J. S. BARNETT
J. S. Barnett was duly elected sheriff in the fall of 1869, and served two years. J. S. Barnett, son of D. A. and May (Linn) Barnett, was born in Belleville, Richland county, Ohio, August 18, 1842. His father died in this county in 1867. His mother died in Ohio, in 1844. In 1855 he moved with his father to Iowa and entered land in sections 3 and 10, of Atlantic township. His father entering land in many places. J. S. Barnett was married in Cass county, in 1867, to Miss Clara F. Smith, a native of Galva, Illinois, and daughter of S. E. Smith. Mr. and Mrs. Barnett have three children living - Elizabeth G., Lewis E. and Ray. Mr. Barnett was the first scholar in this school district, and went to school in John Kirk's old cabin, and afterwards in his father's old cabin, the teacher being Mary Curry, of Ashland, Ohio. Mr. Barnett erected his present residence in 1867. He was elected sheriff of Cass county, in 1870, serving in that capacity in 1871 and '72. His election to office in a county largely Republican, proves his popularity, he being a Democrat. In 1876 he was a candidate for the office of county recorder, and was beaten by only a few votes. He has been road supervisor in his township. His farm contains three hundred and twelve acres, a small portion of which is timber land, the remainder all tillable land and under cultivation. Mr. Barnett was, for six years, president of the old Cass county Agricultural Society.
Contributed by Lisa Varnes-Rex from "History of Cass County, Iowa. Together With Sketches of its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Representative Citizens." Springfield, Ill.: Continental Historical Company, 1884, pg. 367.
