Biographical Sketches of Black Hawk County p. 418-419 JOHN BARKER has been a resident of this county since December 1, 1861. He lived at Waterloo till March, 1862, when he settled on his present farm of eighty acres, on section 16, Lester Township. On his land a small log cabin had been erected, and a half acre of land broken when he first settled on it. His land is now under cultivation, and his residence is comfortable and commodious. Mr. Barker was born in Essex County, New York, August 22, 1820, and when he was four years old his parents, Samuel and Parmelia (Henderson) Barker, moved to Georgia, Vermont, then to Massachusetts, and three years later removed to Lower Canada. His father was born in England, and at the age of sixteen ran away from his home, coming to America, and was married in Shelburne, Vermont, his wife being a native of that place. He died in 1836. John Barker began to earn his own living at the early age of ten years. He was married in Randolph, Wisconsin, April 23, 1849, to Mrs. Sarah A. Presba, and to this union have been born two children—Frederick G., born February 9, 1850, died in Black Hawk County, May 24, 1874, and Alice J., born in Wisconsin, August 23, 1854, married Thomas Carns, of Lester Township, and has three children. Mrs. Barker was born in Lower Canada, May 2, 1821, and was there married to her first husband, John Presba, a native of New Hampshire, who died in Wisconsin in 1848, leaving four children—William, Ann, Betsey and James A., of whom William is the only one now living. Mrs. Barker is a daughter of William B. and Elizabeth Cory, who were natives of New Hampshire, living there till after their marriage when they removed to Lower Canada. Mr. Barker's Grandfather Henderson was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He was one of the old settlers in Vermont, in which State he resided till his death. In politics Mr. Barker is a Republican. He has served his township as trustee for one year, and has also filled the office of school director and road supervisor. He and his wife are members of the Free-Will Baptist church.