John Barnett

BARNETT, WOLFE

Posted By: Jeanne King (email)
Date: 2/27/2007 at 18:28:08

Biographical History of Montgomery and Adams Counties, Iowa. 
Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892.

John Barnett, of section 10, Douglas township, Adams county, was born February 22, 1814, in Washington county, Pennsylvania. He is the son of John Barnett, a Scotch-Irishman, born in the north of Ireland, and Margaret (Laferty) Barnett, and is one of a family of four sons and four daughters, all of whom have passed away save the subject of our sketch. The parents died in Belmont county, Ohio, they having moved to that place when John was a babe in arms. There he lived until he was twenty. He then went to Richland county, Ohio. He received his education in the public schools of the Buckeye State, and in his younger days was engaged in teaching for several terms. In 1850 he made the overland trip to California, and for two years gave his attention to mining and mercantile pursuits in the Golden State, with fair success.
In 1854 Judge Barnett came to Adams county, Iowa, and settled where he now resides. He was married the same year to Miss Elizabeth Wolf. They have had no children of their own, but have been father and mother to three little ones left to their care: Barnett L. Jones was left without a mother when a young child; he was taken by Judge and Mrs. Barnett and reared to manhood; he is now a dealer in general merchandise in Carbon, Iowa; Jessie and Emma, two nieces, were left motherless in infancy and found a home with our subject and wife; they have grown to maturity and Jessie is married to Morris T. Campbell, a prosperous business man, now postmaster of Carbon, Iowa; Emma is at home, surrounded by all the comforts of life.
The Judge owns 1,400 acres of land which is among the finest tracts in the county, and by many is regarded as the finest. It is well adapted to general farming, producing good crops of everything raised in this latitude. It is also well fitted for stock-raising. His commodious two-story residence is beautifully locate on a natural building site. On his land are numerous houses for his tenants, of whom he has several. He has two large barns, each 60 x 40 feet, [besides] a number of outbuildings. In fact, all the conveniences of a well-kept farm are found here. He has twelve acres in orchard and five acres of artificial grove. The Judge has given much attention to the raising of fine stock. He has a herd of graded shorthorn cattle; is engaged in breeding Cleveland Bays, having a fine imported stallion of that breed; raises Poland-China hogs; and has heretofore engaged largely in sheep-raising, having usually about 800 head.
In 1855 John Barnett was elected County of Probate Judge, and served one term. He has served on the Board of Supervisors, been Justice of the Peace, Township Clerk etc. In politics he was and is still a Democrat. During the war he tendered his services to the Government, but was never mustered into the service. Judge Barnett is well preserved for one of his age, although he has had two partial strokes of paralysis. A man of the strictest integrity, always genial and courteous, he has a limitless circle of friends and truly merits the respect and esteem he receives from all who know him.