George H. Walker (October 22, 1811 – September 20, 1866) was an American trader and politician, and was one of three key founders of the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served as the 5th and 7th Mayor of Milwaukee, and represented Milwaukee in the Wisconsin State Assembly and its predecessor body in the Wisconsin Territory.
George H. Walker | |
|---|---|
 1856 portrait by Fuller and Johnson | |
| 5th and 7th Mayor of Milwaukee | |
| In office April 1853 – April 1854 | |
| Preceded by | Hans Crocker |
| Succeeded by | Byron Kilbourn |
| In office May 1851 – April 1852 | |
| Preceded by | Don A. J. Upham |
| Succeeded by | Hans Crocker |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Milwaukee 4th district | |
| In office January 1, 1851 – January 1, 1852 | |
| Preceded by | John E. Cameron |
| Succeeded by | Jonathan L. Burnham |
| Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Wisconsin Territory | |
| In office December 4, 1843 – January 5, 1846 | |
| Preceded by | Albert Gallatin Ellis |
| Succeeded by | Mason C. Darling |
| Representative to the Legislative Assembly of the Wisconsin Territory from Milwaukee and Washington counties | |
| In office December 5, 1842 – January 5, 1846 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 22, 1811 Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | September 20, 1866 (aged 54) Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Home Cemetery Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Caroline Pratt Spencer |
| Relatives | Isaac P. Walker (brother) |
| Known for | Founding Walker's Point |
His younger brother, Isaac P. Walker, was one of the first two men elected to the United States Senate from Wisconsin.
Background
editWalker was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, and moved with his family to Illinois in 1825. The fur trade brought him to the vicinity of the Milwaukee River in 1833, and, on March 20, 1834, he established himself on the south bank of the river.[1] In June 1835, he founded the settlement of Walker's Point and established a fur trading post. In 1846, Walker's settlement combined with two rival villages - Solomon Juneau's Juneautown (present-day East Town) and Byron Kilbourn's Kilbourntown (present-day Westown) - to incorporate the City of Milwaukee.[1]
Land that belonged to Walker is now part of the Walker's Point Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1]
Public office
editIn 1835, those parts of Michigan Territory who were not set to become part of the new State of Michigan were invited to elect members to a seventh and last Michigan Territorial Council (the so-called "Rump Council"). Walker was elected from Milwaukee County, but was one of the four (out of thirteen) who did not attend the "Rump Council" when it met (briefly) in January 1836.
Walker served in the first three sessions of the 4th Legislative Assembly of the Wisconsin Territory, serving from 1842 to 1845, and was speaker for the 2nd and 3rd sessions. He was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1850, serving in the 3rd Wisconsin Legislature. Walker also served as the city's supervisor, register of the land office, alderman, and as mayor in 1851 and 1853. He was one of the builders of the city's first street car line in 1859, and was invested in the Milwaukee and Mississippi Railroad, the Milwaukee and Watertown Railroad, and the La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad.[1]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election | |||||
| Democratic | George H. Walker | 1,841 | 55.19% | ||
| Democratic | Abram D. Smith | 1,495 | 44.81% | ||
| Plurality | 346 | 10.37% | |||
| Total votes | 3,336 | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Family life
editWalker's younger brother, Isaac P. Walker, was a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, serving from 1848 to 1855.
He died on September 20, 1866, and is buried at Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Walker, George H. (1811-1866)". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- ^ "Charter Election Returns". Daily Free Democrat. May 21, 1851. p. 3. Retrieved May 22, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Historical People". Forest Home Cemetery. Archived from the original on April 3, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
Further reading
edit- "Jovial George Walker". (Mar. 15, 1934). Milwaukee Journal.