Walker, Daniel Anderson 

Submitted by: Nora Martin, Jena, LA

The following is an article written by Nora Martin and published in the April, 1997 issue of "Legacies & Legends of Winn Parish".

Daniel Anderson Walker (b. 1814) and his wife, Mary Crocker (b. 1818), left their native South Carolina in the 1830s to make a new life in the vast new land out west. In 1840 they were in Butler County, Alabama and had three children: Caroline, Sarah Jane, and William Jasper. Benjamin Crocker, his wife, and six children were also in Butler County and we suspect this to be Mary's parents or older brother. The three Walker children were born in Alabama in 1836, 1838, and 1840.

James Madison and Martha Ann were born along the way in Mississippi in 1842 and 1845. John-Daniel Marion, Newton Lafayette, Henry Martin, and Mary Evoleaner were all born in Louisiana. The family is listed in the US Census of 1850 Jackson Parish, LA. Also in the household is an adult male whose name appears to be Henry Walker b. South Carolina, possibly Anderson's brother. The Crocker family is also in Jackson Parish in 1850.

On 15 January 1858 Daniel A. Walker of Jackson Parish, LA was granted 197.5 acres of land by the land office in Monroe, LA. He had a store at Old Vernon called the House of Vernon and kept a ledger in beautiful handwriting. His customers included names that are very familiar in Winn Parish: Nathaniel Bolton, Wall, Allen.

On 2 April 1860 William Lucky of Winn Parish, LA was granted 40 and 17/100 acres of land by the land office in Natchitoches, LA that is now Ward 10, Winn Parish, LA. In 1860, Daniel Anderson Walker purchased this property and acquired a whole section of land in Ward 10 and moved his family here. They are listed in the 1860 Winn Parish Census. Mary had died and Sarah Jane is missing from this census. It is possible she married and remained in Jackson Parish. Anderson set up a commissary, blacksmith shop, stagecoach stop and weigh station on the old Monroe-Natchitoches Road in Ward 10 near the old Iron Bridge that now spans Dugdemona, later called Walker Crossing. A ferry crossed Dugdemona prior to the construction of the bridge. This property is marked on an 1860 Civil War map of the area now on file in the Louisiana Room of the Northwestern State University Library. The commissary served as a trading post for customers from miles around, to travelers traveling east and west, and the Indians who lived nearby. Some of the same customers he had served at Old Vernon still traded with him, especially since it was much closer for some.

To the small structure that Mr. Lucky had constructed on a hill in Ward 10, Anderson Walker added huge hand-hewed logs from the virgin timber to build a home for his family. The house (pictured above) still stands today. Down the hill and across the road stood the large log barns and the large round dug well surrounded and covered with a gazebo type structure. The well served as the family's water supply for drinking, cooking, washing, and watering the animals; and, as a water supply for travelers. The land was cleared of virgin timber for farming. The logs were so large that they were moved one-piece-at-a-time on mule drawn wagons.

During the War Between the States the Monroe-Natchitoches Road served as passage for troops, both Confederate and Yankee. At that time it is said that a group of outlaws called the West-Kimbrel Clan was in the area. A Yankee soldier carrying the army payroll was killed and robbed supposedly by this clan as he stopped at a spring near Walker Crossing to drink and water his horse. The spring acquired the name Yankee Springs which it still bears. A church was later built near this spring and appropriately bears the name Yankee Springs Baptist Church. Before this church was built and a cemetery formed, a number of the family members were buried at the old Indian burial ground called the "Licks" (Salt Licks) on the Ed Weeks property and is now sometimes known as the Martin Cemetery.

Sometime before 1870, Anderson Walker married Mary (Martha ?) Moody, widow of Green B. Moody. She had several children whose ages corresponded to the ages of the Walker children and some of them eventually married. The Moodys and Horns had come to Louisiana just prior to 1860 from Upson County, Georgia and settled in or near Montgomery. Green B. Moody was listed as a Deacon in the Mars Hill Baptist Church in 1860 and he apparently died soon after 1860. Some of the Horn families returned to Alabama.

The Moody children were: Elizabeth Ann b. 1838, John Andirson Moody b. 1840, Susan Rebeckar Moody (in picture) b. 1842, Mary Jane b. 1845, Missouri Ann and Allen (twins) b. 1849, and James M. b. 1857. All the children except James were born in Upson County, GA and Elizabeth and Allen died there. James was born in Alabama or Louisiana.

