John Barber

• Reference: Atlee: Full Text: https://archive.org/details/genealogicalreco00barb Genealogical Record of Atlee Family of Lancaster, Pa.: The Descendants of Judge William Augustus Atlee and Colonel Samuel John Atlee of Lancaster County, Pa. by Edwin AtLee Barber, A.M.: Philadelphia: Press of Wm. F. Fell & Co. 1884 pp. 82-87, and 102-108
• Reference: Barber Full Text : https://archive.org/details/genealogyofbarbe00barb: see also https://archive.org/details/genealogyofbarbe00barb/page/n3/mode/2up... Genealogy of the Barber Family-The Descendants of Robert Barber of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. By Edwin AtLee Barber, A.M. Philadelphia, Press of Wm. F. Fell & Co. 1890 p. 121

Genealogy

(1487) III. 7. JOHN, youngest son of James and Elizabeth Wright Barber, was b. Feb. 22d, 1782, probably in the two-story brick house which was afterward bought by Judge William Augustus AtLee (on the property now owned by Mr. E. K. Smith), on the southeastern outskirts of Columbia. The old mansion was torn down about twenty years ago.

In 1804 he entered the mercantile business in partnership with Nathaniel Barber, his cousin, taking the store of Samuel Miller. He was in partnership in the dry goods' business with James Wright from 1807 until about 1820, on Locust St. He was afterward in business with Messrs. Houston and Gossler, at Front and Walnut Sts., and for some time after 1827 was in the lumber business with Isaac Vaughan. He also was a partner of James Barber, his nephew, in the same business, from 1847 to 1849. In the year 1814, he, with Killian Epley, purchased a tract of land lying in the town of Columbia, from Christian Brenneman, which, with several other pieces of land, in and near the town, they divided into lots and sold. They laid out an addition to the town, on Third St. below Union. He was always a public-spirited citizen and prominently identified with all public enterprises in his native town.

In 1812 he was a member of the 75th Penna. Reg. of Militia, and was afterward appointed pay- master to pay off the regiment. He was Secretary of the Susquehanna and York Borough Turnpike in 1809, and was afterward a Director in the Columbia and Portsmouth Turnpike. In 1825 he was elected a State Director of the Columbia Bridge Co., and on Dec. 14th, 1827, he was reelected by the House of Representatives, and was continued in this office for several years. On June 3d, 1829, he was unanimously appointed, by the Penna. Canal Commissioners, Superintendent of the Columbia and Philadelphia Rail Road, and held that im- portant position until the spring of 1833. In 1830
June 9th) it was ordered by the Canal Commissioners that the Eastern Division of the Penna. Canal, from Columbia to Middletown, be attached to the Superintendency of the Columbia and Phila. R.R., thus coming under his supervision. This branch of the railroad w^as commenced in 1829, and a single track was completed and opened April 16th, 1834. On Oct. 7th of the same year the second (double) track was opened to the public. shortly after his connection as Superintendent had ceased.

He was Chief Burgess of Columbia Borough, under the first charter, in 1824, and again in 1829, and was Ass't Burgess in 1831. He was elected to the General Assembly in 1828. In 1833 he was Treasurer of the Columbia, Marietta and Portsmouth Road, and subsequently held a number of minor public positions.

He married, Feb. 22d, 1821, Sarah Elizabeth, dr. of John Sanderson Whitehill and Mary Ann AtLee, and grand dr. of Col. Samuel John AtLee, of the Revolution. She was b. Sept. 17th, 1800. In 1849 he moved to Baltimore, Md., to join his sons, William and Samuel, who were engaged in the lumber business in that city. In 1856 he moved to West Chester, Pa., and died at that place on Oct. 23d, 1868. She d. at West Chester Jan. 13th, 1858.

Issue (Barber) :

