Alameda County
Biographies
TIMOTHY L. BARKER
No name in Oakland carried with it a closer identification with the pioneer days of California than that of Timothy L. Barker, a retired merchant. The history of his life, so closely interwoven with the era of development in the earlier days of the state, can not fail to interest the student of California's history. The Barker family was founded in America at a very early day, and its representatives in succeeding generations have been intimately identified with commercial and industrial interests in various sections of the country. The first of the name---which was then known as The Barker---came to this country from England in 1639 or 1640, locating on Long Island, N.Y., whence members of the family removed to Connecticut. In that state Mr. Barker's great-grandfather, grandfather and father, the two last-named being also called Timothy, were born. All engaged in agriculture, though Mr. Barker's father was also a shoemaker by trade. He resided for many years in the Stony Creek school district, Branford, New Haven county, Conn., where his death occurred at the age of eighty-four years. In politics he was a Democrat until the outbreak of the Civil war, after which he supported the principles advocated by the Republican party. Mr. Barker's grandfather served with the Continental army in the Revolutionary war. His son Timothy, father of the subject of this review, married Martha Leonard Griswold, a native of West Springfield, Mass., and the widow of a Mr. Griswold. Her father, Justin Leonard, was also a native of Massachusetts, where he was a farmer and lumber manufacturer. He also served in the Revolutionary war. Mrs. Barker, who died in Connecticut, was the mother of five children by her second marriage, namely: Timothy L., of this review; Justin L., of Auburn, N.Y.; Catherine, widow of Bishop Sheldon of San Francisco; Joseph, who served in the Sixth Connecticut Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war, and was killed at the battle of Big Bend, and Martha deceased.
Timothy
L. Barker was born in Branford, New Haven county,
Conn., March 13, 1828. He was reared to
manhood in his native state, attending the public schools there until he was
fourteen years of age, when he removed to Central, Cayuga county,
N.Y., where a half-brother and an uncle were engaged in merchandising. He was employed in his half-brother's store
until his identification with the Cayuga Joint Stock Company, after which his
career was transferred to California.
This company was organized by seventy-nine men residing in new York state, and incorporated in Central, N.Y., February
15, 1849. It immediately afterward
purchased the barque Belvidera,
and ,loading it with merchandise and provisions,
sailed from New York City February 28 following. The voyage around Cape Horn was made under
command of Captain Barney, and occupied seven months and twelve days. October 12 the party arrived at its
destination, San Francisco, nineteen of them going almost immediately to the
mines in the southern part of the state, and other going to the redwood
district to get out shakes. The company
erected two buildings on Stockton street in San
Francisco, one of which is still standing.
In February, 1850, the company was dissolved by mutual consent, a
trustee closing out the business. Two
member of the company died before its dissolution and were buried at the
expense of the corporation. It is of
interest to note the fact that upon the semi-centennial of their arrival in
California, October 12, 1899, Mr. Barker had the pleasure of inviting to dinner
at his home five of his old comrades in business, their names being as
follows: Hiram T. Graves, of Alameda,
since deceased; William M. Eddy, of Santa Barbara; A. J. Haight,
of Alameda; W. S. Lyon, of Suisun City, and Dr. W. A. Grover, of Berkeley,
since deceased. It was a time for
retrospection and reminiscence---a review of the path over which they had
passed from the pioneer days of the states to its present affluence and
prosperity.
Transcribed 6-1-15 Marilyn R. Pankey.
ญญญญSource: History
of the State of California & Biographical Record of Coast Counties,
California by Prof. J. M. Guinn, A. M., Pages 614-617. The Chapman
Publishing Co., Chicago, 1904.
ฉ 2015 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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