The following information was taken from The HIstory of Old Tryon and Rutherford Counties by Clarence Griffen. This is a history of these counties from 1730 to 1936. The book was published in 1977 by the Reprint Company, Pulishers, Spartanburg, SC. Entered by Dale Kiser, a direct descendant of Col. John Walker, pg. 21-22.
"Col. John Walker was born on Bohemia Creek, New Castle County, Delaware, in 1728. He was the son of JOhn Walker, who emigrated from Derry, Ireland in 1720, and settled in Delaware where he died. Col. JOhn Walker was apprenticed at an early age, and after being released from apprenticeship settled on the south branch of the Potomac RIver, in Hampshire Co, Va (now West VA), where he married Elizabeth Watson in 1751. He served as a volunteer under Col. George Washington, and shared in Braddock's disastrous defeat in 1755. After the route of Braddock's army in the country was exposed to depredations of the Indians. In consequence of this he shortly afterwards moved to Tryon Co, NC and settled on Lee Creek, about ten miles east of the present town of Lincolnton. While residing there he enlised in Col. Grant's regiment and served in a campaign against the Cherokee Indians in 1761. On his return from this campaign he purchased a beautiful spot of land on Crowder's Creek about four miles from King's Mountain and removed there in the fall of 1763. He was a skillful hunter and followed that occupation almost to the day of his death. In 1768 the range began to break and game not being so plentiful, he purchased a tract of four hundred acres of land in the present county of Rutherford from a brother hunter, Moses Moore, for one Spanish Doublon. He moved to this tract of land in the same year. It is located at the mouth of Cane Creek, near the present Logan Station (Itom Post Office) of the C.C. & Railway, about five miles northeast of Rutherfordton. The house which Walker built on the tract was located on the east side of Cane Creek, about one-half mile above its mouth.
Walker was a man of marked character and prominence. He had several commissions under the Colonial government, among them being the Col-commandant of the Tryon militia and a justice of the court for many years. He was one of the Tryon commissioners to select and build a courthouse for that county, and was one of Tryon's six delegates to the Third Provincial Congress held in Hillsboro. At that session, he was selected a sa captain in the First Regiment of the Continental Line, and was commissioned Sept. 1, 1775. He went north with the first detachment of troops and was promoted to Major April 25, 1777. He resigned December 22, 1777, on account of ill health. Upon his return to Tryon County he found much disaffection. He worked untiringly reviving the droped spirits of the Whigs and urging the cause of American Independence. He continued an active participant in the civic and political life of the county and state, and when Tryon was erased from thr roll call of counties, and Lincoln and Rutherford took its place in 1779, Walker was appointed a justice of the new county of Rutherford, a position he continued to hold until about the time of his death. The first sessions of the Rutherford County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions were held at his home near the mouth of Cane Creek.
Walker was one of four commissioners appointed to survey the dividing line between Rutherford and Lincoln, and in 1784, was appointed one of the six State Commissioners for disposing of confiscated property. He was a commissioner for the Morgan, or west district, (State Records, Vol. 24, pp. 661-62).
In 1787, he removed to the forks of the Green and Broad Rivers in Rutherford County (now Polk County) where he purchased a large tract of land and resumed agricultural pursuits. He died there January 25, 1796, in this sixty-eighth year, and was laid to rest on the plantation. A few years later, his wife was laid beside him. John Walker had six sons who served in the Revolutionary War( among them being Hon. Felix Walker (Revolutionary Services of Col. John Walker and Family; and Reminiscences of Hon. Felix Walker, by Clarence Griffin, 1930, -pp. 3-10.)
Additional information found in the book about Co. John Rutherford Walker
He enlistrd in Col. Grant's S.C. Regmient and served in the campaign against the Cherokee Indians in 1761. He then purchased a beautiful span on Crowder's Creek about 4 miles from Kings Mountain. In 1768 he moved to a tract of 400 acres at the mouth of the Cane Creek about 5 miles NE of Rutherfordton. In 1774 he was appointed by the NC Legislature as one of the Commissioners to select a site to build a courthouse, prison and stocks for the county of Tryon. Prior to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, he was a leader in Civil Activities under the Royal Government, but resigned his office in 1775. In 1775 he was appointed to the Provincial Congress. It is said that he wrote, masterminded and was a signer of the District and County Commission of Safety. At the third Provincial Congress, two regiments of Continental troups were ordered raised in NC and he was immediately selected as one of the captains of a company in the First Regmient and was commissioned Sept. 1, 1775. He held several commissions such as Col. and Commandant of the Tryon Militia. He was a Justice of the Peace, a court judge (the first session of the Rutherford Co. Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions was held at his home). He had six sons where also served in the American Revolutionary war. Felix was the oldest (there is a Historical marker honoring Felix on the highway in Maggie Valley, NC and there was John Walker Jr; James Reuben; William, Thomas and the youngest, Joseph (He also had two other sons, George and Jacob). On Dec. 22, 1777, he resigned stating that being 50 years old, that a younger man might be needed and to that he had six sons in service and a wife and two small sons at home exposed to the mercies of marauding bands of Indians. The two sons at home were George and Jacob. In 1778, Tryon was abolished by the Act of Legislative of 1778 and Rutherford and Lincoln counties took it place. This Act designated Col. John Walker as one of the four commissioners to survey the dividing line between the two counties and to assist in settling up a government in these counties. In 1778 he moved to the forks of the Green and Broad Rivers in Rutherford Co (now Polk Co) where he purchased a large tract of land and resumed his agricultural pursuits. He died there on Jan 25, 1796, in his 68th year and was laid to rest on a gentle knoll on his plantation. That valuable inheritance of land was left to his youngest son, Jacob, who remained to to care for his mother. She died on Easter Sunday, April 17, 1808, at about the age of 75 and was placed beside her husband on the plantation.
(reference: "Genealogy of John Walker from Ireland 1720 and some of his Ancestors in England and Irelandd and some of his Descendants in America, " Complied by Robert Walston Walker, Ft. Worth TX, 1900-1934.:"
"Revolutionary Services of col. John Walker and Family and Memoirs of Hon. Felix Walker," Clarence Griffin, Spindale, NC 1930. ,/blockquote>"History of Old Tryon and Rutherford Co, NC 1730-1936," Clarence Griffin, p. 132.
The DAR papers of Elizabeth Ann Price Mayfield.
Near the end of the Revolutionary War, John Walker's oldest son, Felix, described his father as being a man of slender habit, full of energy and swift of foot, he held a suavity in his mannerse that was graceful and attractive, and had a cultivated understanding for his times and his day.
Felix wrote that he knew no man more liberal, hospitable and benevolent (evan to a fault). He maintained such a consistence of character as insured him the confidence and friendship of society through life and left a good impression and inheritance to his children. He was a skilled hunter and farmer and followed that occupation almost to the day of his death.
On Sunday, August 28, 1983, the unveiling of a Daughter's of the American Revolution Marker, which has been placed on the tombstone of Col. John Walker, was held.
Col. John Walker (husband of Elizabeth Watson) served in the Revolutionary War and had six sons that also fought in this war. This ceremony was conducted by Elizabeth Ann Price Mayfield, Vice-Regent of the Hudson Berry Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a direct descendant of Col. John Walker.
Col. John Walker also accompanied Felix Walker and Daniel Boone to Kentucky where they founded Ft. Boonesboro.