Crenshaw County AlArchives Biographies.....Barnes, J. M. February 10 1836 - 
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Ann Anderson alabammygrammy@aol.com May 18, 2004, 10:30 am

Author: Brant & Fuller (1893)
    J. M. BARNES, a Christian minister, and president of Highland Home college,
was born in Montgomery county, Ala., February 10, 1836. He is a son of Alkana
and Mary (Lumpkin) Barnes, the former born in Prince George's county, Md., in
1797, and the latter in Lancaster county, S. C., in. 1811. Mr. Barnes was reared
from the age of seven years in Edgefield district, S. C., receiving a limited
education, and afterward moving to Montgomery county, Ala., where he was one of
the early settlers. He married and spent the rest of his life in Montgomery
county, dying December 18, 1861, and Mrs. Barnes dying August 25, 1891 at
Highland Home. Both were members of the Christian church, she from 1825 and was
reputed to be one of the best bible scholars of the day. She was a very active
and influential christian worker. Mr. Barnes was a carpenter, built the first
mill and the first two court houses in Butler county, and many houses in
Montgomery county. He accumulated a considerale fortune by working at the bench,
and afterward became an extensive planter; he was a man of great independence
and was very proud of his native state. His father, Henry Barnes, was also born
in Prince George's county, whence he removed to South Carolina, where he died.
His father was a native of Holland, and served as a captain in the Revolutionary
war. The maternal grandfather of J. M. Barnes, Thomas Lumpkin, was born in
Virginia and removed to South Carolina, where he married, and at an early date
removed to Montgomery county, Ala., living some years above Montgomery and also
some years in the twenties in what has since been known as Lumpkin Hall, near
Strata, where he died about 1838. He was a well educated man, a practical and
prosperous farmer, a man of great influence and active in public matters. J. M.
Barnes was the third of two sons and four daughters, viz.: Lumpkin; Jane, died
in infancy; J. M.; Mirianna, deceased; Frances M., widow of the late Col. M. L.
Kirkpatrick; Mary E., wife of Prof. Samuel Jordan, of Highland Home college. J.
M. Barnes was reared on a farm in the woods. He received his early education at
home and in the vicinity, graduating from Bethany college, Va. He then engaged
in teaching at Strata, Ala., where he taught until his father's death, after
which he took charge of the estate until the close of the war. He again engaged
in teaching at Strata, where he built up a splendid school and associated
himself with his two brothers-in-law, mentioned above. Not finding Strata
congenial to their health, they, in 1881, removed their school to Rocky Mount,
where they founded Highland Home institute, which began its first session on the
first Monday in November, 1881, with about seventy pupils, which number was
increased to over 100 the first year. The school steadily increased in patronage
and successs until 1889, when it was formally chartered as Highland Home
college, with Prof. J. M. Barnes as president, Prof. Samuel Jordan as principal,
and Col. M. L. Kirkpatrick in charge of the preparatory department. The main
building is 50x100 feet in size. There is a fine campus of eight acres
surrounding the buildings. This college is in a prosperous condition and is one
of the most popular educational institutions in the state. It has been built up
solely by the efforts of the above named three persons. Prof. Barnes has been
regularly ordained minister of the Christian church since 1865, and has
organized and helped to support more churches than any other person in the
state. He is known for his energetic working in the cause of religion and also
of education. During the last year of the war he belonged to the state troops
and was stationed at Pollard for a few months; but was not called into active
service. He was married in 1869 to Miss Lucy R. Culler, daughter of John and
Ruth Culler; the latter of whom was born at Cusseta, Ala., but who was reared
and educated in South Carolina. She died March 10, 1877; leaving one son, Prof.
E. R. Barnes, now a professor in the college. In 1879 Prof. Barnes married
Ethel, daughter of Rev. John and Sally Rawdon, natives of South Carolina, whence
they removed to Alabama. Mr. Rawdon was a Baptist minister for many years, and a
wealthy planter. He died at Childersburg, in 1861. His, widow is still living.
Mrs. Barnes was born and educated at Talledega and is the mother of six children.



Additional Comments:
from "Memorial Record of Alabama", Vol. I, p. 767-768
Published by
Brant & Fuller (1893)
Madison, WI

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