I have been searching for Billy Walker since before I knew his name.
It started one summer evening when an offhand remark by a newly found genealogy cousin sent me on a quest. She was a descendant of Isaac and Winifred Walker as am I, and she invited me to her home - 7 hours away - to discuss our common ancestors and share family information. I, of course, had no stories to share since my parents divorced when I was seven years old, and I never saw that side of my family after that. All of my information came from my research, but I am a damn really good researcher and had already found a pile of information about the Walkers and the Barretts. In fact, I smugly thought I had found the whole basic structure of the family and just needed to fill in photos, newspaper articles, and maybe some land information - you know, the fun stuff. I had already read stories online and even a book about the Walker and Barrett families during those early days of Marshall County, Kansas.
We were having a great time comparing records. She shared some wonderful photos of my ancestors who had only been names on paper up to that point, and I tried to help with her computer genealogy program. Then that night with papers and photos spread across the floor, she casually said, "I was told that Isaac Walker adopted a black child." WHAT. . . wait a minute! I had never seen that in the stories online, in the census records, or in newspaper articles about the family. I knew they took two boys from the orphan train and that was a shock, but I had never heard about them adopting a black child. She continued. . ."I heard he had been left behind by a group of slaves that had been hiding in a cave near the Walker farm, and he had frostbite so severely that he lost several toes." Isaac Walker, sometimes called "Free Soil Walker" was a staunch abolitionist who had been raised a Quaker and supported the underground railroad as slaves came through on their way north. I asked his name but she had no idea and had no documentation. It was just a family story. You know. . . probably not true.
Time went by and I searched a bit but could not find evidence for this family story. After all it is difficult when there is no name. Then I made an online connection with another cousin who also descended from Isaac and Winifred and while she lived across the country, she happened to live only one hour from my son and his family. So the next time I visited, we made arrangements to meet. As usual, it was so interesting to hear about family squabbles and secrets in addition to some new photos and documents. We chatted for a while, and then she and her daughter smiled at each other and said, "Did you know Isaac Walker adopted a black child?" My mouth dropped open as I told them that I had heard that from another descendant. BUT they had notes that had been left by earlier family members! This was just too much of a coincidence. There had to be something to this story . . . some bit of truth, and I wanted to find it.
But now from their notes I had a name . . . Billy Walker!
In addition, the note had multiple other tidbits of information.
- It also said he moved to Kansas City. Oh dear, I could imagine that there were many men with the common name of William Walker in a town the size of Kansas City.
- It also said, ". . .this little boy was found in a cave nearly frozen while the rest of the slaves moved on to Canada. They left him behind." "He was hungry, blind in one eye, and toes frozen off." While this was not exactly the same, it was very similar to the story from my other genealogy cousin.
- It said that he wrote a letter to the editor expressing sadness and love for Winifred Walker when she died in 1899. Now this did sound like a myth!
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