U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Barnes, Jacob P. (b. 1842) --------------------------------------------------------------------- A History of Preston County West Virginia Biographical Department, Supplied by J. R. Cole Kingwood, W. Va., The Journal Publishing Company, 1914 by H. S. Whetsell Pages 695-698, JACOB P. BARNES. A great number of Preston county residents came from Fayette county, Pennsylvania. Among these was Jacob P. Barnes, a merchant of Brandonville, who was born July 21, 1842, two miles north of Somerfield, in the farm house now owned and occupied by Mrs. Noah Lancaster and her heirs. His grandfather, Peter Barnes, was born in Saxony, Germany, in 1772. He came to America with his parents in 1779. They located in the wilds of Pennsylvania, in what is now Bedford county, where Peter grew up to manhood, then went to Somerset county where he met and married Elizabeth Burger and settled there. Elizabeth Burger was of an old, prominent family of German ancestry. Her father, mother and brothers moved from Somerset county, Pennsylvania, to Ohio, and settled in Holmes, Tuscarawas and Coshocton counties, and were among the first settlers of that country. Here their descendants have been holding annual reunions for many years that are largely attended by relatives scattered over many states. Eleven children were born to Peter and Elizabeth Barnes: Barbara, Elizabeth, Peter, John, Jacob, David, Christopher, Mary, Catherine, Diana and Sarah. Peter Barnes went to the state of Indiana and never married. Daniel married and located near Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Barbara married A. J. Stanton and settled in Pennsylvania. Sarah married Allen Spear and settled in Pennsylvania also. Christopher married and settled in Ohio. Diana remained single. Jacob went west when the western country was first being settled and was never heard from. Catherine remained unmarried. John Barnes, father of J. P. Barnes, was born October 16, 1803, in Berlin, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, When he was a boy there were no free schools. They had what they called subscription schools, where each pupil had to pay fifty or seventy-five cents per month tuition, and, because the country was sparsely settled, they had to go long distances to school. With so many disadvantages, John Barnes, nevertheless, acquired a fair education for that day. By trade he was a carpenter and cabinetmaker. On December 28, 1828, John Barnes married Nancy Ann Cook, a daughter of Jacob Cook of Wellersbury, Pennsylvania, where he was born August 19, 1803. Her father was of German and English extraction and one of the pioneers of that region, and a prominent business man. He had two sons, Jacob and George, and one daughter, Nancy Ann. After marriage, John Barnes located in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, where he lived, farming and plying his trade until the death of his wife, February 9, 1889. Of this union eight children were born: (1) Angeline, October 25, 1829; (2) Cintha, May 31, 1832; (3) Anne, May 16, 1834; (4) William Jasper, December 25, 1836; (5) John Andrew, August 8, 1838; (6) Nancy Jane, April 29, 1840; (7) Jacob Peter, June 21, 1842; (8) Mary Elizabeth, January 21, 1846. Cintha, John, Andrew and Anne died in infancy. The father lived nearly ninety-four years and was able to walk without the use of a cane until his last illness and death, which occurred February 16, 1897. He was a Democrat all of his life and voted at every Presidential election from 1824 to 1896. He and his wife were devoted members of the M. E. Church from their youngest days until their death. Jacob Peter Barnes, the seventh child of John Barnes, was reared on the farm and attended the country schools until he was eighteen years old. By this time he had acquired sufficient education to teach, but on account of his youthfulness he failed to acquire a school until three years later, when he was employed by the school board of H. Clay Township to teach the Flanigan School, near Confluence, Pennsylvania, which he taught successfully. The better to fit himself for a teacher, he attended the Normal School at Centerville, Pennsylvania. Later, while visiting relatives in Ohio, he became interested in the superior advantages offered there and entered the high school in Millersburg, taking two terms. He taught two terms in that state, one in Coshocton and the other in Farmerstown. He then returned to Pennsylvania and taught his home school one term, then came to Preston county and taught two terms. Here he met Sarah Ann Guthrie, a daughter of James Guthrie, and married her August 27, 1868. She was born February 21, 1847. In 1869, he bought the Prospect Hill farm, where he lived when a boy. Here he managed the farm, working on it during the summer and teaching in the winter for eight consecutive years. On January 30, 1880, his wife died, leaving him the care of six small children, for whom he did the best he could until June 17, 1880, when he married Amanda Jane Harshbarger, a school teacher, born June 9, 1860. She was the daughter of David K. Harshbarger, who was born December 27, 1825, and came from Mt. Solon in the Valley of Virginia to Preston county, where he settled near Brandonville. After farming Prospect Hill Farm for fifteen years, Mr. Barnes sold it in the spring of 1884, and bought the William Hagans farm near Bruceton Mills, where he lived twelve years. He sold this farm to B. F. Huggins, and in February, 1896, bought the Hagans property in Brandonville, consisting of the stone dwelling and brick store building, and later has purchased other land and property in connection with this, where he still resides as a farmer and merchant. The dwelling furnishes hotel accommodations. Six children were born of Mr. Barnes' first marriage, and five of his second marriage, namely: (1) Lillie Irene, born June 5, 1869, married Baltus DeWitt, a jeweler of Terra Alta. They had one child, Lillian, now dead. The father is dead also. (2) Virginia Barbara, born February 12, 1871, married William A. Thornton, superintendent of DuQuesne Steel Works, and resides at DuQuesne, Pennsylvania. They have two children: Raymond and Helen. (3) James Quinter, born May 7, 1873, a jeweler. He married Laura Cole, and resides at DuQuesne also. (4) William Harrison, born May 2, 1875. He is a cashier of a bank in Pittsburg, and is unmarried. (5) John Jacob, born October 22, 1877, married Mattie Mosser, is a merchant at Clifton Mills and has two children, Ralph and Edith. (6) Sarah Alice, born January 23, 1880, is a teacher, is unmarried and resides at Bruceton Mills. Mr. Barnes' children by his second marriage are as follows: (1) Vida, born March 27, 1881, married David Earl Cuppett, attorney at law, and resides at Thomas, West Virginia. They have one child, Reardon Stewart Cotton. (2) Nannie, born December 15, 1882, married Charles E. Burner, mine superintendent, VanVoorhis, Pennsylvania. They have one child, Grant Irwin. (3) Walter Scott, born June 4, 1886, unmarried. He resides at Braddock, Pennsylvania, and is clerk there in the Braddock Steel Mills. (4) Russel Emerson, born March 15, 1891, unmarried, and resides at home. (5) Leslie Virgil, born March 3, 1893, unmarried, and resides at home. Mr. Barnes has taken great interest in the training and educating his children. Nine of the older ones have been school teachers. Five are graduates of the California State Normal, Washington county, Pennsylvania. --------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Preston County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/preston/bios.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------