- GEORGE R. BARKER, the genial, well-known supervisor of Janesville
township, Rock County,
- was born in Chautauqua County, N.Y., Oct. 25, 1839, a son
of Job and Phoebe (SMITH) BARKER, natives of Massachusetts and
Vermont, respectively.
- Caleb BARKER, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was
a native of Massachusetts and a
- farmer by occupation. He married a Miss EDDY, and reared
a large family. His death occurred at Granville, N.Y., where
he is buried, and where the majority of his children lived.
The maternal grandfather of our subject, George SMITH, was a
native of Vermont, and a brother of Samuel SMITH, of Smithfield,
R.I., born about 1785. By occupation he was a farmer. He married
Rachel READ, a daughter of John and Hannah (FARNUM) READ. The
READ family trace their origin in America to Col. Thomas READ,
who came to this country in 1630; and in England back to Thomas
READ, Esq., of Barton Court, in the County of Berks, England,
1575. George SMITH and his wife had nine children. He died
in the East, while yet in the prime of life.
- Job BARKER, the father of our subject, was a farmer, who
came to Rock County in 1840, and
- took up government land, owning at one time 1,240 acres,
most of which he improved, although he died in 1846, aged forty-eight
years, his wife surviving until 1879, when she died aged seventy-six.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Job BARKER were members of the Society of
Friends, but after moving West Mrs. BARKER attended the Episcopal
Church. Phoebe SMITH was the second wife of Job BARKER, who
by his former wife had two children: Walter, of California; and
Angeline, of Santa Ana, Cal., the widow of Leonard MARSH. In
the family of which our subject was a member there were six children,
three sons and three daughters, four of whom are now living;
Cecelia A., wife of J. W. COOLRIDGE, of Baldwinsville, Mass.;
George R., of Janesville township; Julius H., who lives with
his brother, George; and Eugenia, widow of J. H. CONRAD, a resident
of Chicago.
- George R. BARKER was only six months old when brought to
his present home, in 1840, where
- he has resided ever since. His early education, obtained
at the district schools of his neighborhood, was supplemented
by two terms at Milton (Wis.) College, since which time Mr. BARKER
has devoted his attention to his agricultural interests. After
his marriage he came into possession of a portion of the family
estate, and in 1868 built his present substantial and comfortable
home. Although he owns 200 acres, Mr. BARKER only farms a little
over 100 acres himself, renting the remainder of his property.
- On Feb. 21, 1867, Mr. BARKER married Miss Margaret A. CARGILL,
daughter of Capt.
- William and Edna (DAVIS) CARGILL, and six children, two sons
and four daughters, have been born to them: Edna Phoebe, wife
of William Bradley CONRAD, of Janesville, has one son, Bradley;
Julius Morville, who married Pauline DAVIS, of Brunswick, Mo.,
is a partner in the tobacco factory at Brunswick, Mo.; Ella Claire
is the wife of Arthur P. ALLEN, steward in this Northern Hospital,
near Oshkosh, Wis.; Mary Rogers is temporarily in Chicago, although
her home is still with her parents; George Cargill is still at
home; and Margaret, also at home, graduated in 1900 from the
Janesville high school.
- The paternal grandfather of Mrs. BARKER, Thomas CARGILL,
was a native of Scotland, and
- a custom-house official. Mrs. BARKER's maternal grandfather,
Isaac DAVIS, was born and lived on Long Island, N.Y. The parents
of Mrs. BARKER came from Long Island, N.Y., to Rock County in
1857, settling in Harmony township, and engaging in farming,
although until his migration Mr. CARGILL had been a sailor.
He followed farming until a few years prior to his death, when
he removed to the city of Janesville, dying March 26, 1893, aged
eighty years and two weeks. His wife died in 1887, aged seventy-four
years. Five sons and one daughter were born to this couple,
five of whom are still living; Margaret A. (Mrs. BARKER); William
W.; Samuel; Sylvester, and James. Thomas is deceased.
- Mrs. BARKER is an active and consistent member of the M.
E. CHURCH; and Mr. BARKER
- belongs to the A. O. U. W., and the Grange. Politically
his affiliations are with the Republican party, and he has most
acceptably served as supervisor of Janesville township for nine
years, and as chairman of the Janesville township board for six
years. Mr. BARKER was also township treasurer for eight years
and has been treasurer of school district No. 3, for many years.
For sixty-one years Mr. BARKER has been a resident of Janesville
township, and he enjoys the distinction of being the oldest resident,
as well as one of the most esteemed and honored of its citizens.
No man has the welfare of the township more at heart than has
Mr. BARKER, as he has most conclusively proven by his many years
of faithful service as a public official, as well as in his character
as a private citizen.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin"
(c) 1901, pp. 147-148.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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