William H. Walker (Vermont judge)

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From 1894's Men of Vermont Illustrated

William H. Walker (February 2, 1832 – August 11, 1896) was a Vermont attorney and judge. He was notable for his service as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1884 to 1887.

Biography[edit]

William Harris Walker was born in Windham, Vermont on February 2, 1832, the son of Ephraim and Linda (Harris) Walker.[1] He was raised in Londonderry, and attended Leland & Gray Academy in Townshend and Black River Academy in Ludlow.[1] Walker then began his college education at Middlebury College, from which he graduated in 1858.[1] While attending college, Walker taught school in Orleans, Massachusetts and served as principal of West River Academy in South Londonderry, Vermont.[1] In 1857, Walker served as Assistant Secretary of the Vermont Senate.[1] After graduation, Walker was principal of the academy in Little Falls, New York, and began the study of law with Arphaxed Loomis.[1] In 1860 he moved to Ludlow, where he completed his law studies in the office of Frederick C. Robbins and attained admission to the bar in 1861.[1]

In addition to establishing a successful law practice in Ludlow, Walker was active in civic causes.[1] He was a trustee of Middlebury College, and served as president of the board of trustees at Black River Academy.[1] In August 1862, Walker enlisted for the American Civil War as a member of the Union Army's 16th Vermont Infantry.[1] He was commissioned as a captain and selected to command the regiment's Company C, but an attack of typhoid fever followed by a lengthy convalescence led to his discharge in October.[1][2]

A Republican, Walker served in the Vermont House of Representatives in 1865 and 1866.[1] From 1867 to 1868 he was a member of the Vermont Senate.[1] From 1874 to 1876, Walker served as State's Attorney of Windsor County.[3] In 1878, he was elected Windsor County probate judge, and he served until becoming a member of the Vermont Supreme Court.[1]

Walker served in the Vermont House again in 1884, and was chairman of the judiciary committee.[1] Later that year he was appointed an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, and he served until ill health forced him to resign in 1887.[1]

Death and burial[edit]

Walker died in Ludlow on August 11, 1896.[2] He was buried at Pleasant View Cemetery in Ludlow.[4]

Family[edit]

In 1859, Walker married Ann Eliza Taylor of Ludlow, the daughter of Ardain G. Taylor and Ruth G. (Pettigrew) Taylor.[1] They were the parents of a son, Frank Ardain Walker (1860-1917).[1]

Legacy[edit]

The bridge at Main and Elm streets in Ludlow, the village's primary intersection, is named the William H. Walker bridge.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Men of Vermont Illustrated, pp. 417–418.
  2. ^ a b Catalogue of Officers and Students of Middlebury College, p. 194.
  3. ^ History of Windsor County, Vermont, pp. 842–843.
  4. ^ Cemetery Inscriptions in Ludlow, Vermont, p. 59.
  5. ^ "Walker Bridge will be closing this June".

Sources[edit]

Books[edit]

  • Aldrich, Lewis Cass; Holmes, Frank R. (1891). History of Windsor County, Vermont. Syracuse, NY: D. Mason & Co. p. 842.
  • Tucker, Rebecca Woodbury (2000). Cemetery Inscriptions in Ludlow, Vermont. Ludlow, VT: R. W. Tucker.
  • Ullery, Jacob G. (1894). Men of Vermont Illustrated. Brattleboro, VT: Transcript Publishing Company.
  • Wiley, Edgar J. (1917). Catalogue of Officers and Students of Middlebury College. Middlebury, VT: Middlebury College.

Newspapers[edit]

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court
1884–1887 		Succeeded by
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