Shaver, F. A., Arthur P. Rose, R. F. Steele, and A. E. Adams, compilers.  "An
Illustrated History of Central Oregon." ("Embracing Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam,
Wheeler, Crook, Lake, & Klamath Counties")  Spokane, WA: Western Historical
Publishing Co., 1905.  p. 541.

JOHN A. WALTER

     a Sherman county farmer, resides at Klondike, opposite the post-office. He
was born in Illinois, August 14, 1868, the son of William and Elizabeth (Bailey)
Walter, the former a native of Pennsylvania ; the latter of Indiana. The
ancestry of the father were Pennsylvania Dutch. He now lives at Dallas City,
Illinois, where he follows the trade of a blacksmith. The mother of our subject
died when he was eleven months old. John A. Walter was reared in Illinois by his
grandparents until he was ninteen years of age. Here he attended the district
schools and secured a good business education. In 1887 he went to Yuba county,
California, where he remained nine months and thence came to Sherman county,
where he worked out and rented land for four years. He then, in 1891, filed on
land and subsequently purchased more. At present he owns a section on which he
raises stock for his own use. He has twenty head of graded Hambeltonian and
Clydesdale horses.
     Our subject was married January 19, 1893, to Fanny M. Hilderbrand, born in
Colusa, Illinois, sister of George W. Hilderbrand, mentioned in another portion
of this work. The marriage ceremony was solemnized at Colusa.
     Our subject has two half-sisters, Jessie, wife of William McKee, of
Chicago, and Mamie, wife of Edward Hubner, a merchant of Dallas, Illinois. Three
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Walter : William M., aged twelve; Alta
M., aged five ; John A., aged three.
     Politically, Mr. Walter is an independent and .is now serving his second
term as school director. He is a member of the United Brethren church, and has
been Sunday school superintendent for a number of years. He is at present class
leader, a most exemplary citizen and one who has won and retains the confidence
and respect of the community in which he has cast his lot.
     In his immediate vicinity, Mr. Walter is one of the pioneers, for when he
first came only a portion of the country was settled. He has seen the virgin
prairie transformed to one of the greatest wheat producing sections of Oregon,
for Sherman county, one of the smallest of the entire state, is rated as
producing one fifth of the entire wheat crop raised in Oregon.


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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in July 2010 by Diana Smith.  Submitter
has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.