Caroline Walker (d/o Daniel Anderson and Mary Crocker Walker) married first a Mr. Hicks, second Allen Henry Jones (18 Jan 1869 Bienville Parish?) and third to Sam W. Moore. She had no children and is buried at Yankee Springs.

Sarah Jane Walker (d/o D.A. & M.C. Walker) - fate unknown. May have married a Ball and stayed in Jackson parish.

William Jasper Walker (s/o D.A. & M.C. Walker) - it is believed that he died at Camp Moore, LA while serving in the War Between the States. (William J. Walker, Pvt. Co. D 12th La. Inf., enlisted 8 August 1861 at Camp Moore and died 24 Sept 1861.)

James Madison Walker (s/o D.A. & M.C. Walker) - served in Co. E 28th La. Inf., C.S.A. and married Mary Jane Moody and lived the rest of his life in Ward 10, Winn Parish, LA. Their children were: Martha Elizabeth who married R.A. McNaughton and John H. "Bull" Collins, William Anderson died young, John Westley died young, Samuel Tildon, James Moody, Allen Webster who married Eva Pauline Weeks, Horace Nickolas who married Daisy Almedia "Mede" Gibbs, Junius died young, and a baby. Tildon and Moody never married.

Martha Ann Walker (d/o D.A. & M.C. Walker) believed to be "Aunt Mollie" who lived with Lizzie W. Collins some and never married.

John-Daniel Marion Walker (s/o D.A. & M.C. Walker) 1848-1925, married Susan Rebeckar Moody (d/o Green B. and Mary Martha Moody) and remained on the old Walker Home Place and raised their children: Francis Marion married Mary Ann "Annie" Rice and eventually moved to Dry Prong in Grant Parish LA, Everette and Sissy both died young and were buried at the "Licks", Quincy Turner (in picture) never married, Ada Lee married John R. Sullivan and inherited the old Walker Home Place, Letha died young and was the first person to be buried in Yankee Springs Cemetery in 1890, Emma Jane (in picture) married William Franklin "Bill" Gibbs.

Newton Lafayette Walker and Henry Martin Walker (s/o D.A. & M.C. Walker) both went to Oklahoma. Newt never married. Henry married Martha Shefler and at least one daughter.

Mary Evoleaner Walker (d/o D.A. & M.C. Walker) married Jim Ratliff/Ratcliff, moved to Montague, Texas and raised a family: Ada, Ida, Minnie Lee, Mary Evalena, Anna Belle, David and Henry.

Missouri Ann Moody (d/o Green B. & Mary Martha Moody (later became second wife of D.A. Anderson)) married Wash Browning and had one child who died. She then married S.T. "Tom" Salter in Grant Parish and is believed to have moved to Bienville Parish. The Salter children were: Frances who married a Mr. Sailes, Eva married Charlie Babers, Annie Jane died young, and Oscar who married Kate Babers.

James M. "Jimmy" Moody (s/o of G.B. & M.M. Moody) married Elmina Garrett and moved to Melrose, Texas. They are buried in Melrose Cemetery, Nacadoches County, Texas. Their children were: Sammy, Ottice, Jimmy, and Taylor. It is believed that Taylor is the only one who had children.

John Andirson Moody (s/o of G.B. & M.M. Moody) served in Co. D 12th La. Inf. C.S.A. and died 10 Sept 1863 in Monroe of an illness.

After the death of John-Daniel Marion Walker in 1925, John and Ada Walker Sullivan remained on the old Walker home place and it became known as the old Sullivan Place and is still called that today. John and Ada's children were: Lillian Sullivan who married Nathan Chandler and had Lonnie, Cortez, Inez, Jeanez, and Theda; Eucha Sullivan who married William Thomas "Casey" Weeks and had Huey, Bobby, Johnny, Tommy, and Jimmy; Ardell and "Little Dick" who both died young; Dayton O. Sullivan who married Ottice Valentine Martin and had Bonnie, Linda, and John L. "Laddie"; Marie "Josie" Sullivan who married Francis Tilton Martin and had Margaret Lenora and Shirley Marie; Irene "Jensie" Sullivan who married William H. Carpenter and had Jesse.