Jacob Barks, Sr.

Jacob Barks came to Missouri from North Carolina around 1800. They lived in Marble Hill in Bollinger County. Jacob Barks' son Isaac was the father of David Barks.

He was one of the first white men to settle in the area of Cape Girardeau-Bollinger County. He was granted land* for his father's service during the Revolutionary War, that was located near Crooked Creek west of Marble Hill. Family rumor goes that the Masters family did not feel that he was equal to their own aristocratic family, so after marriage he moved to Missouri. He and his wife died of yellow fever and are buried on his homestead.
Jacob Barks was born in North Carolina and came to Southeast Missouri in 1797. He settled in what is now Lorance Township in Bollinger County and according to "The History of Southeast Missouri of 1880" he was the first white settler in that area. Jacob died on Oct. 24, 1827 and his will lists his widow, Hannah, and children, Jacob, Elizabeth Deck, wife of Thomas, Sarah, Isaac; and Daniel Shell, guardian of minor children, Alexander, Mary, and Catherine. His burial place in unknown but it is probably at the Cedar Fork Cemetery.

• Land in Missouri was not granted for Revolutionary War Service. I have looked in the records for land grants and found nothing with the name of Barks, Berg, Barrach, Barrack, or Barrick in those records.

Land Records: 1777-1969 Record Group: U.S. Recorder of Land Titles
Series: Papers of Original Claimants-1st Board of Land Commissioners
Series Description: Records submitted to the First Board of Land Commissioners to determine the validity of French and Spanish land grants made before the Louisiana Purchase.
People Barks: Jacob - Claimant
Note: Plat of survey (96) by James Boyd and Bartholomew Cousin of 640 acres (748 arps, 68 perches) in Dutch Settlement on White Water in district of Cape Girardeau and received for record on 27 Feb 1806 by Soulard

CHILDREN
• Isaac Barks 1804-1855
• Elizabeth Shell 1806-1880
• Sarah Deck
• Jacob Barks 1811-
• Alexander Barks 1812-1849
• Hannah Crader 1816-
• Mary Welch 1817-1872
• Catherine Ramsey 1817-1907

Some info from book "German Speaking Peoples West of the Catawba, North Carolina"