George W. Walker

GEORGE WALKER. M. D., is a prominent practitioner of medicine at Melrose, Cherokee County, and is well known to the citizens of the county, among whom he has lived for many years. He was born on a farm near Lincoln, Logan County, Illinois, April 13, 1855, and is a son of John and Permelia (Ewing) Walker.

John Walker was born in North Carolina in 1823, and when a boy went to Illinois with his parents, overland, being a pioneer of Logan County. He died there at the age of 34 years, when George W. was two years of age. He was a farmer by occupation. His wife was born in Moultrie County, Illinois, in 1828, and died in Logan County in January, 1894.

Dr. Walker was reared on a farm and attended the Common Schools until 1874, when he entered Lincoln University, at Lincoln, Illinois. His college course was interrupted for one year, during which time he engaged in teaching, and in 1880 he was graduated with the degree of A. B. He then taught school for a year, and in 1881 went to Oregon, Washington and Colorado with the primary object of seeing somewhat of this great country. During his stay in the West, he was engaged in shipping grain. In 1882 he returned to Illinois, where he taught school until 1884. Then he came to Cherokee County, and taught school at Blue Mound for four years. In 1888 he was elected superintendent of the Weir City schools, and in 1890, superintendent of the city schools of Columbus. In that year he was a candidate on the Republican ticket, for county superintendent of schools, but was defeated by the candidate on the Alliance ticket. He was again the choice of his party for that office in 1894, but withdrew in favor of Edward Herod, who was elected. The subject of this sketch continued as superintendent of the Columbus schools until 1894, when he resigned to prepare for the medical profession. He entered the medical department of the University of Kentucky at Louisville, and was graduated from that institution in 1897, with the degree of M. D. In April, 1897, he opened an office at Baxter Springs, and in the following June removed to Melrose, where he has since practiced with a high degree of success. He owns a farm of 40 acres one and a quarter miles west of Melrose, in Neosho township, and also has city property, and is a man of high standing in the community.

In 1888, Dr. Walker was joined in marriage with Julia A. Atchison, a native of Decatur, Illinois, who died in 1890, at the early age of 25 years, leaving one son, Clarence E., who lives at Decatur, Illinois. In 1900, the Doctor formed a second matrimonial alliance wedding Julia A. Wise, a native of Kansas, and they have two daughters,—Permelia M. and Roberta. While attending college in Illinois, Dr. Walker united with the Presbyterian Church, of which he has since been a faithful member. Fraternally, he is a Master Mason; a member of the Knights of Pythias; Modern Woodmen of America; Home Builders Union; and Woodmen of the World.

History of Cherokee County Kansas and its representative citizens, ed. & comp. by Nathaniel Thompson Allison, 1904, transcribed by Alisha Bilke, student from USD 508, Baxter Springs Middle School, Baxter Springs, Kansas, 11-21-96.