My Genealogy Hound

O. L. WALKER. The subject of this sketch, one of Jasper county’s best stock-raisers, was a native of Indiana, and was born Oct. 27, 1841. He attended Asbury University from 1859 to 1861, and with sixty-six other students, enlisted for the war, and curious indeed, every student become an officer of some command. He joined the Thirty-fourth Indiana Regiment, entering as a private and soon becoming the captain of Company D. Mr. Walker was in the service nearly five years, and at one time was assistant inspector under Gen. E. B. Brown, of St. Louis, Mo. In May, 1867, he married Attie Henry, the daughter of Judge Henry of Hancock county, Ind., where Mrs. Walker was born and raised. The names of their five children, four boys and one girl, are, in the order of their ages, Mary, Horace, Hermon, Charles, and Clay. Mr. Walker is a member of the Masonic fraternity and an Odd Fellow. Coming to Jasper county in July, 1875, with his sons bought and improved a fine farm about one and a half miles from Galesburg, known as the Craig Crook farm, a view of which appears herewith. Mr. Walker and sons have some of the finest Jersey and Short-Horn herds of this or any other state, besides Red Jersey swine, Game and Plymouth Rock poultry, and Pekin-China ducks. In 1882 the Jerseys from the Craig Crook farm took all the premiums, except two, at the Barton county fair; and in 1879, all premiums on swine of the Berkshire stock at the Joplin exposition. They have never yet failed to receive a reward of premiums wherever an exhibit has been made by them, a high testimonial in favor of the fine quality of their herds. Mr. Walker makes a specialty of the Jersey cattle for dairy purposes, and has more orders for stock from Colorado, Mississippi, Illinois, and Kentucky, than he can fill. Walker & Sons are not amateurs at stock breeding and improvement, as they owned and carried on one of the finest fancy cattle and poultry farms in Indiana, which was the foundation of their present prosperity and prospects. Too much cannot be said in commendation of those who become public benefactors in improving the country’s cattle and swine. March 1, 1878, there was a severe cyclone which struck the house of Mr. Walker at 6 p. m., and entirely destroyed it, and hurt two of the family but not seriously. He then built his present elegant residence.