Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 938
WELLS F. WALKER

Wells F. WALKER, an enterprising farmer of section 16, Magnolia Township, has been a resident of Harrison County since May, 1857, and worked at the carpenter's trade at Magnolia most of the time until 1860, then went to Council Bluffs, and was there until the spring of 1861, and then went to the mountains, where he worked at mining until the autumn of that year returned to Council Bluffs, which he counted his home until 1863, during which time he was in the employ of Frederickson and Jackson, who were engaged in freighting across the plains, and he was employed as a weigh-master, and handled goods for them. In February, 1863, he started across the plains, taking charge of a train of wagons for them, his objective point being Denver, Col. When they left Council Bluffs, the snow was twenty inches deep, and he had a four-horse team, loaded with four thousand pounds of ham. They put runners under their loads, and lashed the wheels on and traveled with the sled four days getting to Elkhorn fifteen miles west of Omaha, at which point he attached the wheels, and traveled for fifty days, when they reached Denver. The same year he made three trips for the company, and after two years in their employ he returned to Harrison County, Iowa and rented a farm in Magnolia Township, continuing to farm on rented land until 1867, and then bought eighty acres of wild land � his present place, and moved a log house from Magnolia for his residence. This house was first built on a claim west of Magnolia, by a Mr. George, and was one of the very first houses built in Harrison County. This served our subject until 1877, when he built his present residence a two-story frame structure 16x22 feet, with an addition 14x16 feet. the pioneer cabin referred to above is still in existence, and is used as a calf stable, by Mr. Walker; could its rough logs but speak, a tale of wonderful interest of pioneer days it would relate.

In 1883 our subject erected a basement barn 30x40 feet. To his original farm Mr. Walker has added until he now has two hundred and fifty acres, one hundred and fifty are under the plow, while the balance is in meadow and timber land, generally keeping about seventy head of cattle, and does a general farming business. When he commenced to farm, everything he marketed had to be hauled to Council Bluffs, where he also did most of his trading. He has sold dressed hogs at that point for $2 per hundred weight, and at the same time having to pay $160 for a farm-wagon, without a brake seat or double-box. when he first went on his farm, there was no schoolhouse, near enough to send his children to, but finally the district divided, and by furnishing their own schoolhouse, the were enabled to draw on the public fund for money with which to pay their teacher. A few of the neighbors clubbed together, and went down on the Missouri bottoms, where they bought cottonwood lumber enough to build a schoolhouse 12x14 feet. This building is now used by Mr. Walker for a granary.

To return to the boyhood days of our subject, the reader is informed that he was born in Fayette County, Ind., October 14, 1832, and remained there with his parents until about 1853, and then worked for an uncle in Wabash County until 1857, when he came to Iowa. He was married in Harrison County, April 5, 1863, to Miss Candace E. HOPKINS, by whom eleven children have been born: Orrin B., January 6, 1864; Alberta, March 13, 1866; Mary M., November 23, 1867; Maude and Morton (twins), July 30, 1869; Charles W., December 19, 1871; Preston G., July 25, 1874; John W., July 25, 1876; William R., August 5, 1879; Jennie R., August 17, 1881 and Hattie J., March 4, 1883. Mary M. died September 3, 1868; Charles W., December 22, 1871; and William R., September 16, 1879. Candace E. (HOPKINS) WALKER was born in Fleming County, Ky., April 2, 1841, and in 1847 her parents removed to Wabash County, Ind., where they remained until 1859, then came to Harrison County, where Mrs. WALKER remained until the time of her marriage.

Elbert WALKER, the father of our subject, was born in Georgia, in 1790, came to Fayette County, Ind., with his mother, and remained there until his death in 1949 (?? 1849). The mother of our subject, Elizabeth (MALONE) WALKER, was born in Ohio, in 1810; her parents coming to Fayette County, Ind., where she was married.

Mrs. WALKER's father, Benjamin HOPKINS, was born in Fleming County, Ky., July 15, 1800, and remained there until 1847, then came to Wabash County, Ind., where he remained until 1859, and then came to Harrison County, Iowa, purchasing a farm in Magnolia Township, where he remained until his death, February 19, 1885. The mother of Mrs. WALKER, Delilah (JONES) HOPKINS, was born in Maryland, June 7, 1798, later removed to Kentucky, and was married to Benjamin HOPKINS, December 4, 1824, and they were the parents of five children, of whom Mrs. WALKER was the youngest and the only child now living. The mother died in Wabash County, Ind., March 2, 1849, the father being a member of the Christian Church, the mother a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Mr. WALKER, our subject, is a member of Magnolia Lodge, No. 177, I.O.O.F. Mrs. WALKER joined the Christian Church in Indiana, and is still of that belief, but has not united since coming to Iowa.

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