Person Record

Metadata

Name

Walker, Joseph

Born

ca. 1801

Birthplace

Tyrone, Ireland

Deceased

June 1873

Deceased

Manitoulin Island, Ontario

Father

Aaron

Mother

Mary

Spouse

Jane Pinkerton, Mrs. Bailey

Children

Joseph and Jane had 4 children

Occupation

Joseph Walker is recognized as the founder of the Town of Walkerton, and one of the pioneers of Bruce County.

He was the youngest son of Aaron and Mary Walker, from Tyrone, Ireland, who was one of the earliest settlers in the Township of Tecumseth, U.C.

He married twice. His first wife was Jane Pinkerton. Together, they had 4 children. After Jane died, he married Mrs. Bailey who kept the "White Horse" hotel near Durham.

Before arriving in Bruce County, Joseph Walker spent a number of years in York and Simcoe Counties, engaged in milling and mercantile transactions, and previous to the operation of the Municipal Act he sat in the old District Council for the County of York. He then moved to Grey County.

In the early part of 1849, he took a contract from Mr. Jackson, the Crown Lands Agent at Durham, to build a number of bridges on the "Durham Road", recently surveyed.

While getting out logs for the purpose of building the bridges, he also built the first shanty in Walkerton. The log house he erected was on a site near the Saugeen River where Durham and Mill Streets intersect. This was the family dwelling as well as the hotel of the settlement. He also began the construction of a dam. A log wharf was built from the shore below the dam, and it was here that the settlers proceeded farther along the Saugeen Valley; would construct rafts, load them with their possessions and start off down the river. Hence the name of Walker's Landing was given to this point in the Saugeen River.

In 1851, Joseph was the first man in the township to comply with the conditions of settlement and receive his patent from the Crown.

He then proceeded to erect a saw-mill, which was completed in 1852, and instigated the building of a grist mill in Walkerton in 1853, only the second grist-mill in Bruce County.

Joseph was chosen reeve on the first Council of the united municipality of Carrick and Brant; was the reeve of Brant Township for several terms; and was also Walkerton's first mayor.

He headed the contest for bringing the County seat to Walkerton.

On 12th February, 1869, he was granted a commission as Lieut.-Col.in the Bruce militia, commanding the 6th Battalion.

Joseph left Walkerton in 1870 and went to Manitoulin Island, where he died June 1873 at the age of 72.

Places

Ireland
York County
Simcoe County
Grey County
Bruce County
Walkerton

Titles & Honours

Reeve of Brant Township
Mayor of Walkerton

Sources

Sources:
a)"Illustrated Historical Atlas of Grey and Bruce Counties, Ontario : H. Belden & Co. 1880." Reprint ed. Port Elgin: Cumming Atlas Reprints, 1975. Print.

b)Robertson, Norman. "The History of the County of Bruce and of the minor municipalities therein." Toronto: William Briggs, 1906.

c)Connell, James E. "The Pinkertons in Bruce." The Bruce County Historical Society Yearbook, 1998, pp. 30, 31

d)"Walker's Landing - Walkerton." The Bruce County Historical Society Year Book, 1968, p. 21