References:
(1) Pioneers of the Virginias; page 170.
(2) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 88.
* * *
Historical Notes:
THE ISAAC BARKER FAMILY OF BOONE COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
By Sigfus Olafson
507 Kanawha Avenue
Madison, West Virginia 25130"The following account is based upon a historical sketch of the family and
descendants of Isaac Barker, which was published in a newspaper in 1894. To
this has been added material obtained from records of vaious kinds and from
other sources."Isaac barker was born in Buckingham County, Virginia, in 1782, just a
year after the surrender of Cornwallis to Washington at Yorktown. His
grandfather James Barker, is said to have been present at Braddock's Defeat
near Pittsburgh, July 9th, 1755. There are traditions that Isaac Barker
participated in the Indian Wars, but they must refer to his father or
grandfather, for Indian fighting had ended in Buckingham County before he was
born, and he was only twelve years old when Wayne's victory at Fallen Timbers
finally ended the Indian Wars in the Ohio Valley."Isaac Barker married Spicy Scott in Buckingham County about 1803, and two
children, Eliza and Sarah were born to them there, the latter dying in infancy.
In 1807 or 1808, but in all likelihood in the fall of 1807, they left
Buckingham County and settled near the mouth of White Oak Creek below Peytona,
in what was then Kanawha County, The historical sketch referred to states that
he came there in 1811, but ample documentary evidence exists showing that he
was there at least three years earlier."It is often claimed that Isaac Barker was the first settler in Boone
County, but this does not appear to be the case. John or Daniel Toney had
settled at the mouth of Toney's Branch, as early as 1793, and various hunters,
trappers and ginseng diggers had lived in the county at different times, among
them a family of Droddys who lived on Droddy creek for a while in the 1790's
Thomas Price and several families of Ballards and their relatives had settled
in the vincinity of Madison and Danville, Thomas Workman on Spruce Fork, James
Workman and William McNeely on Pond Fork, and perhaps also some others.
However, he was the first in his particular area and it was a days journey by
the buffalo traces which the Indians used as paths, to reach the nearest
settlement on the Kanawha River, that of Leonard (Len) Morris at the mouth of
Len's Creek."He did not remain alone in the neighborhood very long, for in 1809, John
Dolin, who had married his sister Mary, came and settled near him, where he
remained for two or three years and then moved to Camp Creek. The same year,
1809, John Kinder married Mary Ward in Kanawha County and settled at the mouth
of Brush Creek, two or three miles below Isaac Barker. The census taken in
1810 showed the following families living on Big Coal River: Barnebas Green
near Seth; John F. Poindexter and Carey Toney at the mouth of Toney's Branch;
Isaac Barker; John Dolin; John Kinder; and Marshall Bowman, the latter a
Revolutionary soldier who lived near the lower end of the County."When Isaac Barker came to Big Coal River, game of all kinds were very
plentiful except buffalo, which was getting scare. G. W. Atkinson in his
"Hisotry of Kanawha County," published in 1876, says that the last buffalo in
West Virginia was killed on Coal River in 1825. Tradition says that John Dolin
killed this buffalo on Bull Creek. Tradition also says that Isaac Barker
killed a white bear, which must have been an albino specimen of the common
black bear, a very rare animal. Like other pioneers, his main interest was
farming, but in the early years hunting and fishing were even more important in
securing a livlihood. As no roads existed, farm produce could not be
transported to market. The pioneer therefor had to rely on furs and ginsing,
which could be taken to market on packhorses, to secure the money to purchase
the necessities from the outside world which he could not produce or
manufacture himself. Isaac Barker was no exception to this rule and is well
known to have been a great hunter."The land Isaac Barker settled on was part of a tract of 93,000 acres which
had been patented by Robert James in 1795, and which covered most of the lower
portion of Big and Little Coal Rivers except for some grants previously issued
to Revolutionary Soldiers. Among the latter was one belonging to james
Byrneside, who for some time lived at Lewisburg. Soon after coming there,
Isaac Barker purchased the tract where he had settled from Samuel D. Honeyman,
who was an agent for the owner, Robert James. Later he purchased the Byrneside
tract, presumably having to go to Lewisburg for that purpose. The historical
sketch referred to states that Lewisburg was then the County seat but this is
an error, as Greenbrier County never extended west of Kanawha or New River.
Kanawha County was formed in 1789 with Charleston as the County seat, and it is
there that Isaac Barker's deeds are recorded, and his home was within that
county from the time he settled there until 1847, when Boone County was formed.
