Toaping Castle Walkers--Distinguished Washington DC Family
Summary: Documentation and Private Family Collection of the Toaping Castle Walkers is being posted on “The Legacy of Gideon Walker and Priscilla Duvall” family tree ancestry.com in March 2012.
I was born 1949 in Washington DC and my father was born on November 3, 1916 in Bethesda, MD. His mother, Caryl H. (Walker) Winter was born in Washington, DC on May 3, 1892 at 420 B Street on Capitol Hill in a house that her father, Major Samuel H. Walker had built in 1876. (The home is four blocks from the capitol.) She died May 10, 1987 at the age of 95. Her eldest sibling (20 years her senior) was Lucretia (Walker) Hardy. Lucretia was born on December 24, 1872 and was 97 years old at her death. My grandmother, Caryl, lived 2 doors from me and my Aunt lived next door during the summer. Another, Great Aunt, Florine lived 4 doors down the block. She was 4 years older than my grandmother and lived to be at least 88 years of age. As you can tell we were a large and very close family. All the women along with two other sisters were members of the Daughters of the American Revolution and my Dad was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.
I am and have always been passionately interested in history and particularly family history. I have hundreds if not 1000's of family pictures and documents (or copies) going back to the late 1700's. I have spoken before the Princes George's Toaping Castle chapter of the DAR, made presentations to local Historical Societies and school groups on local history.
From my earliest childhood I asked about our family heritage. My first introduction to family history was as a small child. I remember vividly asking my Grandfather, Dad's father, about any famous 'fighting men' in our family. I was a Davy Crockett 'fan' and I wanted to know if we had anyone at the Alamo. He said probably not, but that his Grandfather Wilhelm Winter served with Winfield Scott when he entered Mexico City. However, he said that there was someone else and someone very famous who fought in the Mexican War on your Grandmother's side of the family...Samuel Hamilton Walker, one of the first and 'most famous of the Texas Rangers...as famous as any fighting man of his day.’
I was hooked right then and wanted to know everything about our family. Soon, I realized that just about everyone in the family knew or was involved in history and events around Washington, DC and Maryland. As an example, my Great Aunt Lou (Lucretia Walker Hardy) in 1923 was instrumental in starting the Nation's Christmas Tree Lighting and Celebration. I have many of the early original programs.
I came to realize quite early in life that everyone and all families have a story to tell and pass down to future generations. I think that the Walker Family history is as my Great Grandfather outlined...though not complete...is basically accurate and an honest and straight forward attempt to get at the truth.
I believe from what I've been told and the information I have that the Toaping Castle Walker story in Maryland started in the late 1740's...before that Scotland.
People who talk about 'fables and myths' are trying to fit square pegs into round holes.
I will be posting exclusive family photos and documents on the ancestry.com tree “The Legacy of Gideon Walker and Priscilla Duvall” which I am told will be available to the public in March.
Phil Winter—great-grandson of Major Samuel H. Walker
Family Historian of the Toaping Castle Walkers
Historian and Lecturer—Montgomery County, MD
MA Political Science—American University
Washington DC
Posted For Phil Winter by Sheila