Thomas William WALKER

                   RESEARCH NOTE:
    Inscription on tombstone reads that he was 52 years 6 months. April 9 1887 Bellevue, Idaho Cemetery.  Historical notes and newspaper accounts are recorded in the notes.
    Thomas William Walker is connected to Lafayette County Wisconsin through several means.  His first wife died there, and it is only 10 miles or so from Galena, IL, where he married both of his wives.  There are several Walker families in Willow Springs, Lafayette, WI who are from England, and Thomas is likely related to one of these.
    The birth date is taken from his probable father's biography in the history of Lafayette County, WI.

Wood River Times Weekly 4/9/1887A FATAL BLASTArchie Watson and Thomas Walker killed in the Idahoan Mine.Particulars of AccidentAbout half past 4:00 this morning an accident occured at the Idahoan Mine by which Archie Watson and Thomas Walker lost their lives. They were sinking the east shaft and working 8 hour shifts. At 4:00 o'clock, they came up for lunch and returned to work about a half hour later. They then rang up for tools which were sent down, after which they rang the bucketup. Shortly afterward the blacksmith heard a shot in the shaft, but of course paid no attention to it. A few minutes later, hearing moans coming from that direction the Blacksmith went down the shaft and found Walker dead and Watson insensible. They were brought up to the surface at once and when Watson came to, he said that before going to lunch they had fired all the holes.On their return they examined, found it had been discharged, rang for the tools and resumed drilling. They had not struck over threee blows when an explosion occured, with the result above stated.Superintendant Havens, thinking some powder must have remained unexploded in the hole, as the men were not allowed to take any powder or caps to their work until ready to blast and then not more than they could use for oneround of holes. Watson later died later this day.Walker was married and his family lives in Vinegar Hills, Illinois.Both deceased were first class miners who had been in the Colonel Havens employ for years. He thought highly of them as he always found them competent, careful and trustworthy in every respect. Their funeral will take place tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 o'clock in this city from the Episcopal church.Wood River News Miner 4/16/1887A fearful accident shortly after 4:00 Saturday A.m. One of thedeadliest accidents ever reported from the Idahoan Mine occured.It happened in the 400' shaft and Walker was instantly killed. It isprobable that hardly a whole bone was left in his body, while all theinternal organs were badly ruptured.Thomas Walker was 54 or 55 years of age. He leaves a wife and10 children. 8 daughters and 2 sons (with the exception of 1 son whowas working with his father) at Galena, Ill.The bereaved family so suddenly deprived of its main support, willbe overwhelmed with grief upon learning the sad news.Wood River News Miner 4/23/1887A LIBERAL BENEFITSeven hundred dollars was raised for the family of Thomas Walker,recently killed in the Idahoan Mine.The owners of and miners in the Idahoan Mine have again demon-strated their liberal spirit. A subscription paper was started forthe benefit of the family of Thomas Walker, deceased, and $700.00has already been raised. The owners of the Idahoan contributed$200.00 and the miners & employees $400.00 more. $100.00 has beencontributed by outside parties.April 11, 1887The Idahoan Mine Victims Thomas Walker and Archie Watson Burried HereYesterday.The funeral of Thomas Walker and Archie Watson the victims of the accident at the idahoan mine last Saturday, took place yesterday. Early in the morning the bodies lay in state in the sample room of the Alturas Hotel, where all who wished came to take a final look at the deceased. About noon the remains headed by the Hailey brass band were escorted to the Episcopal church where the Rev. Osborn conducted the services for the dead after which the procession left for Bellevue where the remains were deterred. The cortege was nearly a mile long. When the caskets were lowered in the graves one of the boxes was ascertained to be fully six inches too long. One end was thereupon knocked out and the graves filled up.