Los Angeles County
Biographies
WILLIAM ALFRED BARKER
BARKER, WILLIAM ALFRED, Merchant,
Los Ange [sic] California, is a native of Owenburg, Indiana, born March 11, 1864, the son
of O. T. Barker and Arene (Record) Barker.
He married Pauline Berman, at Los Angeles, August 19, 1887, and to
them there were born two children, Everett, an art student, and Lawrence, now
attending Yale University.
Mr. Barker’s childhood was spent in his native Indiana
home, but at an early age his family moved to Colorado and it was in the public
schools of that State that he received his education. He prepared for college,
and in 1880 received an appointment from Colorado to the United States Naval
Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. He had nearly completed his studies when, in
1883, Congress passed an act limiting the classes to ten men only, because of a
surplus of naval officers. As a result of this action numerous cadets resigned
from the academy and Mr. Barker was among them.
Immediately after quitting Annapolis Mr. Barker went
to Los Angeles, California, whither his family had moved, and there went to
work in a small capacity for the firm of Barker and Allen, merchants, of which
his father was a member.
After a year with this firm Mr. Barker’s father
bought out Mr. Allen and organized the firm of O. T. Barker and
Sons, taking Mr. Barker in as one of the partners. The latter remained
with the firm for three years, working in various capacities, then withdrew in 1887 to work for the Milwaukee Furniture
Company in the capacity of general salesman.
In 1890 Mr. Barker organized the firm of Bailey and
Barker Bros. A year later Mr. Bailey retired and the firm name was changed
to Barker Bros., and Mr. W. A. Barker was acting as secretary
and treasurer of this firm until 1906.
He in that year organized the Pacific Purchasing Company,
one of the most ambitious concerns in the commercial history of the West. This
company owned seven wholesale and retail furniture stores, and for two years
was a tremendous success; its business being reputed to be the largest of the kind
in the country. In 1908, however, owing to the anti-trust agitation, it came
under the consideration of the Federal authorities. Mr. Barker was
president at that time. After a trial, which is historic in
corporation affairs, it was decided that the ownership of so many stores
constituted a monopoly in restraint of trade, and Mr. Barker willingly
bowed to the decree of the court and dissolved the concern.
His prominence in this matter made Mr. Barker one of the
most conspicuous business men on the Pacific Coast, his formation of the
purchasing company having shown him an executive organizer of exceptional
ability.
Following the dissolution of the Pacific Purchasing
Company Mr. Barker devoted his entire attention to the business of Barker
Brothers, and in 1910 was elected to the presidency of the firm, a position he
still occupies. He has been a director of the Merchants National Bank for
years.
Mr. Barker has been a director and office holder in
several mining and oil enterprises, and retains interests in some of the
substantial ones. He has also been conspicuous in the politics of Los Angeles,
but outside of serving on the executive staff of the city and county central
committees, has never been a public official.
He quit political work in 1907, after seventeen years in
the arena, but he still retains a keen interest, as a layman, in the destinies
of his party, besides being concerned in the progress of the city.
Mr. Barker has crossed the American continent eighty-two times, a record
equaled by few persons.
He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the
Merchants and Manufacturers Association of Los Angeles, and holds memberships
in the University, Jonathan, California, Los Angeles Athletic and Los Angeles
Country Clubs.
Transcribed by Marie Hassard
16 March 2011.
Source: Press
Reference Library, Western Edition Notables of the West, Vol. I, Page 622,
International News Service, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Boston, Atlanta. 1913.
© 2011 Marie Hassard.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES BIOGRAPIES