(1489) IV. 1. WILLIAM EDWIN , b. in Columbia, April 21st, 1822 ; graduated at Lafayette College, in 1840, with the English Salutatory, and afterwards received the degree of A. M. from that Institution ; studied Law under U. S. Senator James Cooper, at Gettysburg, Pa., and was admitted, in 1844, to the bar of Adams and Lancaster Counties. In January, 1846, he was admitted to the Chester County bar. He m. (1st) Oct. 31st, 1850, in West Chester, Pa., ANNE ELIZA TOWNSEND, b. Aug. 17th, 1825, dr. of David Townsend and Rebecca Sharpless. He moved to Baltimore, Md., in 1848, on account of impaired health, where he was engaged in the lumber business until 1856. In 1857 he moved with his family to Davenport, Iowa, where, in partnership with his brother Samuel, he opened a Law and Land office. She d. in Davenport, Sept. 28th, 1857. He then returned to West Chester in 1858, where he resumed the practice
of law. Here he m. (2d), Jan. 24th, 1866, LYDIA CRESSON STILES, dr. of James and Ellen K. Stiles. He was Assessor of Internal Revenue for the 7th Penna. Dist. from 1869 to 1873 ; was for several years, during the War of the Rebellion, Chairman of the Republican County Committee. He received the first prize of $500, offered by the Union League, of Philadelphia, in 1868, for the best essay on Political Organization, and was for many years prominent in the Presbyterian Church and in politics. He d. at Kirkland, near West Chester, on April 13th, 1882.

Issue, by 1st marriage (Barber) :

• (1492) V. 1. EDWIN AT LEE, b. in Baltimore, Md., Aug. 13th, 1851; Lafayette College, Class of 1873; m., Feb. 5th, 1880, in Phila., NELLIE LOUISE PARKER, b. July 7th, 1857, dr. of the late Maj. William H. Parker, U. S. Marine Corps, and Mary Louise Young. In 1874 and '75 was Assistant Geologist andNaturalist on the U. S. Geol. and Geog. Survey of the Territories, in Colorado, etc. ; was Superintendent of the West Phila. Post Office from 1879 to 1885, and Chairman of the U. S. Civil Service Examining Board of the Phila, P. O. Now in the Investment business in Philadelphia, and resides in West Chester, Pa.

Issue (Barber) :

• (1494) VI. 1. Louise AtLee, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., April 6th, 1883.
• (1495) V. 2. WILLIAM TOWNSEND, b. in Baltimore, Md., Dec. 14th, 1853; graduated at Yale College, Class of 1873; m., Oct. 19th, 1875, Anna Reigart Haldeman, b. Oct. 19th, 1855, dr. of John Haldeman and Anna Reigart, of Lancaster Co. Now practicing Law in West Chester, Pa. (See 1090, 1091.)

Issue (Barber) :

• (1497) VI. 1. Kate Smith, b. in West Chester, May 11th, 1880.
• (1498) V. 3. ANNE TOWNSEND, b. in Davenport, Iowa, Sept. 28th, 1857; m., Oct. 31st, 1883, George Hepburn Watson, b. Aug. 14th, 1857 ; member of New York Stock Exchange, and now resides in Roselle, N. J,

Issue (Watson) :

• (1500) VI 1. Helen, b. in Roselle, Nov. 27th, 1884; d. at Roselle, Dec. 2d, 1884.
• (1501) VI 2. Walter Malcolm, b. Oct. 8th, 1886.
• (1502) VI. 3. Louisa Townsend, b. Mar. 3d, 1888; d. July 2d, 1889, at Ocean Beach, N. J.

Issue, by 2d marriage (Barber) :

• (1503) V. 4. ELEANOR CRESSON, b. in West Chester, Pa., July 20th, 1867; m., June 18th, 1889, James Cadwalader Sellers, member of the Philadelphia Bar, residing in West Chester.
• (1505) V. 5. WALTER b. August 8th, 1869.
• (1506) V. 6. ELIZABETH STILES, b. Oct. 20th, 1872.

(1507) IV. 2. SAMUEL WHITEHILL, b. Oct. 22d, 1824; grad. Lafayette College, Class of 1840; m. (1st), Nov. 4th, 1847, Mary Jane Boyd, of Philadelphia, b. Aug. 27th, 1820; d. Aug. 15th. 1849. He was in the lumber business in Baltimore, Md., from 1848 to 1856 ; in the land business in Davenport,
Iowa, in 1857-'59 ; has resided in St. Louis, Mo., since 1859. He m. (2d) Caroline S. Tilford, of St. Louis.

Issue, by 1st marriage (Barber) :

• (1510) V. 1. EMMA, b. Sept. 2d, 1848; d. Feb. 20th, 1853.

(1511) IV. 3. ELIZABETH WRIGHT, b. Jan. 6th, 1826; m,, April 28th, 1846, Sydenham Rush Clarke, M.D., of Baltimore, Md. She d. at Memphis, Tenn., Sept. 16th, 1878. He d. at same place Sept. 19th, 1878.

