The Barker Families of Summit County, Ohio

JARED BARKER, Bath. Mr. Barker is one of the leading agriculturists and live-stock dealers of Summit Co. He was born in Monroe Co., N. Y., Sept. 10, 1819. He is the son of Lanson and Betsey (Phelps) Barker, both of whom were natives of Connecticut. They were married in Pittsford, Monroe Co., N. Y. In 1827, Mr. Barker came to Ohio and purchased a tract of land in Holmes Co., and the year following came West with his family and stopped for a few weeks at Massillon, Ohio, and then moved to Granger, Medina Co., Ohio. He lived in Medina Co. some j'ears, and then purchased a place in Royalton, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio, upon which he resided for most part the remainder of his days. In his family were the following children, viz.: Roxie A., William, Jared, John, Lyman, Mary and Frances. He departed this life in 1855, and his wife in 1847. They were intelligent, Christian people, and had the respect of all who knew them. Jared Barker lived at home and assisted in the farm duties until 27 years of age. He was united in marriage to Miss Eleanor Munson Dec. 16, 1847. She was born in Wayne Co., Ohio, Nov. 25, 1827. By this union there were two children, viz.: Mary E. and William. Mrs. Barker died Sept. 9, 1856. Soon after his marriage Mr. Barker came to Bath Township, and the year following purchased 300 acres of land, going in debt for nearly the entire amount. By hard work and economy he paid for this land, and has added to it, until he now owns over 500 acres. Upon his farm are five large barns which are very conveniently arranged, and afford shelter to a large number of live stock. Mr. Barker has made a specialty of wool-growing, and is one of the most successful and practical stock-growers in the county. He now has upon his place about eighty head of short-horn cattle. A number of these arc thoroughbred, ahd the rest good grade cattle. He also has upon his place some fine Clydesdale and English coach horses. Perhaps there is not a man in Summit Co. who owns more good stock of all kinds than Mr. Barker. He began as a poor boy, and is in the fullest sense of the word a self-made man. He is of a retiring disposition, and does not middle much in political affairs, yet he is decided in his opinions which he never fails to express at the ballot-box. His donations for educational, religious and other charitable purposes have been very considerable; nor have they been confined to Bath Township alone. Many of them are yet unknown in the community in which he resides.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

LANSON BARKER, a representative citizen of Bath Township, re.siding on his valuable farm of 155 acres, which is favorably situated within three-quarters of a mile of Ghent, was born on this farm, in Summit County, Ohio, February 6, 1857, and is a son of William and Anna Eliza (Hutchinson) Barker.

Mr. Barker is a member of a pioneer family of Ohio, of New England ancestry. The grandfather, Lanson Barker, whose honored name has descended to the grandson, was born in Connecticut, in 1791, and his father, Jared Barker, wa.s born in England. Lanson Barker moved to New York and subsequently to Ohio, settling first in Holmes County, later in Medina County, and still later in Cuyahoga County, where he died in 1855. His children were: Roxie A., William,.Jared, Jolm. Lyman, Mary, Frances and Nelson.

William Barker, the eldest of the above family, was born in New York, July 30, 1817, and accompanied the family to Ohio. After a prospecting visit to California, in 1849, he returned to the East, and in 1853 he purchased a farm in Bath Township, Summit County, Ohio. To the clearing and developing of this farm he devoted practically the rest of his life, making of it some of the most valuable land of this section. He died February 10, 1896. He was a man of sterling character, honest and up'right in his dealings with his fellow-men and was entitled to the respect and esteem in which he was held. He was a.stanch Republican and at various times held public office. He married Anna Eliza Hutchinson, who was born April 3, 1826, and died October 2, 1876. They had four children, the two survivors being: Lanson and Jared, the latter of whom was formerly sheriff of Summit County.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

Mr. Barker married Alice Behmer, who is a daughter of Moses and Mary Ann (Myers') Behmer. She was born in Springfield Township, Summit County, but was reared in Richfield Town.ship. They have three children: Anna, Frederick and Alba. The son is a."student in a bu.siness college at Akron. The family residence is a commodious and comfortable frame building which Mr. Barker erected in 1895. He is a member of the Disciples Church at Ghent and one of the trustees. He takes a deep interest in educational affairs and for several years was a member of the town.ohip School Board, and a director of District No. 4, one in which Bath Township takes particular pride on account of the excellence of its schools.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JARED BARKER, formerly sheriff of Summit County, resides on his farm of forty-four acres, situatedin Portage Township, where he is engaged in making such improvements as will make his one of the leading dairy farms of this section. Neither time nor expense is being spared in the construction of sanitary buildings and wholesome surroundings. Mr. Barker was born March 14, 1861. at Bath, Summit County. Ohio, and is a son of William and Eliza (Hutchinson) Barker.

Lanson Barker, the grandfather of Jared Barker, was born in Connecticut, November 17. 1791. and ho was a son of Jared Barker, who was born in England. Lanson Barker became a resident of the State of New York and. in 1809, he was married to Betsey Phelps, who was born in Connecticut. August 15, 1791. They moved to Ohio and first bought land in Holmes County, removing from it to Massillon, but soon after to Granger Township, Medina County, where they resided a number of years. Still later. Lanson Barker bought land at Rovalton,

Cuyahoga County, Ohio, where his wife died in 1847, his death following in 1855. They had eight children: Roxie A., William,

Jared, John, Lyman, Mary, E races and Nelson.

