Newton J. Walker
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Major Isaac Newton Walker |
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 |
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| Member of the Illinois House of Representatives | |
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In office 1838–1840 |
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| Preceded by | Samuel Hackelton |
| Succeeded by | Lewis W. Ross |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 18, 1803 Charlottesville, Virginia |
| Died | September 14, 1899 (aged 95) Lewistown, Illinois |
| Resting place |
Oak Hill Cemetery Lewistown, Illinois |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Ann Eliza Simms (married 1834-1899) |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Lewistown, Illinois |
| Occupation | Farmer, merchant |
Isaac Newton Walker (December 18, 1803 – September 14, 1899) was a pioneer farmer and merchant in Illinois, designer of the third Fulton County courthouse, member of the Illinois House of Representatives, and a close personal friend of Abraham Lincoln.
Isaac Newton Walker, generally referred to as Newton Walker, was born on December 18, 1803, in Madison County, Virginia, the son of Merriweather Walker and Elizabeth Kirtley. On May 14, 1834, Walker married Ann Eliza Simms (1814-1904), daughter of Colonel Reuben C. Simms and Frances M. Graves, in Madison County, Virginia. The couple moved to Lewistown, Illinois, in 1835, living on a farm that had been owned by Ossian M. Ross, the founder of Lewistown, who had subsequently moved to Havana, Illinois. The couple had four children: Mary ("Mollie;" 1835-1923), Henrietta (1839-1928), Robert (1844-1932), and Amelia (1847-1935).
Ann Eliza Simms' sisters also moved to Fulton County, and three of them married notable men of the region. Elizabeth M. Simms married David H. Rutledge, brother of Ann Rutledge, who is often considered to have been the sweetheart of Abraham Lincoln; Frances M. Simms married Hon. Lewis W. Ross, a United States Congressman; and Catharine M. Simms married General Leonard F. Ross, a brigadier general in the American Civil War.
Newton Walker was engaged in farming in Lewistown. He was also the owner/proprietor of a general store, dealing in merchandise ranging from "mackerel to French edging."
In 1824, at the age of 21, Walker was appointed a major in the Virginia militia. He was then appointed to the command of the escort of the Marquis de Lafayette during Lafayette's fourth visit to the United States (1824-1825), accompanying him throughout Virginia. Walker continued to be addressed as "Major" throughout his life and in subsequent historical accounts.
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