Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County,
Illinois: containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of
prominent and representative citizens of the county: together with
portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States,
and governors of the state; Biographical Pub. Co., Chicago, IL; 1890;
page 428-430; Transcribed by Margaret Rose Whitehurst
John A. Walters, Esq., has been for many years prominently
identified with the agricultural interests of this county, and until
recently was the proprietor of a finely-improved farm on section 20,
Cass Township. This farm, for which he paid $1,650 was supplied with
substantial improvements, including neat and commodious buildings, and
was in every respect well-improved and well-managed. Mr. Walters is
numbered among the influential citizens of Smithfield, and here and in
other towns where he has dwelt he has borne a conspicuous part in the
management of public affairs, holding many important offices, and this
community values him as one of its best members, whether as a civic
officer, or in his private capacity. Mr. Walters was born March 27, 1825, amid the
beautiful scenes of Shenandoah Valley, Rockingham County, Va. His
father, Thomas V. Walters, was also a native of the Old Dominion. The
family was an old Virginian family which had its origin in Germany. The
first to come to this country arrived about the time of the Revolution,
and served in a Virginian regiment during that struggle. The mother of
our subject was Polly Woods, and her family came from Wales to this
country, and located in Virginia.
The parents of our subject were married in
Virginia, and there made their home until after the mother's death. The
father then bound out his children, and went to Kentucky, where he
stayed a short time. His next move was to the pioneer settlements of
Illinois in 1836. He located at Centerville, now Cuba, where he
established himself in the mercantile business. He afterward bought
some land in Cass Township, and opened up a farm there, his death
occurring at an advanced age, March 12, 1871. He had married a second
time in Kentucky, but his wife is now deceased. Four of the ten
children born to him of his first marriage, grew to maturity. Two of
the four children of his second marriage are now living.
John Walters was bound out at ten years of age
to a farmer, and staid with him until he was seventeen years of age. He
suffered much from the hard treatment that he received at the hands of
his cruel master, and he and his twin brother Parmenas A. were so
abused that they finally took courage to run away, and left their
places "between two days," starting out on foot for Illinois. They had
to hide in the day-time in the mountains, to avoid pursuit, and only
traveled at night. They finally made their way to their father at Cuba,
and our subject was sent to school, and in the spring went to work for
a farmer near Waterford. We next hear of him in Wisconsin, where he was
employed in breaking prairie, and digging for minerals. In the fall of
1848 he returned to Virginia on a visit, and staid there eighteen
months. When he came back to Cuba, he brought his sister with him. The
ensuing year he was engaged in working around.
Mr. Walters was married in 1851, to Esther
Wilson, a daughter of William and Esther (Rumsey) Wilson, natives
respectively of Ireland and Philadelphia. Her father was a sailor for
seven years, and came to Illinois in 1830 with his family, and was one
of the early pioneers of Bernadotte Township. Both he and his wife are
now dead. Mrs. Walters was born in March, 1831. She died in 1856, and
both the children born of her marriage are now deceased. Mr. Walter's
second marriage which was consummated November 3, 1859, was with Mary
Carpenter. She was born February 2, 1840, in Fayette County, Ohio, and
received her education in the district schools. Her parents were George
and Mary (Graham) Carpenter, natives respectively of Virginia and
Maryland. After their marriage they lived in Ohio fifteen years, then
in Indiana seven years, and from there removed back to Ohio, and lived
there nine years and then came to Fulton County, Ill. Their marriage
had been solemnized in Fayette County, Ohio, and it was the year 1856
when they settled in McDonough County, this State. They afterward lived
nine years in Cass Township, and then bought a farm between Cuba and
Smithfield. He died June 20, 1874, and she April 20, 1882. The
following five of their nine children are still living: William, who
lives in Cuba; Elizabeth, the wife of Robert Quillan; Fannie, wife of
George Maguire, of Cuba, Mrs. Walters, and Albert O., of Smithfield.
After his first marriage, our subject settled
on a farm on section 13, Cass Township, where J. M. Herbert now
resides. He remained there but a short time, however, and when his twin
brother went to California, they divided up the property, and our
subject sold out his share and bought a place on section 24, Bernadotte
Township. He soon disposed of that place, and purchased an eighty-acre
farm in Bureau County. Later he came back to this county and invested
in eighty acres of land on section 25, Cass Township, and then sold his
Bureau County property to Alexander Hull. After six months residence in
Cass Township, he sold out there to William Wilson, and again bought
two hundred acres on section 18, and removed to that place. After the
death of his wife he took up his residence in Cuba, and was engaged in
the mercantile business there for about a year. In the meantime he
invested in a ninety acre tract on the west line of this county. He
closed his business in Cuba and returned to farming.
Mr. Walters and his present wife began their
wedded life on the farm mentioned on section 18, and spent two years
there. He then purchased the estate which is now the property of Samuel
Baughman, and there eight years were passed. At the expiration of that
time he sold and bought the southeast quarter of section 17, and
actively engaged in its cultivation fifteen years before he disposed of
it, and became the proprietor of a place in Smithfield, upon which he
dwelt five years. He bought one hundred and sixty-four acres on section
30, and rented it, and then bought the Philip Derst place. He finally
sold his out of town property, and removed to a farm on section 20,
which he sold two months later, and then bought the farm which he sold
in 1890. He now owns eight acres of finely tilled land, of which seven
and one-half acres are within the corporate limits of Smithfield, and
also has six lots in Quillan's Addition. Mr. Walters has seen and experienced much of
pioneer life, and has contributed his quota towards bringing about the
great change that has been wrought by the hand of man in making this a
well-developed wealthy country since he came here on foot when a boy.
Wherever he has dwelt he has been looked upon as a man of sound
understanding and excellent business qualities, whose character for
honor, truthfulness and unimpeachable integrity was of the highest. His
fellow citizens have felt they could safely trust important offices in
his hands, feeling assured that the duties resting upon him would be
discharged faithfully and without fear or favor. Thus he has been
School Director for years, Justice of the Peace for a period of
twenty-four years, is serving his second term as Notary Public, was
several times Supervisor of Cass Township, and was Township Assessor
for four terms, besides serving as Grand Juryman for years. He is a
member of Cuba Lodge, A. F. & A. M., having been a charter member
of the same. He is a man of considerable education and of great
intelligence, and since he came to Fulton County he has taught five
terms of school. His principles as a politician are strongly
Democratic, and also favor temperance, he being a zealous
Prohibitionist. We may remark in this connection that Mrs. Walters
takes an intelligent interest in politics, and is a stanch Republican.
They are both active and influential in religious matters, he being a
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and a Steward and Trustee
thereof, while she belongs to the United Brethren Church. They both
possess genial, sunny temperaments, know well how to enjoy life, and
are social favorites, their pleasant home being the center of genuine
hospitality which attracts a large circle of friends and acquaintances.
