[Anything in [brackets ]'s are comments 2009. This story has been handed down, generation to generation, and may have lost some of it's original information]
Story author is unknown; perhaps Harvey Pugh or his wife
Original owned by Mr. Harvey Pugh, Shedd, Oregon
Copied 21 Feb. 1962 by Lillian Bogardus
Among the early settlers of Eastern Oregon, were Washington P. Walker, and his wife Mary Walker with their family of six children. Wash Walker, as he was generally and familiarly known, was of old pre-Revolutionary stock, his ancestors having migrated from Scotland in the early part of the sixteenth century and settled in North Carolina, where they and their descendants continued to reside until after the War of the Revolution. During that War, members of the family, among which was the Grandfather of Wash Walker, saw service in the American Army under General Morgan, and others.
[General Morgan: Rev. War
After the close of the Revolutionary War, and when the country to the west began to be settled up, the Grandfather of Wash Walker, moved to the new country, and settled in what is now the State of Tennessee, and where (near) the City of Nashville is now located.
[Tennessee was included in an area known as the New River Country. Rev. War soldiers were given bounty land I think]
Here the elder Walker became one of the largest plantation holders and most prosperous farmers of that section of the country.
[Plantations of Davidson County, TN:]
[1801:]
And here Charles Walker, the father of Wash Walker, was born and lived until his twenty-first birthday [circa 1801]; It being the older Walker’s rule that his boys should serve their twenty-first year as overseer of the plantation, Charles Walker served his year as such overseer, when on his twenty-first birthday his father followed another custom by presenting him with his choice of any horse on the plantation. Then Charles having become thoroughly imbued with, and convinced of, the evils of Negro slavery as it was then conducted in the South, and his father being one of the largest slave holders of that time, he packed his saddlebag, saddled his horse, and started for the north to make his home free from slavery and its influences. He located first on the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, on the Illinois side of the river, and after establishing his home there, he returned to Nashville in the spring of 1812, at which time and where he claimed on of the fair daughters of the Southland as his bride.
[1812 and a new bride for Charles Walker……….]
Returning with his young wife to his home in Illinois they lived on that place until 1815, when disposing of that place they moved to the Sangamon River Valley where they established a new home.
[1812: New wife, new home and a new war]
During the War of 1812, Charles Walker saw service in the American Army on the Western Frontier against the British and Indians, at one time escaping the British bullets and Indian arrows while making a dash from his picket post to rejoin his already retreating comrades, the camp having been attacked just at the break of day.
[1820: Census]
[1822: Birth of Wash Walker]
[1826: To St. Louis, MO]
While the family of Charles Walker were living in the Sangamon River Valley the subject of this sketch, Wash Walker, was born, on the Second day of May 1822. When Wash Walker was four years old, Charles Walker disposed of his interests in the State of Illinois (1826) and moved with his family; which then consisted of his wife and five boys and one girl, of which Wash was the youngest except the girl; to the State of Missouri settling near what was then the small village of St. Louis, on a place which is now near the heart of the present City, living there for ten years (1826-1836).
[1836: To Springfield, MO…A new frontier]
By that time that part of the State was becoming too thickly settled for the pioneer spirit of Charles Walker, and he sold his home and moved further west, settling near Springfield, Missouri, which was at that time a wild new country. Here Charles Walker and his wife both died in their early forties (1836-184_?)
[And along comes Mary…Mary Thompson that is………]
Of the ancestry of Mary Walker, but little is known except that her father John Thompson was of old English stock, his forefathers coming to America during early Colonial days, and her mother coming to America when she was a small girl, having been born in Holland. Mary Thompson was born in the State of Kentucky, on the twenty-fifth of November 1826, and her mother died there when Mary was still quite small. Her father married again and moved to Missouri while she was still a young girl, finally settling near Springfield where she and Wash Walker met and were married on November 2, 1845.
[A new life in Arkansas]
Shortly after their marriage Wash and Mary Walker moved to the State of Arkansas, settling in the northwestern part of the state, between Pea ridge and the line of the Indian Territory. Here they lived for something over six years. Their three oldest children being born there, namely; John K., Nancy E., and Tempy J., John K. Dying when only a few weeks old.
Gold in California Tempts Mary's brothers West… 1849 [They return 1850 ready for a westward migration to Oregon]
[The Walkers go west with the Thompson's………...]
In the Spring of 1852 the Oregon fever struck Wash and Mary Walker and about the first of April of that year they started for Oregon, going first from Arkansas up to what was then known as Independence Rock on the Missouri River, near where Kansas City is now located, where they were joined by Wash’s two brothers Arthur and Jesse, the family of Jesse and by Mary Walker’s two brothers Mercer and Joseph Thompson with their families, who with a few others made up a party of thirty-three all told, men, women and children.
