons now engaged in practice in Clinton, Iowa, is Dr. L. Paul Walter. He was born in Bucyrus, Ohio, on the 24th of January, 1857, and is a son of Jeremiah and Jane (Barack) Walter. His paternal grandfather was Daniel Walter, a native of Pennsylvania and of old Pennsylvania Dutch stock. He was one of the pioneers of Chillicothe, Ohio, and later made his home near Bucyrus. The Doctor’s maternal grandfather, Alexander Barack, was also a native of the Keystone state, and an early settler of Bucyrus, Ohio. Jeremiah Walter, our subject’s father, was born near Chillicothe, and was reared within three miles of his birthplace. As an occupation he followed farming and stock dealing, and dealt quite extensively in horses.

Dr. Walter was reared upon the home farm and acquired his early education in the public school nearest his home, though it was a mile and a quarter distant. His father being ill, he assumed the management of the farm at the age of thirteen years, taking care of a large amount of stock. Feeling the need of a better education and his father not being willing to send him away to school, Dr. Walter decided to earn the money with which to pay his own expenses, and obtained a position in Cleveland, where he sold books in parts, that system having just been introduced. He worked hard and met with good success, saving over one thousand dollars besides, buying himself some good clothes.

Returning home in the fall, the Doctor invested five hundred dollars in two colts, Sea Foam and Minnie W., and with his remaining capital went to Bucyrus and entered the high school, where he remained until he was graduated at the age of eighteen. He not only paid his own expenses, but while a student there he did his own cooking. In the meantime he broke the colts and trained them for racing. When sixteen Se Foam earned him two thousand dollars, and the following year won a ten thousand-dollar stake at Chicago and got a mark of two eighteen and a quarter when two seventeen and a half was the world’s record. When the racing season ended that fall the Doctor found that he had twenty-one thousand dollars, which was sufficient to put him through school. He commenced the study of medicine and surgery with Professor Holderman, of Starling Medical College, Columbus, Ohio, and soon began giving anesthetics in the hospital, while a year later he was made assistant surgeon. He completed the course at college and passed the required examination at the end of two years, but not being old enough to receive a license to practice, he was not graduated until the following year, in the meantime his attention being devoted to hospital work. After his graduation he engaged in general practice at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, for three years, and at the end of that time sold out there and took a special course of lectures at Bellevue Medical College, New York City. He then went to Europe and spent some time in Guy’s Hospital, London, England, and also visited hospitals in Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Edinburg and other places, making a special study of the methods in use there.

On his return to this country, Dr. Walter located in Chicago, where he engaged in special practice with most excellent success until failing health necessitated his removal from the city in 1898. He then spent nine months in Morrison, Illinois, and in 1900 came to Clinton, Iowa, where he has already succeeded in building up a fine practice in his line. He is a close and thorough student, a man of deep research, and his investigations into the science of medicine and his skillful application of the knowledge thereby obtained has won him a place in the foremost ranks of the medical fraternity.

Dr. Walter married Miss Mary Van Gunday, of Sycamore, Ohio, and to them has been born a son, Paul B. Socially the Doctor is a Scottish Rite Mason, a member of Dearborn Lodge, F. & A. M.; of the Chapter, R. A. M.; Apollo Commandery, K. T.; and Medinah Temple, of the Mystic Shrine, all of Chicago. He also belongs to Tiffin Lodge, No. 94, B. P. O. E.; and Lodge, No. 174, K. P., of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, being the first past chancellor of the latter lodge.