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In 1818 he moved to Missouri. Two years later he was involved in taking trade goods to Santa Fe New Mexico. Walker met Captain Benjamin Bonneville, Who asked him to join his trapping and trading expedition into the west. In subsequent years, Walker continued to use his voluminous knowledge of western geography as an employee of the American Fur company. He was also a guide for explorers including John C. Fremont. Walker was arrested by the Mexican authorities, because he controlled territory in the southern Rocky Mountains. Walker served a brief prison term in Santa Fe, but then turned the situation to his favor by helping the Mexicans Raiders. He earned rare trading privileges as a reward. Walker’s journeys into the relatively unexplored western regions of the continent began in 1832. Walker and his men enjoyed amazing sights that no Anglo-American had ever seen before. In 1833 Bonneville suggested to Walker that he should take a party of men to California. Walker and his party of forty men left Green River on August 20th 1833. In September approximately 800 Digger Indians surrounded walkers party. The Indians had never seen guns before, an after 39 men were killed they decided to retreat. The climb for was difficult. With a shortage of food, several of them argued that they should go back. Ignoring the trails blazed by his predecessors, Walker led the small group of men on a new route through the sierras. This proved more challenging than he expected. When walker finally settled down on his California ranch in1867, He was nearly blind and approaching 70 years old. Joseph Walker died at his country ranch in California on November 13th
