Polk Township District No. 2 School

A prominent farmer of Polk township is Albert Barber, a son of Joshua T. and Mary A. (Odell) Barber, of whom a notice appears elsewhere in this volume. Albert Barber was born in Washington county, N. Y., December 4, 1843, and accompanied his parents to Marshall county, Ind., about the year 1846-47. As stated elsewhere, his father was a teacher by profession, and the subject of this sketch enjoyed the advantages of a liberal education in the country schools, and home instruction. He was reared on a farm, and early chose agriculture for his life-work, and has followed that useful calling with encouraging success ever since. His marriage, which took place in 1868, to Miss Sarah A. Rejmolds, daughter of James Reynolds, of Noble count3^ this state, has resulted in the birth of twelve children, seven living, viz.: Elmer M.; Ella M., wife of Matthew Robinson; Mary A., Ada M., Alva M., Alice M., and an infant not named. Shortly after his marriage he settled upon the farm where he now resides, the greater part of which he cleared, and which has been brought under a high state of cultivation, ranking with the best farms of the township. Mr. Barber served in the late war as private in Company I, One Hundred and Fiftyfirst volunteer infantry, enlisting in 1864, and continuing with his regiment until honorably discharged at the close of the war. He is active in all movements having for their object the well-being of the community, is a republican in politics, and as such, was greenback-republican candidate for the office of county commissioner, but was defeated although running far ahead of his ticket. He was the republican candidate for state representative in i8qo. He is a forcible speaker, and has exercised this gift in several recent campaigns in Marshall count}'. He is a member of the Jesse Coppock post. No. 378. G. A. R., of Walkerton, and belongs to the Masonic lodge at the same place.

Passage source: History of Indiana : Containing a History of Indiana and Biographical Sketches of Governors and Other Leading Men. Also a Statement of the Growth and Prosperity of Marshall County, Together with a Personal and Family Histry of Many of Its Citizens, published 1890.

John H. Barber, farmer and stock-raiser, is the oldest son of Joshua T. and Mary (Odell) Barber, and dates his birth from the Qth day of June, 1840, his place of nativity being Washington county, N. Y. Paternally, Mr. Barber is descended from New England ancestry, his father's people having been early residents of Connecticut. They subsequently moved to Washington county, N. Y., where the father was reared and where he re- mained until his removal to Marshall county, Ind., in 1846-47. He was by occupation a stone-mason, and afterward achieved considerable prominence as a teacher, having been one of the leading educators of Marshall county. He was a man widely and favorably known, and departed this life on the 14th of February, 1874. His wife followed him to the grave in 1878, dying December 2Qth of that year. They reared a family of seven children whose names are elsewhere mentioned. John H. Barber became a resident of Marshall county when but seven years of age, and for nearly forty years has been a prominent citizen of Polk township, where he follows the occupation of farming and stock-raising. He was first married in 1869, to Miss Emily J. Meyers, daughter of L. C. Mej^ers, of Polk township, who bore him three children, viz.: Lillian J., Arthur W. and Andrew E. Mrs. Barber died February 4th, 1880, and in January, 1882, Mr. Barber married his second wife. Miss F'rances A. Phillips, of St. Joseph county, a union blessed with the birih of one child, Mary Grace. After his second marriage Mr. Barber moved to Nebraska, where he remained two years, at the end of which time he returned to Marshall county, where for some time he was employed by an insurance company, but since 1873 has given his attention to agricultural pursuits, owning a fine farm of 120 acres. Originally Mr. Barber was a republican in politics, but becoming dissatisfied with the financial policy of that party, he afterward became identified with the greenback movement, but is now independent. He served in the late war, enlisting in 1864, in Company H, One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Indiana volunteers, and took a gallant part with the same until mustered out at the expiration of his term of service. He participated in a number of battles, in one of which he received a severe wound which necessitated his removal to the hospital, where for some time he lay under the surgeon's care. He is an active member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to the lodge at Walkerton.

Passage source: History of Indiana : Containing a History of Indiana and Biographical Sketches of Governors and Other Leading Men. Also a Statement of the Growth and Prosperity of Marshall County, Together with a Personal and Family Histry of Many of Its Citizens, published 1890.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Polk Township - 4,939 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.