Lang, H. O., ed.  "The History of the Willamette Valley, Being A Description 
of the Valley and its Resources, with an account of its Discovery and 
Settlement by White Men, and its Subsequent History; Together with Personal 
Reminiscences of its Early Pioneers."  Portland, OR, Geo. H. Himes, Book and 
Job Printer, 1885.  p. 598.

MARY RICHARDSON WALKER

     This venerable lady, who is unquestionably the leader of all living female
immigrants to the region west of the Rocky Mountains, resides at present Forest
Grove, in the enjoyment of all her mental most of her physical faculties.  Like
so many of the honored and venerated pioneers of this coast, Mrs. Walker was
born in the State of Maine.  the place of her nativity was the town of Baldwin,
and the date was 1811.  She became the wife of Rev. Elkanah Walker, and with him
set out for the Pacific Slope, and after the usual adventures, hardships and
misfortunes incident to the trip across the plains arrived, in the year 1838, on
the Columbia.  For nearly ten years Mr. and Mrs. Walker continued to reside at
the Mission, a short distance below Fort Colville, and here some of their
children were born.  During all this time their existence was almost wholly with
the Indians, no white people living within hundreds of miles, excepting Rev. C.
Eells and family, who shared with the Walker family the discomforts of their
life and lot.  to the people of today it must seem wonderful and altogether
inexplicable, how human beings as tenderly nurtured as the Walker and Eells
families were, could live at all amid such surroundings, and the wonder
increases when it is learned that ten years did not serve to dampen the ardor of
these pious missionary people.  Leaving Walker's Claims, as the locality of the
mission was called, the Walker family removed in 1848, to the Willamette Valley,
and have since made Washington County their home.  Mr. Walker died in 1877.  The
children's names are, Cyrus H., Abigail B., Marcus W., Joseph E., John R., Levi
C., and Samuel T.
 
 
Transcriber's Note:  The Diary of Mary Richardson Walker is held by the Research
Library at Oregon Historical Society in Portland, Or.

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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in June 2005 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.