WELCOME TO THE TOWN OF WALKER
Louisiana, USA
"Pine Tree Capital of the
World"
The first trail to what is now Walker was formerly a lumber camp blazed from the Amite
River in 1861 by Michael Milton Oilfield. The village that grew up was first named
Milton Oldfield. In 1870 the name of Milton Oldfield was changed to Walker in honor
of Dr. William E. Walker of Springfield, a congressman in the state House of
Representatives.
The Town of Walker became a municipality under the State's Lawrason Act (136 of 1898)
on July 9, 1909 as a village. In 1914, the town of Walker reported a population of 592. On July 1, 1973 the town of
Corbin consolidated with the town of Walker thus swelling the population
considerably. The Town of Walker has now reached new heights in gaining the status
of a city to be proclaimed by the Governor of Louisiana before the summer of 1999.
Walker is the seconded largest incorporated area in Livingston Parish. Walker is
situated in the northeast section of Livingston Parish and is serviced by the Illinois
Central Railroad syste, Louisiana U.S. Highway 190 and U.S. Highway 447 and U.S.
Interstate Highway I-12. The town is located
approximately midway between Hammond and Baton Rouge, and about six miles west of the
present parish seat known as the Town of Livingston.
The citizens of Walker call it "the pine tree capital of the world" largely
because its major industry is pine forest. There are dense stands of pine forests
which are scientifically controlled for maximum protection by Crown Zellerbach.
Records show that the pines grow faster and develop with better quality in the Walker area
than anywhere else in Louisiana.