Kansas City, Missouri…two trains meet
Here the party was organized by the selection of Mercer Thompson as Captain of the Train, and the start was made on the long perilous journey to Oregon, a journey of nearly two thousand miles through hostile Indian country. A country then without any settlements whatever, and only a few scattered military posts. The only houses that this party saw on the long journey from Independence Rock to the Willamette Valley were at Forts Kearney in Nebraska, Bridger and Laramie in Wyoming and Hall in Idaho and at the trading post at Tygh Valley in Eastern Oregon. There was another military post, old Fort Boise in western Idaho, but this party came down the south side of the Snake River, hence missing this post.
During this journey the Walker’s fourth child Arthur Morgan was born June 14th, 1852, a few miles travel west of Fort Laramie and in what is now the state of Wyoming. From this time on it was indeed a perilous and trying trip for Mary Walker, for she contracted an illness from which she was never able to leave her bed in the wagon until the Cascade Mountains were reached.
The Company finally reached the Willamette Valley the latter part of September after nearly six months of trials, dangers and hardships on the road. On reaching the Willamette Valley the Company separated, Jesse Walker locating in Clackamas County, Wash Walker and family and Arthur Walker stopping on Howell Prairie near Salem for the winter and Mercer and Joseph Thompson going on to Linn County where they settled near Brownsville.
In the spring of 1853 Wash Walker with his family resumed their journey, going on to Linn County, where they located on a donation land claim two and a half miles north of Brownsville. Here, three children; Joseph F., Jesse F., and Sara A. Were born. While the family lived here the father made the farming of the land his principal vocation.
He took part in the Rogue River Indian War of 1855 and 1856, under the leadership of Capt. James Blakely, of Brownsville, with his Company of Linn County Volunteers. After the close of this war he spent three months at Yreka, California in mining. His health failing, he returned to his family and Oregon home early in the winter of 1856 and 1857. Remaining at home during the year of 1857, his health gradually failed until the spring of 1858, when he sold his farm and started for Eastern Oregon arriving in The Dalles on the second day of May that year, with his family on the hunt for a new location.
On looking around for a home, the Walkers decided on the Fifteen Mile Creek settlement as their choice and purchased a place about one and a half miles up the creek and west of where the town of Dufur is now located. Living here about two years, farming the place, Wash Walker doing carpenter work in the settlement, building several of the first box and frame houses to be erected in that neighborhood.
In the spring of 1860, Wash Walker realizing the need of a flouring mill in the vicinity, sold his home place and moved to and located as a homestead under the Government laws, the place where the town of Dufur is now. Building here the first flouring mill, during the summer and fall of 1860, ever build between the Cascades and Rocky Mountains and north of Salt Lake city. There being a small mill at Salt Lake built by Brigham Young some years before. This mill Wash Walker owned and operated until the spring of 1867, when he sold the machinery to Robert Pendland of The Dalles.
He moved it to The Dalles and added more machinery to it, doubling the capacity and making of it the City Mills and the first flouring mill ever built in The Dalles. The building was sold to W. R. Menafee who took it down and moved it to his place a mile and a half up the creek and rebuilt it into a barn. While living on this place three children were born to the Walkers; William W., James O., and Elmer L.
During the time that the Walkers were living on this place and operating the flour mill, the strenuous and exciting period of the Civil War was passing and the heavy emigration of the early sixties, from the eastern states to the Oregon country was under way and the Walker home became one of the principal stopping places for the traveler passing through that section of the country and while Wash Walker was extremely strong and outspoken in his support and loyalty to the National Government and ready to discuss it’s policies and the progress of the war at all times with his friends and acquaintances, he would not discuss or allow any discussion of war issues in the house. Holding that it being a public stopping place, that it was a common meeting place for all classes and creeks, and that nothing should be permitted that would tend to create strife and dissension, but to let all know exactly where he stood personally, he procured a national flag and erected a flag staff and every day during that struggle this flag was unfurled to the breeze from sunrise to sunset.
[Nothing is said here of the other Walker brothers loyalties during the Civil War. Attached here is a picture of Wash Walker's brother, James]
[James Greene Walker
1811-1890]
When the Walkers first settled on Fifteen Mile Creek they found as immediate neighbors: W. R. Menafee,
John Crooks,
George Herbert
William Logan
with their families below them on the creek. Above them on the creek were
Lew Henderson,
_____Ramsey,
Henry Jackson
George Stone.
Henderson and Ramsey being single ... living in The Dalles.
Living farther away but still considered as neighbors were
Daniel Bolton,
Horace Rice,
Spokane Jackson
Colonel James Fulton
with their families.
