BIOGRAPHY: James M. WALTERS, Cambria County, PA 

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From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 305-6
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JAMES M. WALTERS, attorney-at-law, is a native of Johnstown. He was born July 4, 
1855, in a house which occupied the site where Stenger's store now stands. His 
father, Henry Walters, was one of Johnstown's most enterprising and prosperous 
merchants. John Jacob Walters, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of 
Germany, to which country his father had emigrated from Holland. Having studied 
medicine in Germany, John Jacob Walters emigrated to American and began the 
practice of his profession in Baltimore. He married a lady belonging to one of 
the old English families of Virginia. Their family consisted of four children: 
Arthur, John, Henry, the father of our subject; and Anna Maria.
     Henry Walters came to Johnstown in 1848, and, as before noted, became a 
prominent merchant. On July 18, 1850, he married Miss Ellen M. Mitchell, 
daughter of James H. Mitchell, proprietor of the Temperance Hotel on the site at 
present occupied by the Dibert block, on the corner of Main and Franklin 
streets. The Mitchells were of Irish descent. Mrs. Walters' grandfather, Mr. 
Mitchell, was a Protestant minister. Through her mother's family, she is a 
descendant of Commodore Thatcher, of the English navy. Mr. And Mrs. Walters' 
family consists of the following children: Mary E., wife of H.A. Bailey, San 
Diego, Cal.; George W., of Allegheny city; James M.; Catherine, wife of A.G. 
Prosser; Ella, deceased; Arthur W., deceased; John W., deceased; Harry Thatcher, 
Charles F., of California; and William J., of this city.
     James M. Walters received his early education in the public schools of 
Johnstown. For a time he clerked in his father's store, and upon his father's 
retirement from business, he found employment in the mills. He worked for a time 
in A.J. Haws' cement mill and firebrick works. After his father's death he was 
employed as a salesman by the late A. Nathan. He left this last position to 
enter the office of Hon. Judge James Potts, as a student of law. While engaged 
in the study of law, he also took private lessons in other branches, from Prof. 
T.J. Chapman and the late Prof. J.W. Trabert. He was admitted to the Cambria 
county bar, January 5, 1881, and in 1883 was admitted to practice before the 
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania; also the United States District and Circuit 
Courts, and adjoining county courts. Since his admission to the bar, Mr. Walters 
has practices his profession in Johnstown, and now occupies a fine office in 
Alma hall. In addition to his other legal business, he is the solicitor of the 
Baltimore Building and Load association for Cambria county, and has been 
solicitor for the borough of South Fork, Pennsylvania.
     Mr. Walters is one of Johnstown's most loyal and public-spirited citizens, 
and is always ready to aid in any movement having for its object the increased 
prosperity of the city or the benefit of its citizens. He is a member and one of 
the organizers of the Johnstown board of trade, and is a member of the board of 
directors of the Memorial hospital, having succeeded the late Col. John P. 
Linton, deceased. He is a worker in, and sustaining member of the Young Men's 
Christian association, and has been a member of company H, Fifth regiment, 
National Guard of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the English Lutheran church, 
and has been a deacon and superintendent of the Sunday-school. In politics Mr. 
Walters is an ardent democrat, and takes a great interest in the success of his 
party, and for many years has been one of the party leaders in Cambria county. 
His fidelity to his party has been rewarded by frequent and sometimes 
unsolicited nominations for important offices. In 1895 he was unanimously 
nominated by his party for district attorney, and ran ahead of his ticket, 
carrying the city of Johnstown, but was unable to overcome the heavy republican 
majority in the county. In 1890 he was elected solicitor of the city of 
Johnstown, and in 1892 was re-elected, his last term expiring in April, 1894. He 
was thus the first solicitor of the city, and left a record of which he may well 
be proud, as success attended every case in which the city was interested during 
his term, whether as plaintiff or defendant. From June, 1887 to December, 1889, 
he was chairman of the Democratic county committee. In 1888 he received 
congratulations from ex-Mayor Vaux of Philadelphia, upon the fact that his 
county was the only one in the State to show an increase over the previous 
Cleveland vote. Mr. Walters is a charter member of the Uniform Rank, K.P., 
Improved Order of Heptasophs, and Lodge No. 175, B.P.O.E., of Johnstown.
     July 30, 1885, he was united in marriage to Miss Anna B. Lewis, then of 
Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Three children have been born to them. The first-
born, Allen Thurman, died September 30, 1888. Anna Margaret was born May 8, 
1892, and, with Ellen Louise, born June 6, 1896, they are the joy of their 
parents.