Alfred Charles Barber

ALFRED CHARLES BARBER.

Among the prominent and successful citizens of Nodaway county, Missouri, who have attained success through their own well-directed efforts, stands Alfred C. Barber, of Monroe township. He was born in Adams county, Illinois, on May 5, 1848, and is a son of William and Eliza (Hammond) Bar ber. William Barber was born in England, the son of John Barber. He was

* reared in his native land, where he received a fair education, and then learned the trade of a carpenter. About the time he attained his majority he came to America, locating first in Canada, but eventually he came to “the States,” locating in Ohio, probably at Cleveland. While a resident of Ohio he married Eliza Hammond, who also was a native of England and the daughter of Thomas Hammond, who brought his family to the United States, locating in Ohio. For a time after their marriage William Barber and wife lived in Vermont, but later they went to Illinois locating at Mendon, near Quincy, where their eight children were born, namely: Two that died in infancy; Mary, the wife of Joseph Burk; Newton H.; Alfred C.; Maria Ann, who died after her marriage to John Iv. Hicks; William H., Frederick C. In 1873 the family came to Nodaway county, locating four miles west and three miles north of Skidmore, in the southwestern part of Green township, where A. C. and Newton H. had settled in 1871, where they had two hundred and forty acres of land. There William Barber bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres of new land, and at once set himself to the task of breaking the land and improving the farm. They lived there twelve or fifteen years and then moved to Skidmore, where they spent the remainder of their days, the mother dying there in 1891 and her husband about two years later. Both parents were earnest Christians, the father being a member of the church of England and the mother of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Alfred C. Barber was reared on the Illinois homestead and in the common schools of that locality he secured a fair education. He came to Nod away county in 1871 and bought a farm in the same neighborhood as that in which his parents afterwards located. About two years later he sold that farm and bought another one in the north edge of Burr Oak Grove, west of Skidmore, and there made his home until about 1892, when he sold out and moved to Colorado, but about two years later he returned to Nodaway county and bought his present farm of one hundred and twenty acres, located three and a half miles west of Skidmore. It was the first land in that neighborhood to bring as high a price as fifty dollars an acre, being now worth more than three times that figure. On this place the family have resided since and the place has been developed by Mr. Barber into one of the choice farms of that section of the county. Neat and attractive buildings, well kept fences and fertile and well cultivated fields give the place an air of prosperity that reflects great credit on its owner, who has given an intelligent and practical direction to his efforts.

In 1877 Mr. Barber married Ann M. Coston, the daughter of Alonzo M. and Ann (Hays) Coston. She was born in McDonough county, Illinois, but when a baby she was left an orphan by the death of her mother. She was brought to Nodaway county by her father and she was reared in the family of Capt. John Grigsby, whose wife was her mother’s sister. To Mr. and Mrs. Barber have been born nine children, namely: John F., who is mentioned elsewhere in this work; Lillian C., wife of Clinton C. Knepper, of Atchison county, six miles west of Skidmore; they have two sons, Guy and Neal; Lucy E. is the wife of Halford Botkin, of Atchison county, and they have one daughter, Mary Rebecca; Vera R., who is a graduate of the Tarkio Musical School, is now teaching music in Creston; Maria Ann, a teacher, is at present attending the normal school at Maryville; Alonzo, who is a graduate of the commercial department of Tarkio College, is farming for himself and makes his home with his parents; Viola, Glo and Frank R. are at home with their parents.

Politically, Mr. Barber was a Republican by “inheritance,” and in early life was an active worker in the ranks of that party, but he found sound reasons for changing his position and he voted for Peter Cooper for President, and he has ever since that time voted for the men whom he considered best qualified for the offices they sought, regardless of political lines. He was twice elected justice of the peace in Monroe township on the Democratic ticket. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, belonging to the blue lodge at Skidmore and the chapter of Royal Arch Masons at Maryville. Religiously, he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which they give a generous support. In every avenue of life’s activities in which he has engaged. Mr. Barber has been true to every trust and because of his ability and upright life he commands the unqualified esteem of the people with whom he has lived for so many years.

As printed in Past and present of Nodaway County, Missouri (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.