scott walker
1880-1952
Life Story
Biography
Scott Walker was born about 1880 in Newton County, Mississippi, to Luke Walker (1843–1912) and Lydia Evans Walker (1855–?). He was one of the older children in a large family whose early life was shaped by farming, seasonal labor, and the transitions of the post-Reconstruction rural South. Like many children of his era and community, Scott attended school intermittently and completed the 4th grade of elementary school.
Marriage and Family Life
On December 26, 1900, Scott married Mary Jane Rigsby (1883–1950), daughter of the local Rigsby-Chapman families. Their household grew into a sizeable family, and the following known children were born to their union:
- Novella Walker (1903–1968)
- Lillie Walker (1905–1966)
- Clifton Walker (1906–1921)
- Alma Cleo Walker (1907–1969)
- Ever Walker (1910–?)
- Melvin Walker (1914–1978)
- Grover Davis Walker (1916–1973)
- Lula Walker (1918–1962)
- Etta Arlean Walker (1921–2001)
Scott supported his family primarily through farm labor, a skill he inherited from the Walker and Evans lines. Newspaper records from the 1920s and 1930s consistently refer to him as a “colored farmer near Newton.”
land ownership
On November 27, 1917, for the sum of $24, Larcenia P. Ried and her husband, Robert H. Reid, granted Scott Walker four acres of land described as NE 1/4 of NW 1/4 of Section 18, Range 11 East.
Agricultural Accomplishments
Scott Walker appears several times in The Newton Record in connection with farming achievements, suggesting he was well-regarded locally for the quality of his crops:
Sugar Cane Recognition
A notable article reported:
“Scott Walker brought a stalk of sugar cane to the Record office this week that measured nine feet and eleven inches from tip to tip. He states that he has nice cane prospects.”
Another write-up described impressive sugar cane grown by him that had been displayed in town. Mentions like these indicate that Walker was known for cultivating unusually strong and healthy cane crops, a point of pride among farmers in the area.
Participation in Agricultural Improvement Programs
In N. H. Pilate’s Agricultural Notes, Scott was listed among the outstanding farmers participating in a year-long gardening and education program established for Negro farmers of the Newton Separate School District. This program taught:
- Proper garden size
- Planting rates and schedules
- Insect control
- Canning and food preservation
Scott Walker is noted alongside other community farmers—Lee Robinson, Perry Chapman, Tom Earnest, and Doyne Jordon—indicating he was part of a core group actively improving local food production and farm practices. The program concluded that nearly every farmer in the district was growing more vegetables than before, reflecting meaningful community-wide progress.
Community Mentions and Legal Notes
Like many men of his generation navigating racialized justice systems in the Jim Crow South, Scott appears at least once in the county court docket:
State vs. Alf Evans, Gus Evans, Will Simmons, and Scott Walker – Profanity; plea of guilty; fined $5 and costs each.
Such fines were common at the time and were often levied in circumstances that today would be considered minor or culturally contextual disputes.
Poll Tax Delinquency
In the 1930s, Scott Walker’s name appeared more than once on the delinquent poll tax list. This was not unusual—poll taxes were a financial burden used as a voter-suppression tool against African Americans in Mississippi. Seeing his name on this list provides historical insight: like many Black men of modest means, economic pressures may have prevented him from paying the annual tax required to vote.
Standing in the Community
Despite the economic and legal challenges of Black life in rural Mississippi during his era, Scott Walker appears repeatedly in local newspapers—not only in legal notices but in agricultural highlights and community developments. These mentions reflect a man who was:
- Widely recognized as a farmer,
- Engaged with educational and improvement programs,
- Known for exceptional sugar cane cultivation,
- Raising a large and enduring family,
- Connected to the agricultural and social fabric of Newton County’s Black community.
His life illustrates the resilience, labor, and evolving agricultural practices of Black farmers in the early 20th-century South.
📘 Sidebar: Negro Farmers Evening Class Program (Newton Separate School District)
In the early 1930s, the Newton Separate School District organized a year-long Evening Garden Program for Negro farmers, responding to a survey that revealed a critical shortage of homegrown vegetables and fruit among Black families in the Newton area. Led by agricultural instructor N. H. Pilate, the program sought to strengthen local food security and improve farming practices.
The curriculum included practical instruction on:
- Determining the proper size of family gardens
- Establishing planting dates and seed rates
- Controlling insects and garden pests
- Canning and preserving surplus food for winter use
These classes were held regularly and quickly gained momentum. By the end of the program, Pilate reported that nearly every Black farmer in the district was producing more vegetables than ever before, marking a clear improvement in household sustainability.
Among the farmers recognized for their outstanding participation were:
- Scott Walker
- Lee Robinson
- Perry Chapman
- Tom Earnest
- Doyne Jordon
The Evening Class Program represents one of the earliest organized agricultural extension efforts for Black farmers in Newton County—showcasing community initiative, cooperative learning, and a commitment to improving family livelihoods despite the constraints of segregation and limited resources.
Resting Place
Saint John Missionary Baptist Church Graveyard
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1880 Federal Census
- 1900 Federal Census
- 1910 Federal Census
- 1920 Federal Census
- 1930 Federal Census
- 1940 Federal Census
- 1950 Federal Census
- The Newton Record, Poll Tax, Thu, Mar 06, 1930 ·Page 3
- The Newton Record, Lillie W. Johnson Obituary, Wed, Jun 08, 1966 ·Page 9
- The Newton Record, State vs. Scott Walker, Thu, Jan 30, 1908 ·Page 4
- Scott County Times, Melvin Walker Obituary, Wed, Nov 15, 1978 ·Page 3
- U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- U.S., World War I Civilian Draft Registrations, 1917-1918
- U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918
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