Presumably his journey to Lewisburg to purchase the Byrneside land gave rise to
the tradition that he had to go there because it was the county seat."When the Civil War broke out, most of the people of Boone County
sympathized with the aided the Confederate cause. An exception was the Peytona
area. The Barker's and the families with which they had intermarried were all
staunch Union men."Company B, 8th Loyal Virginia Infantry, was organized at Peytona in the
fall of 1861. When West Virginia was separated from Virginia in 1863, the
name of this regiment was changed to the 7th West Virginia Cavalry. In Company
B, were two of Isaac Barker's sons and no less than thirteen of his grandsons,
as well as the husbands of several of his grand-daughters."Isaac Barker died in 1869 at the age of 87, his wife having died 20 years
earlier. This couple had twelve children who grew to maturity and reared
families, and there were 100 grandchildren by 1880. The number of their
descendants in Boone County is now very great and they have spread to many
other localities, and perhaps to a majority of the States.Soon after Isaac Barker settled on Big Coal River, Joseph Barker settled
on Big Creek in Logan County. He was originally from Buckingham County, and
had lived for some time in Bedford and Franklin County, Virginia, before coming
to Logan. As he was from the same county originally, it is not unlikely that
he was related to Isaac Barker. His son, John Anthony Barker, married Isaac's
daughter Nancy.*******************************************************************************
The Following article appeared in the Peytona Herald, Thursday, July 26th,
1894:"THE BARKER FAMILY"
"Isaac Barker, the progenitor of the Barker's in Peytona Magisterial
District and surrounding country, who are very numerous, as may be seen by the
list which follows, caome here in the fall of 1811. (?) It is said that he
was on the way from Buckingham County to Kentucky. He was a skillful hunter,
and had heard of the plentifulness of wild game in that State, and started out
there to gratify his liking for a wild life."He was not overstocked with worldly "welf" one account says that he
brought with him only one horse; another that he had two and sold one for corn.
It is said that Isaac, his wife Spicy and their two children, Eliza and James
were accompanied by a friend who had a horse. He came as a friend, and when
they reached Lower White Oak creek their friend returned to Buckingham county."The reason Mr. Barker settled where he did was because he found wild
game, buffaloes, deer, bears, wolves, turkeys, etc., so abundant that he
probably thought, like Robinson Crusoe, that he was here "monarch of all he
surveyed," and had better make a permanent lodgment."So he erected a small cabin, into which he put his wife and two children,
and afterwards built another about 18 by 20 feet in size, into which he moved
from the lesser one, using the latter as a kitchen. In comparison his house
was rather an aristocratic one for a new settler, for, most frequently, the
first built cabins of the pioneers consisted of a single room years after
they "squatted.""Isaac Barker was, literally, a "squatter," for he did not own the land on
which he built. But afterwards he purchased 75 acres of a Mr. Hunneman, and
later purchased of Mr. Burnside a large tract, so that both "bounds" contained
640 acres, beside a large tract, so that both "bounds" contained 640 acres."Mr. Barker's neighbors were few and far between when he came into this
wilderness. He had to go to Brownstown, 17 miles, over an abandoned Indian
trail, then up the Kanawha river to Paint Creek, 20 miles, where he purchased
corn till he could raise a crop. He paid one dollar a bushel for corn. Then
he returned home with the corn on the back of his beast. He had to go to
Joseph Thomas' grist mill, 20 miles, on the Upper Falls of Coal River, to get
his corn ground. Thus, he had to trave 114 miles for a grist of meal!"On these expeditions Mr. Barker had his rifle with him, and kept himself
well supplied with game, on which he principally subsisted. He had to hobble
his horse where he camped at night, so that he could not stray away, and put a
bell on him to give notice of his whereabouts next morning. Bob - for that was
his name was perfectly welcome to browse on whatever he could find that was
palatable. Mr. Barker made himself a boothe of brush into which he crawled
with his sack of corn to sleep at night, after partaking of his supper of game
which he cooked in the ashes of his out door fire. In the morning he would
arise, eat his frugal meal and wash not have coffee oftener than once a week,
and, probably Isaac's cabin was conspicuous for the absence of coffee. Then he
would saddle old "Bob" and proceed on his way."That is not the way we do things nowadays! How changed are affairs with
us!"Now, again, remember, that all the while Isaac was away form home on
these expeditions providing breadstuff his wife was alone with her three little
ones - for Joseph Henley was born Christmas Day, 1811, only a few weeks after
the arrival of the family in their new home. What a brave and patient woman
she was! Her nearest neighbor was at Brownstown, 17 miles away, and as for the
good they could do her, they might as well have been forty miles away."But such, or similar had been pioneer life in America for more than
150 years, and from that day to this isolated pioneers have experienced similar
deprivations."Isaac was a very busy man this first year in the wilderness, hunting game
and breadstuff to support his family. He wielded his axe to some purpose, for
with it he felled the trees and made an opening in the primeval forests wherein
to raise a beautiful crop of corn in 1812. Year after year the opening was
made wider. And all these years other pioneers were moving in around him till
the sound of axes resounded through the wild woods from settlement to
settlement."When the earliest settlers made themselves homes in the woods, wolves
were so bold that they would come within a few yards of the lonely cabin and
snatch the bones of the wild, which had been thrown out as offal and crunch
them within hearing of the inmates of the cabin."When Mr. Barker had gathered a sufficient number of pelts to take to the
market he would place them on the back of patient "Bob" and with his trusty
rifle and faithful dogs, proceed to Lewisburg, then the county seat of Kanawha,
now of Greenbriar County. (Note: Lewisburg was not the county seat of Kanawha
at this late date, as Kanawha was formed in 1789.) There he would exchange
his pelts for lead, sulphur, and other articles of the very first necessity and
hurry home."He made his own gun powder. He burned charcoal, leached salt peter,
which he found in abundance in the rocks near the mount of Lick Creek, not more
than a mile from his cabin, where there is a cave that goes by the name of Salt
Peter to this day. Then he pulverized the charcoal, mixed in the sulphur and
salt peter and made powder good enough for his or any other rifle."A bear's hide which would square a yard brought five dollars and on rare
occasions Mr. Barker secured bears the hides of which, when cut in two, squared
a yard, and brought him ten dollars each. Then, after a while, he received
then dollars for an old wolf's scalp, and half that amouont for a young one's.
