Searching for Billy Walker - Part 4

 

The year 1899 saw the death of Winifred Walker.  Her husband Isaac died nine years earlier. And now I wondered about that mythical note of condolence written by William Walker listed in those family notes.  While it was a nice thought, it was doubtful at best . . . but I decided to poke around and see if I could find anything that might have given rise to that belief.   Again, I was astonished to find that not only did it exist, but that it had been published in the Frankfort Review newspaper.

Since several subsequent censuses indicated that William could not read or write despite  going to school off and on, I have to assume that he had help, maybe from Cordelia, writing this tribute.  As Winifred's descendant, I admit I am filled with emotion when I read this knowing that William was treated kindly and with love.  There is a warm heart and loving nature hidden behind her stern exterior.  The image of them taking her body from the train station with relatives and friends walking behind, including William, is also powerful.

Around the same time, the Walker and Golden families moved to Kansas City . . . as the family notes said they did!  Now I thought it might be difficult to follow them, but it turns out that the families always either lived together or next door to each other and between the Federal census, the Kansas State census, and the City Directories for Kansas City I was able to find William and his family.  When they left for Kansas City, William and Cordelia had eight children. They settled in at 1012 Oakland Ave. along with her parents and her sister's family.  There were 17 people in the one house.  The house has been torn down now. I know because I looked for it using Google Maps hoping to help me visualize that many people in one house, but all that is left is an empty lot overgrown with grass and weeds.

A few months later, Cordelia's father, the listed head of the household, died.  The American Citizen is a newspaper that served the African American population of Kansas City along with several other newspapers, but the availability of them online is limited.  While the 1900 census indicates that they rented the house, later census records state that that John's wife Letitcia Golden, owned the home.  She and her extended family, including William and Cordelia, lived there for many years. Tommie arrived in the family about 1904 but sadly died of pneumonia in 1907.

When I found a January 1902 article about William in the Frankfort Review, My reaction was shock, sadness and disbelief. To try and verify it I immediately looked on the Kansas State Historical website because I knew they had prisoner listings for the state prisons.  Sadly, I found a William Walker from Wyandotte county who had committed highway robbery in 1901. So it looked like it was true.  The only bright spot to this record was that it indicated his record  included a mugshot.  So assuming it to be William, I sent off for his prison record -- along with a $20 check of course. When it arrived, I tore it open and instantly looked for the mugshot.  Now, I paused . . . because I was looking at a big burly black man who claimed he was from Australia and had been sentenced to 20 years but was let out in 1912.  My William had his toes frozen off as a child and was supposed to be blind in one eye.  This couldn't be him, could it? What are the chances there were two William Walkers from Kansas City who committed highway robbery in the same manner in 1901?  I realized that it was possible since there were multiple men named William Walker living in Kansas City at that time.  I made a weak effort to find out but discovered little more.  After that my research on William went into an extended hibernation.  

Recently however my interest has been rekindled, and I don't really know why. I think Black History month makes me think of William. I have always wanted to write William's story, but I kept waiting until I found "all" the answers then I finally admitted to myself that it may never happen so on a whim one morning I started to write. 

I have now found William and Cordelia in the Kansas City Directories along with Federal and State census records as follows:

1902 - Walker, Wm (c) driver r 1012 Oakland

1903 - Walker, Wm M (c) janitor  r 1012 Oakland

            No Cordelia listed but Tommie was born Abt. 1903-04

1904 -  Walker, Wm M (c) cook  r 1012 Oakland

            Walker, Cordelia (c) laundress  r 1012 Oakland

1905 - Walker, Wm (c) lab  r 1012 Oakland

            Walker, Delia (c) cook  r 1012 Oakland

            

1905 - Kansas State Census shows all the people living at 1012 Oakland Ave.  It was a busy place!

1907 -  Walker, Wm  lab r 1012 Oakland 

             Walker, Delia  cook  Home Hotel  r  1012 Oakland

1908 - Walker, William  lab r 1012 Oakland

            Note: Cordelia does not show up but several of his children are working

1909 - Walker, William  lab r 1012 Oakland av

            Note: Cordelia does not show up

1910 - Walker, William  lab  r 1012 Oakland av

            Note: No Cordelia

1910 - U.S. Federal census gives another glimpse of the household and includes Cordelia working as a dishwasher in a lunchroom while William is listed as having no job.

1911 - Walker, William  lab  r 1012 Oakland av

1912 - Walker, William  r 1012 Oakland av  Notice he no longer lists a job.

            

 

I did not find William listed in any city directories after Cordelia's death in 1912 at 1012 Oakland Ave.  Did he move in with one of his adult children? Did he also pass away?  These are questions with no answers.  I contacted the person who manages Cordelia's memorial at Find A Grave, and she said that the records for this cemetery are in a mess so she had not seen anything for William. 

And so his story ends.  I kept hoping I would find out when he died and where he was buried but it has not happened.  This part four may be way more detail than anyone wants to read but I wrote it for myself and for other descendants of Isaac and Winifred Walker who want to know what happened to the child they took into their home. 

 I don't know what kind of man he turned out to be . . . religious, loving, kind, generous, hardworking, moody, lazy, or angry.  I do know that he was NOT a thief and that the reporter at the Frankfort Review was wrong. If that paper was still in business I would demand a retraction! 

I hope William has descendants . . . lord knows he had enough children . . .who would also like to read his story.   

And I will continue to search for that law.