George Montgomery WALKER

The following bio was taken from pages 422-423 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Gloria Riley

Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Rusk County TX Coordinator

George Walker was known as one of the best citizens in the northern section of Rusk County. He was instrumental in the beginning of the annual Hickory Grove Cemetery Memorial Picnic. He worked on many cattle drives up the Chisholm Trail. On one of these drives, all had camped at Archer City in 1880, and he was one of the petition signers to make Archer City a county. George Montgomery Walker, born October 12, 1859, in Marshall County, Alabama, came to Rusk County, Texas in 1875. After the death of their parents, two sisters and one brother came with George to the home of their Uncle Burr Walker and Aunt Elizabeth Herrin Walker. George was the son of James Owen Walker and Martha Ann Griffitt Walker. These Walkers were of the nobility having descended from Sir Thomas Walker, knighted by the King of England. Born in 1614 in Exter, England, Thomas married the daughter of the only son of Bishop Hall of Exter Cathedral and sat in parliament during the reigns of Charles I and Charles II. George married a native Rusk Countian of Cross Roads Community, Addie Elizabeth Herrin, daughter of James Wesley Herrin and Maria Elizabeth Thompson Herrin. Around 1887 George bought a tract of land adjoining James Wesley Herrin’s land. He and Addie raised a family of four boxy and three girls. He cleared and worked his farm and built a home, hewing rocks for the foundation and sawing the timber for the construction. He himself designed his buildings—house, barns, and chicken house—and built them, first living in a log home. George and Addie paid for their land by raising hogs, mules, sugar cane, cotton, fruit trees and vegetables. Addie was a talented person, being an excellent cook and seamstress. She helped supplement their income by raising geese and making feather (down) mattresses and pillows for sale. Addie was a niece of Elizabeth Herrin Walker. She had two sisters and three brothers. George and Addie Walker’s children were: James Robert (Bob) Walker, who married Annie D. Hearne; Mattie Elizabeth Walker, who married Julian E. Drennan; Willie Bird Walker, who married Culver Hearne, a brother of Annie D. Hearne; Edna Mae Walker; George Everett Walker; Eunice Walker; Dewey Madison Walker, who married Reneva Livsey; and John David Walker, who married Lena Skipper. After the death of George, Addie continued to live on at the farm. Written by Bobby H. Walker