A Request To Build A Wharf At Walkerton 1881:
May 12, 1881 - To the Hon. John D. Foster, Judge of the County Court of King and Queen County: Your petitioner, William H. Walker, a citizen of King and Queen county, hereby respectfully asks your Honor to grant him the privilege of erecting a wharf on and from the county landing, on the Mattaponi River at Walkerton, in said county, to commence in a line just below the granary of T.N.Walker, adjacent to said landing, and to extend thence across the narrow channel of said river (on the King and Queen side thereof), and across the marsh which separates said narrow channel. Your petitioner represents that such a wharf will greatly promote the convenience of the public, both for trade and travel, in connextion with the numerous sail vessels which pass up and down said river, and especially in connexion with the steamboat line recently established on said river; that the only method of conveying passengers or produce and merchandise to and from vessels and the steamer from the King and Queen side of the river is by lighters and boats, from the shore to the main channel, which is both inconvenient and dangerous; that Walkerton is a point of convenient access to a large section of country, and the public convenience demands the facilities which the proposed wharf will afford and that it willnot interfere either with navigation or the passage of fish. Your petitioner further represents that he has given notice of his intention to petition, for the privilege herein asked, by advertising such notice at Walkerton for one month, and also at the front door of the Courthouse of this county on the first day of the last term of this Court. The petition was granted, but the court also designated fixed charges for merchandise to be transported over the wharf.32

At Haybattle took care of his two old maid sisters, one of whom was blind, and his deaf brother.

Was a private in Bagby’s company during the Civil War.

After 1885 moved from Haybattle to Walkerton. Conducted a store business, and later also ran a hotel and livery, and a stage line from Walkerton to Lester Manor. He son Ben drove the stage at times.

BB Bagby noted to William that the three Polish families that had bought Whitehalll from William Hill knew almost nothing about farming in K&Q and planted the corn inclorrectly. He realized that they would not gather a good ear of corn that fall. The Polish people could not speak English, so he carried up there a two-bushel bag of black-eye peas and showed them how to plant them. The men planted as directed and raised hundreds of bushels of peas, which they sold for two dollars a bushel. The next year they put almost the whole farm in peas, and within a few years they made enough to pay off the mortgage, and made other improvements. If William had not done this for them, they probably would have lost their placaes the first year. 33

Owned Whithall for a year before selling it to the Bortons.