Peter Walters (1816 - 1890)

Born 10 Oct 1816 in Jefferson, Tennessee, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 20 Jan 1890 at age 73 in Table Grove, Fulton, Illinois, United States

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Biography

Peter was born in 1816. He passed away in 1890.

--- DEATH OF AN OLD PIONEER

Peter Walters

Died, on Monday, January 20, 1890, at his residence in this township, three and one-half miles northeast of this place, Mr. Peter WALTERS, better known as Uncle Peter WALTERS. Mr. WALTERS was one of the earliest settlers of this township, being contemporary with Mr. John Barker, Daniel Webster, and others, who settled here prior to 1830, when the country was a wilderness and the hunting grounds of Indians. It is related that his mother in those early days had an encounter with a squaw. The squaw with a number of other Indians, stopped at the home of Mr. WALTERS and requested that the old lady give her some meat, which she at first refused to do but later concluded she would as the squaw got very angry. Mrs. WALTERS started to go up-stairs on the ladder used in those primitive days for steps and the squaw followed her. Just as she put her head in the upper room, Mrs. WALTERS struck her over the head with a loose board knocking her down to the floor below, which seemed to please the other Indians. This so enraged the squaw that when Mrs. WALTERS came down with the meat, she made at her with a knife when Mrs. WALTERS seized the knife, drew it across her throat just making the blood flow, then picked up the squaw and threw her out of doors, the other Indians enjoying the fun.

Mr. WALTERS has lived continuously on the farm where he first settled and retained until the death, characteristic of the old settlers. He was a life long Democrat and had been a reader of the Ledger ever since it was issued. The old gentleman was very firm in his likes and dislikes and one of the most hospitable of men. To illustrate his firmness it is said that he vowed not to cut his hair after Lincoln was elected until a Democratic president was elected; and we have been informed that he actually did not have it cut until Cleveland was elected. Mr. WALTERS was a member of the Baptist church organized in 1835 and known by the Farmers Townships church. Reverend Cohagen delivered the funeral sermon. From the best information we can gain Mr. WALTERS came here from Tennessee and was in the neighborhood of 80 years old. Uncle Peter was universally respected and was strictly honest. He leaves a wife and three or four grown children.

(Table Grove newspaper?, 1890 from http://www.illinoisancestors.org/fulton/Obituaries/ObituariesT_Z.html#waltersjoseph )

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Sources

1. ↑ Unsourced family tree handed down to Jason Banks.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45364830/peter-walters