William Barker, father of Jared, was born in the State of New Wrk, July 30, 181.7, and accompanied his parents to Ohio. In 1849,.he went to California but soon returned, owing to poor health, and in 1853, he purchased the farm in Bath Township. At that time it was all covered with timber, which he cleared off and erected substantial buildings, developing subsequently a good farm. He engaged also in manufacturing to some extent. In politics lie was a strong supporter of the Republican party and held many offices ol trust. He died February 10, 1896. In 1856 he married Eliza Hutchinson, who was born April 8, 1826, who died October 2, 1876. She was a daughter of Warren and Martha (Mc- Laughin) Hutchinson. They had four children, namely: Alonzo, who was born in 1857; Jared and a twin brother, the latter of whom died in infancy; and Bettie, who was born in 1867, died in infancy.

Jared Barker was reared and educated in Bath Township, where he owns a magnificent farm of 267 acres, located in the Yellow Creek bottoms. In addition to farming and stock-raising, Mr. Barker engaged in lumbering, owning a planing mill and a sawmill, lie purchased his dairy farm of forty-four acres. June 1, 1907. Until 1902, he continued to live in Bath Township, when, having been elected sheriff of Summit County, he moved to Akron and resided there during his two terms in office. Ilis administration of the responsible office of sheriff gave universal satisfaction to all law-abiding citizens and he retired with a fine record as to efficiency. Since then he has devoted a large part of his attention to developing his dairy farm along first-class lines, it being his idea to supply certified milk, absolutely pure. This is a laudable enterprise w hich engaged (lie attention of the public at large.

On September 13, 1883, Mr. Barker was married to Almira Myers, who was born

February 24. 1862, at Rome City, Indiana, and is a daughter of William and Sarah (AVeikel) Myers. The parents of Mrs. Barker moved from Ohio to Indiana, in 1856, settling in Noble County, where they are prominent in every circle. Mr. Myers is one of the largest agriculturists in that section. They had four children, namely: Samuel, born March 27, 1857; Ellen, born June 22, 1858, who married R. Shroyer, of Indiana; Almira, Mrs. Barker; and Charles, who was born April 7. 1868. Mr. and Mrs. Myers are members of the German Lutheran Church.

Mi*, and Mrs. Barker have five children, namely: Pearl, born January 7, 1886; Bessie, born October 25, 1889; Mary, born October 21, 1891; Sarah, born August 31, 1890; and William Barker, born July 7, 1898. Mrs. Barker and family are members of the Disciples Church. Politically, Mr. Barker is a stanch Republican, casting his first Presidential vote in support of Hon. James G. Blaine. Mr. Barker is one of the representative men of Summit County.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

WILLIAM P. BARKER, senior member of the firm of W. P. Barker and Son, at Cuyahoga Falls, engaged in heavy blacksmith work for the big machine shops, and subcontracting work for the United States Government, came to this city in 1845, and it has been his real home ever since. Mr. Barker has been a great traveler through the United States, but in all his wanderings has not found a section more to his liking than the one to which he was brought by his English father, sixty-two years ago. Mr. Barker was born in Yorkshire, England, on August 3, 1841, and is a son of Jonathan and Mary Barker.

Mr; Barker's mother died when he was a child, he being the youngest of her sixteen children. The father, a weaver by trade, decided to come to America to better his business prospects, and brought with him his surviving children, namely: Elizabeth, who died unmarried; Anna, deceased, who married George Irvington; Sarah, who married J. C. Daly, residing at Medina; and William P. Jonathan Barker worked for a time in the fork factory at Cuyahoga Falls, after which he bought a horse and wagon and for many years traveled through the country as a tin peddler, retiring several year prior to his death, which occurred in 1877, when he was aged seventy-seven years.

Under the above circumstances it can be seen that William P. Barker had fewer opportunities of obtaining an education than is the Ciise with children of the present day; in fact, he went to school regularly for but one year. When he was fourteen years of age he went to Windsor, Ontario, Dominion of Canada, where he was apprenticed to his brother-in-law, George Irvington, and learned the horseshoer's trade. He continued to work there for two years, when he came back to Cuyahoga Falls and worked for one year at blacksmithing for John and Robert Allen. In 1863 he accompanied John Allen to Redwood, California, where Mr. Allen opened a blacksmith shop. After working in this shop for about a year, Mr. Barker joined a party of three and went with them to Arizona, and thence to Montana. He walked 1,800 miles that winter, going from Montana to Los Angeles, back to Arizona, around by Salt Lake City, and then back to Montana. Mr. Barker worked at his trade during favorable seasons and prospected during the rest of the time. He reached Cuyahoga Falls about two years after the close of the war, and then embarked in his present business, in partnership with his brother-in-law, J. C. Daly. A few months later he bought Mr. Daly's interest and continued to work alone for about a year, when he was again seized with a desire to travel.

On this occasion, Mr. Barker went to Minnesota, where he remained for a year engaged in lumbering and trapping. Then returning to his old home, he reopened his shop and continued in business until 1896. He then took a gold prospecting trip to Alaska, but was forced to return home on account of illness, after an absence of sixteen months, during which time he experienced hardships which almost terminated his life. He soon recuperated, however, under home care, and resumed business at his present place, which he had built before.starting for the far Northwest. His shop is a one-story brick building 107 feet long and 50 feet wide in the north end and 36 feet in the south end. For the past twenty-five years he has been engaged as above indicated, and fully one-half of the work of the plant goes to Alliance. Since 1895 his son, William H. has been his partner.

Mr. Barker was married to Charlotte Lyons, who was born probably in New Jersey, and is a daughter of John Lyons. They have had ten children, all of whom are still living as follows: Mary, Amelia, Sarah, William H.,

George, John, Samuel and Susan, twins, Harry and Fred.

Mr. Barker is a good citizen in all that pertains to keeping the laws and exerting an influence in the direction of morality and business integrity, but he has united with neither of the great political parties, casting his vote independently.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.