Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Barber, Franklin E 1835 - 
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com May 5, 2007, 2:39 pm

Author: Portraits & Bio Sketches, 1890

FRANKLIN E. BARBER was born in this county in pioneer times, coming of a good 
old pioneer famity, and, reared to a stalwart, enterprising manhood, under the 
peculiar influences that obtained here in the days of his youths he stepped to 
the front to take his part in the great work of redeeming this section of the 
country from its primitive wildness, and has ever since borne an honorable 
part in sustaining and pushing forward its extensive agricultural interests as 
an active farmer and stock-raiser in DuPage Township. The subject of this 
notice was born in this county, August 25, 1835. He was a son of John and Emma 
(Perry) Barber, natives respectively of Vermont and Massachusetts. In 1832 
they emigrated from New England with their family to this part of Illinois, 
and Mr. Barber bought land in this township, on section 2, when the Government 
sale took place, purchasing both Government and canal land, paying $1.25 for 
the former and a higher price for the latter. His land consisted of prairie 
and timber, and he turned the first furrow and erected a log house and log 
barn, making a dwelling of the former for a number of years. He resided here 
till his death, December 19, 1876, which removed from our midst a 
representative pioneer and a highly honorable useful citizen. The mother of 
our subject had preceded him in death, dying on May 2, 1874. They were the 
parents of a large family of children, of whom four are known to survive, 
namely: Royal E., of Joliet; Caroline, wife of L. B. Anderson, of Michigan; 
Jane, wife of Milton Elsworth, of Wheaton; and Franklin E. The father was a 
man of considerable prominence in the county, and served for a time as Deputy 
Sheriff. He was in early life a Whig, but he afterward cast in his fortune 
with the Republican party. He was successful in life, financially, and left a 
comfortable estate. Like all pioneers, his early life here was one of 
sacrifice and often of privation. The subject of this biographical review was 
reared in this township, and received the preliminaries of his education in 
the local schools, and subsequently attended the High School at Joliet for a 
short time. Since then he has advanced his education by observation and by 
reading, as he is a great lover of good books. He was trained to the life of a 
farmer, and obtained a sound, practical knowledge of his calling, which he 
still pursues very profitably. He owns over two hundred acres of excellent 
farming land, which is well cultivated and yields large harvests, and is amply 
provided with substantial buildings for every purpose. To the one to whom he 
owes so much of the comfort and coziness of a good home, he was united in 
marriage September 2, 1867, the maiden name of his bride being Adelaide 
Valentine. They have five children, namely: Emma, wife of C. H. Totson; Etta 
F., Edward, Jessie and Frankie. Mr. Barber bears a fine reputation in his old 
home as being a practical man, of stanch principles and stability of purpose, 
whose word is never doubted; one in whom his neighbors place implicit trust, 
who, in short, is a credit to his native county and is bearing worthily the 
mantle of his pioneer sire. He has been Township Clerk, and has held the 
office of Constable. Politically, he is classed with the most earnest 
supporters of the Republican party. Religiously, he and his wife are 
Presbyterians, strong in the faith, and are among the most zealous members of 
the church of that denomination in this place.

Additional Comments:
Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page 
Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens 
of the County; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890 
 


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