New Project
This is the first page of a project I am developing for the Chattanooga Audubon Society.
Introduction
This work is an annotated list of materials the author encountered while learning about the historic figure, Robert Sparks Walker (1878-1960), founder of the Chattanooga Audubon Society. Walker began writing freelance articles before graduating from high school. He was born in the log cabin on his father’s farm, the property now known as Audubon Acres, and is buried, with his wife, Elberta and son Robert, near the cabin. Robert junior. died at eight years of age. Robert Sparks Walker and Elberta were married in 1904 and she died in 1924. This made Robert Sparks Walker the single parent of Wendell Clark Walker, then aged fourteen years.
At age 22, he acquired fifty percent ownership of the Southern Fruit Grower magazine in 1900 and edited that publication until 1921. He served as Nature Editor of Flower Grower 1923 – 1934 and had a weekly nature column in the Chattanooga Times beginning in 1933.
His first published book, Anchor Poems, appeared in 1925. Walker had a growing reputation as an author and editor when, at age 53, he published Torchlights to the Cherokees (Macmillan, 1931). The Pulitzer Prize nomination for that book accelerated his career. He spent several weeks examining relevant materials in the files of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (Andover-Harvard Theological Library) to complete Torchlights to the Cherokees.
Later in his life, Walker hosted a weekly radio show. He produced “illustrated slide talks,” loaned to schools and civic groups, and helped produce at least one nature film.
The author, Ray Zimmerman, searched the data base of the Chattanooga Public Library and the stacks of the Local History Department thereof. The librarians were gracious and helpful. The “Ask a Librarian” feature of the Tennessee State Library and Archives web page revealed a wealth of information at that institution. The author also examined some of the materials available at Audubon Acres.
Finally, the author used the web site https://www.worldcat.org to search for materials in other libraries. Since many of the works are out of print, each entry includes a list of libraries where they are available. The author organized the list by date in order to establish a timeline for the works.
Published books by Robert Sparks Walker form the primary focus of this work. A complete description of the thousands of magazine and newspaper articles, personal papers and correspondence is beyond its scope, though a few particularly significant such works are included. A few secondary sources by Mary Bell Fisher, E. Raymond Evans, Wyman R. Greene and Andra Walker Moscowitz (writing as Alexandra Walker Clark) are included.
Introduction
This work is an annotated list of materials the author encountered while learning about the historic figure, Robert Sparks Walker (1878-1960), founder of the Chattanooga Audubon Society. Walker began writing freelance articles before graduating from high school. He was born in the log cabin on his father’s farm, the property now known as Audubon Acres, and is buried, with his wife, Elberta and son Robert, near the cabin. Robert junior. died at eight years of age. Robert Sparks Walker and Elberta were married in 1904 and she died in 1924. This made Robert Sparks Walker the single parent of Wendell Clark Walker, then aged fourteen years.
At age 22, he acquired fifty percent ownership of the Southern Fruit Grower magazine in 1900 and edited that publication until 1921. He served as Nature Editor of Flower Grower 1923 – 1934 and had a weekly nature column in the Chattanooga Times beginning in 1933.
His first published book, Anchor Poems, appeared in 1925. Walker had a growing reputation as an author and editor when, at age 53, he published Torchlights to the Cherokees (Macmillan, 1931). The Pulitzer Prize nomination for that book accelerated his career. He spent several weeks examining relevant materials in the files of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (Andover-Harvard Theological Library) to complete Torchlights to the Cherokees.
Later in his life, Walker hosted a weekly radio show. He produced “illustrated slide talks,” loaned to schools and civic groups, and helped produce at least one nature film.
The author, Ray Zimmerman, searched the data base of the Chattanooga Public Library and the stacks of the Local History Department thereof. The librarians were gracious and helpful. The “Ask a Librarian” feature of the Tennessee State Library and Archives web page revealed a wealth of information at that institution. The author also examined some of the materials available at Audubon Acres.
Finally, the author used the web site https://www.worldcat.org to search for materials in other libraries. Since many of the works are out of print, each entry includes a list of libraries where they are available. The author organized the list by date in order to establish a timeline for the works.
Published books by Robert Sparks Walker form the primary focus of this work. A complete description of the thousands of magazine and newspaper articles, personal papers and correspondence is beyond its scope, though a few particularly significant such works are included. A few secondary sources by Mary Bell Fisher, E. Raymond Evans, Wyman R. Greene and Andra Walker Moscowitz (writing as Alexandra Walker Clark) are included.
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Sarah
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Aug 31, 2019 07:02PM
Looks like a fascinating project Ray!
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I was wondering- just the other day- what literary project you were up to now. Thanks for sharing. Really looks interesting ...
Thanks - here is a bit more. (Various Dates) 657 Scanned photographs available through the Chattanooga Public Library database.
(Various Dates) Walker, Robert Sparks, Manuscripts, Correspondence and Papers are stored at The Tennessee State Library and Archives and The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Library as well as Audubon Acres.
