Wright Walker (1845-1921)

Wright Walker, born 1845 in Georgia and later freed from slavery during the Civil War. Walker joined Union General William Tecumseh Sherman as he marched through the South, and later relocated to Massillon with the local Jarvis family. He was always generous in his contributions to local churches and charities and was well-known about town for his large top hat, which he even wore while mowing the grass. Upon his death, Walker left bequests to local churches and made a $30,000 contribution to the Tuskegee Institute, a college for African American students founded by Booker T. Washington.