Victor B. Walker facts for kids

Victor B. Walker (born 1864) was an important figure in the Old West. He was a soldier, a police officer, and a lawyer. He also worked as a journalist and owned a saloon. Walker was a strong supporter of civil rights for Black people. He lived in Omaha, Nebraska and later in Denver, Colorado.

Before moving to Omaha, Victor Walker was a Buffalo soldier. These were African American soldiers who served on the frontier. In Omaha, he became a police officer. He also owned a saloon called The Midway. This place was known for gambling and other activities. As a lawyer, he often defended Black people in court. He was also a member of the Omaha Afro-American League. This group worked for civil rights in the city.

In 1902, Walker had a big disagreement with a powerful political leader in Omaha, Tom Dennison. This disagreement led to a physical attack on Walker. It also ended his political dreams in Omaha. After this, he moved to Denver, Colorado. There, he opened a club called "The Rocky Mountain Athletic Club." He also became a deputy sheriff in Denver. For a short time, he ran a weekly newspaper called New American Weekly. Victor Walker was known for being very involved in politics and social life in both Omaha and Denver.

Early Life and Career

Victor Beaman Walker was born in Knox County, Tennessee, in 1864. He lived in Knoxville until 1882. He then joined the army. He became a non-commissioned officer in the Ninth Cavalry. This group was known as the Buffalo Soldiers. During his time in the army, his troop was stationed in Texas and Nebraska.

Walker moved to Omaha in 1888. In 1889, he joined the Metropolitan Police force. He worked as a police officer for five years. For two of those years, he was a Court Officer and Deputy Chief of Police. While working, he also studied law at night. He became a lawyer in February 1895. In 1890, he married Barbara Selden. They had two children together. People described Victor Walker as a tall, strong man. He and Barbara moved to Denver around 1910.

Working for Civil Rights

In the 1890s, Victor Walker was very active in the National Afro-American League. This group worked to improve the lives of African Americans. He helped organize their state meeting in 1893. He also served as the group's secretary that year.

In 1895, Walker wanted to become the captain of a new Black firemen's company. This company was being formed thanks to the efforts of Matthew Ricketts. Ricketts was the first Black person in Nebraska's state legislature. Walker was also very involved in politics. He supported the Republican Party within the Black community. This sometimes put him in disagreement with other Black leaders. He ran for Justice of the Peace in 1895 but later decided not to take the position. In 1897, he helped campaign for the Republican mayor.

Victor Walker's Legal Work

After becoming a lawyer in 1895, Walker mostly worked as a defense attorney. He often defended Black people in Omaha. In April 1895, he defended a man accused of speaking badly about a young white woman. The case was eventually dropped. In 1896, he was chosen to represent the Republican Party at their national meeting.

In the mid-1890s, two court cases involving Black men in Omaha gained a lot of attention. One was about a murder, and the other was about a train crash. Many people believed the evidence in these cases was not strong. They also thought the men might not have been treated fairly. Victor Walker worked hard to help these men. He worked with other community leaders like George F. Franklin and Ella Mahammitt. They all tried to get support for the men who were convicted.

Walker was also known for working with people who helped others get out of jail on bail. In 1897, he ran for the position of Police Judge. In 1898, he tried to become a state lawmaker but was not successful. In 1899, he worked as a temporary city prosecutor.

When the Spanish–American War started in 1898, Walker helped organize a group of Black soldiers. He wanted them to serve in the Nebraska Regiment. He was chosen as their provisional captain. Many other community members helped with recruitment. However, the company was not officially accepted. While some men joined other groups, Walker stayed in Omaha.

He was also part of the Negro Press Association. In 1898, when the group met in Omaha, he gave a speech. He talked about how the press and the law were connected. In late 1898, Black people in Omaha gathered to ask for help. They wanted the government to stop violence and lynchings in the South. Walker was one of the important leaders in these efforts.

Political Challenges

Tom Dennison was a very powerful political figure in Omaha. He arrived in the 1880s and built a strong network. This network influenced Omaha politics for many years. Victor Walker's connections in the Black community and his legal knowledge were helpful to Dennison. In 1898, Dennison helped Walker buy a saloon called "The Midway." At this time, Walker was seen as one of Dennison's key allies in the Black community.

However, Walker and Dennison later had a disagreement. Walker did not support Dennison's choices in an election enough. Because of this, Walker lost ownership of The Midway. Feeling frustrated, Walker left Omaha for a short time. When he came back, he began to challenge some of Dennison's allies. He also made accusations against police officers. On February 26, 1902, police officers attacked Walker. They accused him of carrying a hidden weapon. Walker was badly beaten. The case against Walker did not hold up. Walker then accused the officers of attacking him. The officers were found not guilty.

Walker supported a different candidate for mayor in 1906. This was against the candidate Dennison supported, James Dahlman. Dahlman won that election. Around that time, Walker left Omaha. He took a job working for the Union Pacific Railroad.

Life in Denver, Colorado

By 1910, Victor Walker and his wife moved to Denver, Colorado. He joined a group called the Colored Citizen's Non-Partisan League of Denver. He continued to be active in politics. His connections helped him get several government jobs. In 1916, he became a guard in the Denver county jail. Later that year, he was appointed as a messenger for state officials. In 1919, he became a deputy sheriff. This was a reward for his support of Mayor Dewey C. Bailey.

In Denver, he opened a club called the "Rocky Mountain Athletic Club." This club had both sports and social activities. Walker's club sometimes had issues with the law. However, people arrested there often avoided serious trouble. Walker's role in this made him a very influential person in the Black community of Denver. Despite some challenges, he kept his job as deputy sheriff until the early 1920s. In 1918, a man was shot outside his club after attacking Walker. Walker also offered to help organize a volunteer Black regiment from Colorado when the United States joined World War I. However, soldiers for this war were organized by the national government, not by states.

In 1921, he started a bond company in Denver with several partners, including his wife, Barbara. From 1921 to 1922, Walker started and edited a weekly newspaper called New American Weekly. In 1924, he faced legal challenges related to his newspaper.

|