Author Archives: Kristen James Eberlein

Death of a Prominent Newark Builder

Joseph J. Meeker, the well-known builder of Newark, died from heart failure at his temporary home in the Westminster apartment-house, at Sixteenth street and Irving Place, yesterday. He was born and always lived in Newark, and was identified with many enterprises that have contributed to the rapid growth of that city. He was a builder all his life, having started in that business, when a young man, and was associated with Mr. Hedden, under the firm name Meeker & Hedden, for thirty-two years. They built the woodwork of the Produce Exchange, a number of the elevated railroad stations, and did a great deal of work for the Central Railroad of New Jersey.

They also rebuilt the Thirty-fourth-st. horse-car stables after they were burned a few years ago. Mr. Meeker was a director of the North Ward Bank of Newark. His father, Elly Meeker, is still living at the age of eighty-nine. He leaves a wife and two daughters. The funeral will be held in Newark on Tuesday.

Source: Unidentified newspaper clipping, located in the “Family Record, 1848” and transcribed by J. Pierson James. Typescript in the James Family Papers, privately held by Kristen James Eberlein.

Biography, Edward Wood Walker

Dr. Edward Wood Walker, son of Timothy Walker, was born September 3, 1853, at Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended the public schools of his native city and entered Harvard College, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the class of 1874. He began to study his profession in the Cincinnati Medical College and was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1877. He then spent two years abroad, attending lectures at Heidelberg University and at Berlin and Vienna. Upon his return home he began to practice his profession in Cincinnati, making a specialty of surgery in which he attained great skill and prominence. In 1886 he was demonstrator of pathology at the Medical College of Ohio, and in the same year was elected to the chair of surgery and pathology in Miami Medical College. He is also a professor on the staff of the Cincinnati City Hospital and in the Episcopal Hospital and on the staff of the German Deaconess’ Hospital and the Betts Street Hospital. He is a member of the Ohio State Academy of Medicine and of the American Medical Association. Since 1910 he has been a member of the Cincinnati Board of Health. He was formerly examiner of the pension department of the United States. He has taken all the thirty-two degrees in Scottish Rite Masonry and is a member of Harmony Lodge, No. 5, the chapter, council, commandery and other Masonic bodies; also member of the Blain Club, the Press Club of Cincinnati and the Queen City Club. He is a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal church. In politics he is a Republican. He married, June 7, 1893, Inez Hatfield, born in 1872, daughter of John Hatfield, of Lebanon, Ohio. They have no children.

Source: William Richard Cutter, New England Families: Genealogical and Memorial (New York:  Lewis Historical Publishing Company, 1914), Volume III, page 1107.