(Ongoing) Surname Vertical Files Wa – Wea
Tennessee State Library and Archives
1910 – 1917 Walker, Robert Sparks, Southern Fruit Grower Scrapbook, Archival Materials
The Tennessee State Library and Archives
1924 Walker, Robert Sparks, “The Tennessee State Flower,” Tennessee Historical Society. Tennessee Historical Magazine. Nashville, The Society, 1924. Series I] V. 8. N. 2 P 126-127.
The Tennessee State Library and Archives
Knox County Library, Knoxville, TN
1925 Walker, Robert Sparks. Anchor Poems, New York, Fleming H. Revel Company
These are spiritual and philosophical poems with Biblical epigraphs.
The Chattanooga Public Library
The Tennessee State Library and Archives
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Library
Numerous other academic libraries (Check worldcat.org)
The Library of Congress
1927 Walker, Robert Sparks, My Father’s Farm, Boston, The four Seasons Company
This book of poems extolls the rural life. Some are humorous.
The Chattanooga Public Library
The Tennessee State Library and Archives
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Library
Southern Adventist University Library
Numerous other academic libraries
The Library of Congress
1929 Walker, Robert Sparks. The Brainerd Mission: A collection of Magazine and Newspaper Articles, Chattanooga, no publisher listed.
Walker assembled this collection in a scrapbook. It is fragile and not kept in the stacks. Any reader who is permitted to look at this scrapbook should handle it gently. In addition to his articles, it includes several photographs and some of Walker’s typewritten notes. Although the listed publication dates conflict, it includes a complete copy of A Brief Story of an Old Mission.
The Chattanooga Public Library
Introductory section rewrittenIntroduction
Today, Robert Sparks Walker is perhaps best known as the founder of the Chattanooga Audubon Society and for his foresight in setting aside their Elise Chapin Wildlife Sanctuary, popularly known as Audubon Acres. Chattanooga Audubon’s acquisition of the Maclellan Island property during Walker’s lifetime is sometimes added as a brief footnote to that achievement. His literary career began 44 years before the founding of Chattanooga Audubon but is barely mentioned. The author hopes to preserve a record of Walker’s achievements as a poet, editor, publisher and author, and to provoke new interest his published works.
Brief Biographical Sketch
Robert Sparks Walker (1878-1960), was born in the log cabin on his father’s farm, the property now known as Audubon Acres, and is buried near the cabin, with his wife Sarah Elberta Clark (1892 -1924) and son Robert Sparks Walker, Jr (1907 – 1915). Robert Sparks Walker and Elberta Clark were married in 1904. Elberta’s death made Walker the single parent of their second son, Wendell Clark Walker (1909 – 1988), then aged fourteen years. In 1960, Walker suffered a heart attack while leading a nature walk on the Audubon Acres property. He was taken to his home where he received medical care. He died the following day at age 82.
Significance as a Writer
Robert Sparks Walker began writing freelance articles while still in high school. At age 22, he acquired fifty percent ownership of the Southern Fruit Grower magazine in 1900. He served as editor and publisher of that magazine until its sale in 1921. He served as Nature Editor of Flower Grower 1923 – 1934 and had a weekly nature column in the Chattanooga Times beginning in 1933.
His first published book, Anchor Poems, appeared in 1925, followed by a second book of verse, My Fathers Farm, in 1927. Walker had a growing reputation as an author and editor when, at age 53, he published Torchlights to the Cherokees (Macmillan, 1931). The Pulitzer Prize nomination for that book accelerated his career. He spent several weeks examining relevant materials in the files of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (Andover-Harvard Theological Library) to complete Torchlights to the Cherokees.
Walker followed Torchlights to the Cherokees with a novel, a collection of short stories, two additional books of poetry, and a series of booklets promoting the City of Chattanooga and economic growth in the city and the surrounding area. He returned to book length nonfiction with Lookout: The Story of a Mountain which begins with the geology of the mountain and continues through human habitation.
His final book length work, As the Indians Left It includes charming stories of childhood life on the farm and documents the early days of the Chattanooga Audubon Society and the sanctuary. Local historians have disputed his statements about the history of the property and the log cabin, and artifacts related to Native American occupation of the land, but not Walker’s significance as a conservationist and author. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation gives an annual award for lifetime achievement in conservation which is named the Robert sparks Walker Award.
Walker also hosted a weekly radio show. He produced “illustrated slide talks,” loaned to schools and civic groups, and helped produce at least one nature film.
Method
The author searched the data base of the Chattanooga Public Library and the stacks of the Local History Department thereof. The “Ask a Librarian” feature of the Tennessee State Library and Archives web page revealed a wealth of information at that institution. The author also examined some of the materials available at Audubon Acres.
Finally, the author used the web site https://www.worldcat.org to search for materials in other libraries. Since many of the works are out of print, each entry includes a partial list of libraries where they are available. The author organized the list by date in order to establish a timeline for the works.
Acknowledgements
The librarians at the Local History Department of the Chattanooga Public Library were gracious and helpful. Bonnie Kring of the Chattanooga Audubon Society Board of Directors (History Committee) reviewed an early draft of the manuscript and offered suggestions. Members of the Chattanooga Writers Guild, Poetry and Nonfiction critique group, reviewed the introductory material. Their suggestions were particularly helpful. Any errors or omissions are solely the author’s responsibility.
