Pinkney Houston Walker was the son of Joseph G. Walker, a Kentucky lawyer, and Martha (Scott). He was born on a farm in Adair County, Ky. He was of Scotch-Irish descent, his first American ancestor, John Walker, having come to America from Ireland between 1726 and 1730.
Attending country school in winter, helping his father on the farm in summer, and working in a village store occupied most of Pinkney's time as a youth until he was nineteen years of age, when he went to live in Rushville, Ill. After four years in a store there, he attended an academy at Macomb for several months and then entered upon the study of law in the office of his uncle, Cyrus Walker.
Admitted to the bar in 1839, he practised in Macomb, at first in partnership with Thomas Morrison and later with his uncle. In 1848 he returned to Rushville where, after practising five years, most of the time in partnership with Robert S. Blackwell, he was elected to the circuit bench to fill a vacancy. He was reëlected in 1855, but resigned early in 1858 to accept an appointment tendered by Gov. William H. Bissell, as justice of the supreme court of Illinois. In June of that year he was elected to that position and also in 1867 and 1876, serving continuously until his death. From 1864 to 1867 and in 1874-75 he was chief justice. Among Walker's most important opinions may be mentioned Carroll vs. East St. Louis, 67 Ill. , 568 (1873) and Starkweather vs. American Bible Society, 72 Ill. , 50 (1874), in which he pointed out the danger involved in the use of a corporation as a legal device for holding land in perpetuity; and Ruggles vs. People, 91 Ill. , 256 (1878), in which he held that a grant by the state to a railroad company of a power to fix rates did not bar subsequent legislative regulation of rates under the police power. He concurred in the opinion in Munn vs. Illinois, 69 Ill. , 80, upholding the power of the state to regulate and fix maximum rates of charge in grain elevators. Walker's opinions were neither brilliant nor scholarly, but were characterized by practicality, cogency of reasoning, and clarity of expression. He was a prodigious worker. Especially was he incessant in his endeavors to keep the supreme court docket clear, a no small undertaking during his first twelve years as a judge when there were but three justices on the bench. Walker died at his home in Rushville from a carbuncle on his neck.
His integrity and fairness were uniformly recognized by associates on the bench and by lawyers who practised before him. Physically, Walker was of a large and powerful frame and until the last years of his life possessed such rugged health that during all his years as judge he never missed a session of the court. He was known for his many acts of generosity and kindness, and as a judge was patient and considerate, especially with young and inexperienced members of the bar.
On June 2, 1840, he married Susan McCroskey, a native of Adair County, Ky. To them nine children were born, five of whom, two sons and three daughters, survived their father.
