Contra Costa-El Dorado County CA Archives Biographies.....Farmer, Matthew  1820 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 31, 2007, 7:59 pm

Author: Lewis Publishing Co. (1891)

MATTHEW ROOT BARBER, fruit-raiser near Martinez and an old and respected pioneer
of the county, was born August 7, 1815, in Delaware County, Ohio, son of Joseph
Barber, of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and Clara, daughter of Rev. Daniel Kent,
of Benson, Vermont. When he was two years old his parents moved to Bond County,
Illinois, where they were engaged in farming and stock-raising. Losing both his
parents when young, he was taken by the family of Hon. Elam Brown, of Morgan
County, Illinois, to bring up. He obtained the usual common-school education and
at the age of twenty-one started out in the world for himself. He followed
farming and wagon-making until March 15 1849, when he joined a train for the
Golden State. After a weary journey of six months, he stopped at Hangtown and
followed mining in that vicinity for a short time; then he engaged in the
redwood lumber trade near San Antonio, then in Conta [sic] Costa County. He
wrote tickets at the residence of Hon. Elam Brown for the election of delegates
to form a State Constitution; also wrote tickets for the election of the first
county officers. The county then included also Alameda County. After that he
followed the carpenter's trade, building several of the first houses in
Martinez, some of which are still standing. On February 14,1851, he returned to
Illinois by way of the Isthmus and New Orleans, and brought overland his family
and a drove of cattle, arriving at Martinez August 22, 1852. During the ensuing
fall he purchased his present beautiful place, then consisting of unbroken hills
and plains with no improvements, two miles from Martinez. Upon his fine farm he
now raises a variety of excellent fruit, including grapes, which alone occupy an
area of fifty acres. Mr. Barber was elected to the office of Public
Administrator for four successive terms, as shown by the records. His marriage
to Miss Orpha Bean, of Pike County, Illinois, took place November 14, 1837, and
their children are: Maria B., born December 30, 1838, is now Mrs. Lander, of
Martinez; William II., born February 8, 1841, deceased; Daniel N., born August
5, 1843, deceased; Elam B., born June 13, 1847; and Clara E., born January 29,
1849, is deceased. Her first husband was Hon. George W. Bailey, of Martinez, and
her second husband was Judge James E. Goodall, of Bodie, California.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from

Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California.

Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast
from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with
Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of
Prominent Citizens of To-day.

"A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendents." – Macauley.

CHICAGO
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1891.


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