At Tygh Valley were
_____ Zumwalt,
Samuel Todd
Daniel Butler.
A few weeks after the Walker’s arrival,
Robert Mays,
Z. Donnell
Absolem Bolton
with their families also came and settled in the neighborhood.
Within the next two or three years many others came with their families and settled, among whom were
David Imbler,
John
Richard Brookhouse,
John Cates,
Thomas Angle_?,
William Gilliam,
Thomas Ward,
__________ Masker Wiley,
_____ Upton.
Of single men there were
Michael Christman,
Herman Hahn,
Samuel
John Price,
Samuel Brookhouse,
Warren Hibbard,
Thomas Whitehearst,
Joseph Shearer
William Pearson.
The first of March 1865 the Walker’s moved into The Dalles where they lived a year on what was known as the Bill Logan place.
In the spring of 1866 they moved back to the home place on Fifteen Mile Creek, living there again for a year. In the meantime Wash Walker had bought the Logan place at The Dalles and in the spring of 1867 he sold the Fifteen Mile Creek place and with the family moved back to The Dalles where they lived until 1881 and where the two youngest children were born; Harry H. and Edith M. Politically Wash Walker affiliated with the Republican Party, being an active worker in the councils and activities of that party.
In religious belief he was a Methodist, being a member of that denomination practically all of his life and a licensed Preacher from the time of his reaching manhood.
In 1881 the older boys of the family settled between the Deschutes and John Day Rivers in what is now Sherman County. Wash and Mary Walker sold the home place at The Dalles and went to live with the children in the new location.
From that time on they made their home in Sherman County, living at the ranch with the children until 1890 when they spent a few months at The Dalles and in the Spring of 1891 they moved back to Sherman County, locating in the town of Wasco. Here Wash Walker died on April 3, 1894 and Mary walker died on May 1, 1900. They were buried in the cemetery at that place and their memory is loved and cherished by their descendants and their many friends and acquaintances that they made during their long lifetime as pioneers of Eastern Oregon.
Of the children of Wash and Mary Walker, John K. died in Arkansas in 1846 while an infant. Sara A. Was drowned in Fifteen Mile Creek in 1859 when only about 18 months old. Jesse F. died in 1853 from the kick of a horse when a little over 7 years old. Edith M. died at The Dalles in 1870 when about two and a half years. Nancy E. was married to John W. Pugh of Shedd, Oregon and went there to make her home, where she died in 1898. She left a family of nine children. James C. was married in 1885 and died at Wasco May 20, 1909 leaving a widow and two living sons. Arthur Morgan died at Wasco December 11, 1910 having never married. William W. died at The Dalles July 1, 1912 leaving a widow and three children, two boys and a girl. Elmer L. Died at Hoquiam, Washington on November 29, 1916 leaving a widow and three children, two girls and a boy. Tempy J. was married in 1877 to John Robnett of Shedd, Oregon where she made her home until Robnett’s death in 1890, when she returned to Wasco in Sherman County and made her home until her death February 17, 1918, leaving no children. Harry H. is supposed to have died at Spokane, Washington about 1914 or 1915. He left home when about 14 years old and seldom wrote home. In 1890 he returned home and stayed about four or five years when he left again, after which he never wrote home and nothing was known except reports that came in a round about way. The last news of him reached his sister Tempy several months after, that he was sick in Spokane and not expected to live. Joseph P., the only living child of Wash and Mary Walker, is now living at Pendleton, Oregon, where he moved to in the spring of 1887. He was married in 1881 and has five daughters, all living. ...one that saw much of the trials, troubles and hardships of Oregon, and especially that part lying east of the Cascade Mountains.
When the Walkers came east of the mountains there was no settlement whatever east of the Deschutes River, that part of the state being Indian country. The Dalles was a small frontier town of a few hundred inhabitants and nobody thought that Eastern Oregon would be anything but a stock country. The only Court was a Justice of the Peace with his Constable in The Dalles. School was a one-room school in The Dalles where also were a Catholic and Methodist mission church. Roads were but little better than trails.
Transportation was either by horse or ox team or by Pack Horses. Communication with the outside was limited to the Columbia River and two small steamboats plying thereon. One from The Dalles to the Cascades with a horse-drawn car at the Cascades for portage transportation between the two boats. Thus when the Walkers came to Eastern Oregon it took them about six days of travel to make the trip. One by team from their old home near Brownsville to Albany, another by steamboat from Albany to Oregon City, the third from Oregon City to Portland, the fourth from Portland to the Cascades, the fifth from the Cascades to The Dalles and the sixth from The Dalles (by team) to Fifteen Mile Creek, their new home
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