Isaac Walker (1829 – 1901)
Mr. Walker was another well respected citizen of Poland who now rests in the Riverside Cemetery near the present Speakers Platform. At one time his family owned nearly seven hundred acres of land between Western Reserve Road and what we now call Walker Mill Road. Here is his story that shows that hard work really does pay off.
Isaac’s father was Josiah, who in 1802 came from Pennsylvania and settled in the woods and built a crude log cabin. Josiah was unmarried and spent his Sundays with the Struthers family, Mrs. Struthers being a cousin. He met and married Nancy Polk and they reared five children: Joseph, Mariah, Alexander, Jemima and Isaac. On his first farm he specialized in raising horses, but as his sons grew up they decided there was more money in sheep. The family then built a saw mill on Yellow Creek where it crossed under Walker Mill Road and they sawed lumber night and day. In the winter season the boys would set out for the woods before light, spend the whole day there, and bring the logs on sleds to the mill to be sawed into boards the next summer. By raising sheep and sawing lumber the Walkers became well-to-do.
Isaac lived on the family farm until 1886 when he retired because of a broken leg and moved to Poland Village. He purchased the large frame house on Main Street next to the Presbyterian Church that was originally built by Turhand Kirtland. It is said that the barn that now sits behind this house was built with the heavy timbers from Walker’s abandoned saw mill. Isaac made other improvements to the house including the fine stone sidewalk and the wrought iron fence in front.
On March 22, 1860, he married Miss R. Edna Stewart and they had one daughter, Della. Della studied medicine at Western Reserve and practiced in Salem, Ohio. On October 10, 1900 Isaac died at his home from what his obituary called infirmities of old age. He was 81 years old. As far as can be determined Isaac was not related to Robert L. Walker who lived across Main Street on the corner of Riverside.
Isaac Walker’s family monument is quite impressive, being among the tallest in the cemetery. This huge marble obelisk indicates that hard work brought Isaac much wealth. On the monument we read that Edna died on June 20, 1918 and Della, the daughter, lived until 1944. Josiah, his father, died in 1858 and his brother, Alexander, died in 1884 and Joseph died two years later. Isaac was known for being a Republican and an active worker in the Presbyterian Church.