Pioneers of Marion County by Wm. Wm. M. Donnel, 1872

Francis A. Barker

The next person whose experience as a pioneer, deserves particular notice, was Francis A. Barker. He was born near Poughkeepsie, Dutchess county, Virginia, April 2d, 1798. In his nineteenth year he went to West Virginia, where he engaged in teaching for about two years. In 1820 he went to Morgan county, Ohio, where he married in 1827, and here, after being variously engaged in business, he failed, and surrendered all his possessions for the benefit of his creditors, and, with a large family, came to Iowa, without a dollar with which to begin the world anew.

Thus poorly armed against the privations inseparable from frontier life, he was even less prepared for the afflictions that fell upon him through sickness and death.

It was late in October, 1844, when he reached the locality that he immediately chose for a home. This was section 14, Clay township, on the south side of the Des Moines river. Having obtained a house in the neighborhood in which to shelter his family for a short time, he set about improving his claim, but, in consequence of sickness among his children, it was not till two years later that he got a house of his own ready for occupation.

During this period the sickness in his family resulted in the death of two of his children, a son and a daughter. It was at such a time as this that the troubles incident to comparative isolation from society and the conveniences of a more populous settlement were most severely felt. The only neighbors within convenient call was the family of Matthew Ruple, half a mile distant; the nearest post office and store were at Oskaloosa, fifteen miles distant. Even lumber was so scarce that it was found difficult to procure enough fit to make a coffin, and, for want of help, the burying clothes for the dead children were made up by the bereaved mother and sisters.

It was in November, 1844, that Mr. Barker went on his first milling trip to Brighton, Van Buren county. Leaving a limited supply of provisions at home, it was necessary to make the trip as speedily as possible. The Des Moines was then fordable at Tally's where he crossed it; but a cold rain came down in such quantities as to flood the creeks and sloughs to a dangerous depth. In undertaking to ford a large slough below Wah's point, the cattle were unable to ascend the abrupt bank with the wagon, and in their struggles to do so, one of them was thrown down so as to be in imminent danger of drowning. To extricate the animal as speedily as need be, Mr. B. was compelled to get into the water waist deep. After much effort he succeeded in disengaging them from the wagon, when they immediately landed. But as the wind was blowing a freezing gale and not a sign of shelter short of five miles distant, our hero felt that something must be done to save himself, and the only thing that could be done to that end was to keep moving. So he put the oxen before him, and, with whip in hand, forced them in a rapid trot, he following them closely, which abated not till a house was reached. This run of five miles kept him from freezing, for the weather was so cold that his wet clothing stiffened about his limbs.

It was now late in the day, and nothing could be done toward moving the wagon till morning. So Mr. Barker remained over night, and next morning his host accompanied him out to the scene of his adventure, and assisted him to haul the wagon out of the slough, from which the water had fallen so much as to render the undertaking less difficult than it would otherwise have been.

After much delay in obtaining his needed supply of wheat and corn, which he had to buy, and in getting it ground, Mr. Barker set out for home, which he reached after about a month's absence.

Mr. Barker relates that on making another milling pilgrimage in the autumn of '45, he attempted the passage of the large prairie below Oskaloosa, during the night, but got bewildered, and next morning found himself several miles out of the way.

In '46 Mr. Barker was elected probate judge of Marion county, and re-elected to the same office in '47. In '63, owing to age and failing health, he disposed of the estate that he had accumulated by years of toil and many hardships, and passed the remainder of his days in quiet retirement in the city of Knoxville.*

* He died at his residence there, Jan. 17, 1871, aged 73 years.