Tallapoosa County Alabama Biographies - Walker, Robert Harris ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.genrecords.net/altallap/ ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb by: Bob Walker reklaw2@comcast.net Nov, 2003 updated Jun 2006 ROBERT HARRIS WALKER And Family Robert Harris WALKER was born 28 Oct 1816, in Monticello, Jasper County, Georgia. The 1820 Census for Georgia, Jasper, Monticello shows James WALKER and wife with two children under 10 years of age. (Robert Harris and John Randolph). In 1830, Robert is shown living with his mother and father and 5 siblings in Georgia, Talbot, Young Valley. He was the first of twelve children born to James R. and Elizabeth Morrow WALKER, who were both born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina and were married there 28 Dec 1815. By 1830, Robert’s parents, James R. and Elizabeth and their family had migrated west across the state to Talbot County, Georgia, where their seventh child, William Wilson WALKER was born in July of 1831. In 1832, the family had made another move across the state borders to Alabama, first, to Butler County for a very short period, then to Tallapoosa County, where their last five children were born. Here in Tallapoosa, was where Robert met and married Louisa Lucinda KEITH, daughter of Jeremiah and Louisa Haney Doster KEITH, on 12 Nov 1838. The 1840 Census for Alabama, Tallapoosa County, Unknown Townships, shows one male, Robt WALKER (20-30 yrs), one female (10-15 yrs) and one male (under 5 yrs). (It is assumed they erred on the age of the female, as it has to be Louisa Lucinda (19 yrs) and the male has to be their first child, Benjamin Franklin WALKER. The family was living next to Louisa’s mother, L. H. (Louisa Haney) KEITH with five children, and next to her brother, Nerias KEITH with wife Synthia BAIN. ( Nerias was a signed witness to Robert and Louisa’s marriage in 1838!) Robert and Louisa made their home and remained in Tallapoosa County until about 1845, during which time they had four children, Benjamin Franklin WALKER born 21 Aug 1839, James Nathaniel WALKER born 21 Sep 1840, John T. WALKER born 23 Feb 1843 and Rodolphus B. WALKER born 2 Nov 1844. They then migrated to Monroe County, Mississippi where they had five children, Louisa Elizabeth WALKER born in 1847, Robert Joseph WALKER born 9 Jul 1849 and died three months later on 3 Sep 1849, William Henry WALKER born 16 Nov 1850, George Washington WALKER born 22 Nov 1853 and Lucinda Amanda WALKER born 16 Feb 1855. The 1850 Census for Mississippi, Monroe County, Western Division, shows Robt H. WALKER (35) and Lucinda (32) with five children, Franklin (14), James (12), John (10), Adolphus (6) and Elizabeth (4). (The census was taken on 12 Nov 1850, just 4 days before William Henry was born. Robert J. was born and died the year before). Then somewhere between mid 1855 and early 1858, the family moved to Jackson Township, Ouachita County, Arkansas where Elmira Belle WALKER was born on 8 Oct 1858 and Jeremiah Jonathan WALKER was born 16 Sep 1861. The 1860 Census for Arkansas, Ouachita County, Jackson Township, shows Robt H. WALKER (44) and Lucinda (39) with nine children, Franklin (20), James (19), John (17), Rodolphus (16), Louisa (13), William (10), George (7), Lucinda (5) and Elmira (2). (Jeremiah J. was yet to be born the following year). Late in 1861, of the ten living children, ranging in age from 22 years to an infant, only the first born, Benjamin Franklin WALKER had married an Ella WRIGHT in 1861, and the Civil War had just begun. It is not clear what happened to Robert and Louisa, but at this point, they just seem to disappear. There is speculation that they attempted to migrate to Utah. There are stories of them being victims of a Civil War skirmish. There are also records that put them in Texas during the 1860’s, but none of these can be verified. To-date, Robert and Louisa and all of their children have NOT been found in the 1870 Census. The family had to have moved to Spring Hill Township, Hempstead County, Arkansas sometime during the late 1860’s as there was an extremely close relationship between them and the Tapley and Elizabeth Moncrief CURTIS family. Tapley and his family were in Jackson Township, Dallas County, Arkansas in the 1850 Census. But in the 1860, 1870 and 1880 Census, they were living in Spring Hill Township, Hempstead County, Arkansas. Three of the Walker siblings, married three of the Curtis siblings. Rodolphus WALKER married Celia C. CURTIS on 27 Aug 1872, in Spring Hill. They lived in Spring Hill and had four children, then Rodolphus died on 29 Dec 1879 and Celia and the children went to live her parents and family. Celia died on 4 Jun 1928 in Redlands, Arkansas. Lucinda Amanda WALKER married George Washington CURTIS on 4 Jun 1874 in Hope County, Arkansas. They lived in Spring Hill, Arkansas and had ten children. Both George and Mandy died in Spring Hills, Arkansas, Mandy on 2 Oct 1933 and George on 1 May 1940. Jeremiah Jonathan WALKER married Tennessee CURTIS on 24 Dec 1882 in Spring Hill. They lived in La Grange Twp, Lafayette County, Arkansas and had five children. It is believed that both J. J. and Tenney died between 1906 and 1908 more than likely in La Grange, Arkansas. James Nathaniel WALKER had joined the Mormon church in Jul 1866 and immigrated to Salt Lake City, Utah where, on 25 Jan 1868, he married Rosanna Frances ESKELSON, daughter of James and Sophie Jacobson ESKELSON. The family lived in Salt Lake City until 1876 when they were called to help settle St Joseph, Arizona. They had eight children. James also married Emma DANSIE, daughter of James and Maria Rolfe DANSIE, on 4 Oct 1876 and they had four children. James died in Colonia Dublan, Mexico on 25 Oct 1912. Rosa died in Vernal, Utah on 3 Mar 1927. James’s second wife Emma died in Riverton, Utah on 20 Mar 1920. George Washington WALKER married Josephine E. QUILLIN, daughter of Jesse Holman and Elmira Morris QUILLIN, on 24 May 1877 in Spring Hill, Hempstead County, Alabama and they had one child. It is not known when and where George and Josephine died. Elmira Belle WALKER married George GODFREY in abt. 1880 and they had one child. Godfrey died about 1885 and Elmira married a James WHITE in early 1886. Elmira and James had four children. Elmira died in Arkansas in about 1893. There are three WALKER children unaccounted for here, John T., Louisa Elizabeth and William Henry . There appears to be no record after 1860 of whether they died or of just what happened to them. Sources: Walker Family by Royce Black Walker Family by William Jones Walker Family by John Hunt West Walker/Curtis Family by Sue Snider Walker/Curtis Family by Jake Smith Walker/Curtis Family by Roy Sanders US Federal Census – 1840 to 1870 LDS Ancestral File & IGI – Familysearch.org URL - http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=reklaw2 This is a work in progress and contains some information that may not be verified. Written by - Robert D. Walker 1021 E Cambridge Rd Kaysville, UT 84037 reklaw2@comcast.net