The woods were full of coons. Their pelts brought 25 cents each, beavers and
otters were pletiful and their furs were valuable. He received 16 2/3 cents a
pound for deer hides. He was so skillful a hunter that his pelts brought him
more money than he required. In after years he raised cattle, which cost him
very little, as grass and wild peas grew spontaneously and the cattle throve
beyond account. The surplus proceeds of the chase and cattle raising he turned
into gold and silver, which he hoarded. During the late war wo men came to his
cabin and stole several hundred dollars, which he never recovered."On one occasion Isaac killed a white bear, the only one known to have been
killed in this portion of the country. His dogs treed it and he proceeded to a
knoll nearly one mile south of his residence. Arrived on the knob he found a
large white animal with red ears in a dead white oak tree. Never having seen a
white bear he was at a loss to make out what sort of a "Varmit" (vermin,
properly speaking), it was, and hesitated to shoot it. However, he took
courage and let drive a bullet into it and it fell to the ground dead."On another occasion, when he was threshing wheat, he heard a hog squeal,
not far away, and on following it saw it in the affectionate embrace of a large
bear. One the impulse of a moment Mr. Barker seized a dead dogwood stub about
four or five inches through, twisted it off near the ground and struck the bear
a violent blow on the head, which stunned it for a time. Isaac turned and ran,
the bear came to and made for the woods. The hog was not seriously hurt."Isaac Barker departed this life at a very advanced age. He was not an
educated man. Judging from the fact that he was enlisted as a soldier in the
Indian War the later part of the last century, it is fair to say that he was
nearly if not quite one hundred years old, when he died in 1872 (actually
1869), His wife Spicy died in 1852.
References:
(1) Pioneers of the Virginias; page 219.
(2) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 96.
References:
(1) Pioneers of the Virginias: Page 162.
(2) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Hager Barker, page 123.
Historical Notes:
(1) John and Mary Dolin came to Kanawha County around 1809, and settled near
Isaac Barker at the mouth of White Oak Creek below Peytona. A few years later
John Dolin moved his family to Camp Creek, living near Jacob Barker who had
changed his name to Jacob Welch. John Dolin was appointed an executor of Jacob
Welch's estate in 1829, this appointment being made by Jacob in his will.
Therefore it appears there was a close kinship between Jacob Barker and Mary
Dolin. John and Mary Dolin died between 1850-1860, and are probably buried on
Camp Creek.
References:
(1) Pioneers of the Virginias: Page 162.
(2) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Hager Barker, page 123.
References:
(1) Kith and Kin; vol. v, page 125.
References:
(1) Kith and Kin; vol. v, page 125.
References:
(1) Kith and Kin; vol. v, page 132.
(2) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 87.
References:
(1) Pioneers of the Virginias; page 163.
(2) Kith and Kin; vol. v, page 132.
References:
(1) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 87.
References:
(1) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 87.
References:
(1) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 87.
References:
(1) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 87.
References:
(1) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 87.
References:
(1) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 87.
References:
(1) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 87.
References:
(1) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 87.
References:
(1) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 87.
References:
(1) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 87.
References:
(1) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 80.
References:
(1) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 80.
References:
(1) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, Janet Barker Hager, page 80.
References;
(1) Personal Knowledge of Mrs. Vivian Pittman, of Sylvester, West Virginia.
(2) Family Bible of Mrs. Minerva Barker of Sylvester, West Virginia.
References:
(1) The Barker Family of Southern West Virginia, page 80.
(2) Birth Records of Boone County, 1865-1880, page 69.
(3) Personal Knowledge of Mrs. Samantha A. Barker, of Sylvester, West Virginia.
(4) The Family Bible of Nancy Minerva Williams Barker, in possession of
Samantha A. Barker of Sylvester, West Virginia.(5) Pioneers of the Virginias; page 163.
(6) Information supplied by Mr. Ronnie Graybeal of Salt Lake City, Utah.