Union County, Ohio Biographies Project - Porter E. Barnes
PORTER E. BARNES
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Porter
E. Barnes of Richwood, Ohio, was the senior member of the firm of
Barnes & Rosette, agents for Louis Cook's celebrated carriages,
spring wagons, buggies and hand-made harness, J. B. Dennison &
Co.'s, Lexington, Ky., buggies, United States Carriage Co.'s buggies,
of Columbus, Ohio, the McCormick Harvester and Binder, and the Baker
Drill, in Union, Marion and Delaware Counties. This enterprising
firm is doing an extensive and successful business in Union and
surrounding counties, their object being to handle the best articles in
the market, and to make rapid and numerous sales, with small
profits. They do business in a prompt and honorable manner give
universal satisfaction, and fully merit the liberal patronage they now
enjoy. Mr. Barnes was born in the Empire State May 14, 1851, and
is a son of Porter and Eliza (Tucker) Barnes, natives of Massachusetts,
of English descent. His father emigrated from New York in 1855,
and settled at Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio, where be died in 1864.
He was a wealthy and influential farmer, and an extensive breeder of
and dealer in fine stock. The subject of this sketch attended
Hiram College, where the late James A, Garfield was President, and in
1868 graduated at Baldwin University, Syracuse, N. Y. In 1870, lie
engaged as shipping clerk for Camp, Randall & Co., in the grain and
flax business, at Warren, Ohio, and afterward conducted their branch
establishment at Richwood, Ohio, spending altogether eight years in
their employ, and in that time superintending the building of the flax
mill at Richwood. He is a member of Marion Chapter, and of the
Knights Templar, A., F. & A. M., a charter member of Richwood
Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and a Republican in polities. He
served three years as Township Clerk, and was a member of the Building
Committee of the Board of Education when the public school building was
erected. He was married in 1870, to Ophelia Herr of West Salem,
Wayne Co, Ohio. She was a daughter of Henry and Sarah ( Elgin)
Herr natives of Virginia, where her father owned a plantation and 400
slaves at the breaking-out of the war. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes have four
children, viz.: Alice D., Porter E., Earl R. and George H. Mr. Barnes
owns a handsome residence near the depot at Richwood, in which he and
his family reside.