Issue (Clarke) :

• (1513) V. 1. LUCY EMMA, b. Feb., 1847; d. Aug. 14th, 1849.
• (1514) V. 2. HELEN RUSH, b. Dec, 1849 ; d. May 19th, 1850.
• (1515) V. 3. EDWARD P., b. Nov. 8th, 1850; m. (1st), Feb. 21st, 1877, MAGGIE STRATON, of Memphis, Tenn., b. Sept. 25th, 1855 ; d. at Memphis, July 10th, 1880. He m. (2d), Dec. 4th, 1884, FLORENCE MAY ANDERSON, of Jersey City, N. J. He is now in business in New York.

Issue, by 2d marriage (Clarke) :

• (1518) VI Lucille Downing, b. Feb. 2d, 1886.
• (1519) V. 4. WALTER RUSH, b. Mar. 17th, 1853 ; d. Sept., 1855.

(Barber)

(1520) IV. 4. MARY ANN , b. Feb. 2d, 1828 ; m., May 15th, 1849, Richard Treat Leech, of Pittsburg, Pa., b. at Harrisburg, Pa., Aug. 19th, 1823. Now of Oil City, Pa.

Issue (Leech) :

• (1522) V. 1. JOHN FREDERICK, b. at Baltimore, Md., Sept. 24th, 1850 ; m., April 6th, 1875, Margaretta Park, b. April 29th, 1851, dr. of the late David E. Park, of Allegheny City, Pa. Now residing in Washington, D. C.

Issue (Leech) :

• (1524) VI. 1. Marian Edgar, b. Jan. 28th, 1876, at Allegheny City.
• (1525) VI. 2. Frances Frederica, b. Dec. 26th, 1878, at Allegheny City.
• (1526) VI. 3. David Edgar Park, b. Oct. 27th, 1883, at Allegheny City; d. Jan. 14th, 1884.
• (1527) VI. 4. Katherine Olivia, b. Jan. 19th, 1889, at Washington, D. C.
• (1528) V. 2. RICHARD TREAT, b. at New Brighton, Pa., May 15th, 1853; d. Feb. 5th, 1854.
• (1529) V. 3. JESSIE MARIAN, b. at Sewickley, Pa., Feb. 5th, 1860; in., June 18th, 1889, OSCAR FULTON DAVISSON, a lawyer of Dayton, Ohio.
• (1531) V. 4. CHARLES COLTON, b. at Sewickley, Aug. 30th, 1861.
• (1532) V. 5. MARIAN AT LEE, b. at Pittsburg, Oct. 20th, 1864; d. at West Chester, Pa., Oct. 1st, 1865.
• (1533) V. 6. RICHARD BARBER, b. at Pittsburg, Oct. 7th, 1868; d. Oct. 28th, 1868.

(Barber)

(1534) IV. 5. EMMA COLTON , m., June 6th, 1865, JAMES J. CREIGH, of West Chester, Pa. ; lawyer, District Attorney, Episcopal clergyman. Now of West Chester.

Issue (Creigh) :

• (1536) V. 1. MARY DUNBAR, b. Dec. 17th, 1866.

(Barber)

(1537) IV. 6. JOHN JAMES , b. June 18th, 1833 ; m., Oct. 12th, 1859, Henrietta Malinda Worthington, dr. of Carver Worthington, of West Chester, Pa.

Issue (Barber) :

• (1539) V. 1. MABEL WORTHINGTON, b. Sept. 21st, 1860, in Scott Co., Iowa; d. Dec. 31st, 1866.
• (1540) V. 2. CARVER WORTHINGTON, b. Mar. 17th, 1862, in Chester Co., Pa.; m., Sept. 20th, 1883, CATHARINE LAVINIA CODMUS GILMORE.
• Reference: MyHeritage Family Trees - SmartCopy: Nov 7 2021, 19:29:30 UTC
• Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Nov 25 2021, 14:09:02 UTC

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John was the youngest child of James Barber and Elizabeth Wright. His parents were early Quaker settlers of Columbia in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he was raised. At age 22 he went into business with his cousin, Nathaniel Barber, in a mercantile store. In 1812 he was a member of the 75th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Militia and was later made the paymaster. He worked in the lumber trade and land development. In 1829 he was appointed the superintendent of the Columbia and Philadelphia Rail Road. In 1860 he was so successful that he was called a "gentleman". His real estate was valued at $30,000, and his family had two domestic servants.

In 1821 John married Sarah Elizabeth Whitehill. They had six children: William, Samuel, Elizabeth, Mary Ann, Emma, and John. Sarah died in 1858. John died ten years later at the age of 86.

This information is from two books: Genealogy of the Barber Family and Genealogical Record of the Atlee Family.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Nov 30 2021, 16:55:08 UTC