A. J. Barnes

A. J. BARNES* is a well-to-do farmer of Labette county, Kansas, and is located in Hackberry township. He was born in New York State in 1831, and is a son of Ira Barnes.

Ira Barnes was born in New York, and followed farming throughout his entire life. He married Elizabeth Carnegie, also a native of New York, and they became the parents of seven children, as follows: Maria; Bertha, deceased; A. J., the subject of this biographical record; Coral; Alfred; E.; and Mary, deceased.

A. J. Barnes lived in his native state until he was twelve years old, when he went west, to Kane county, Illinois, where he resided until 1859. He then went to Colorado and California, and spent the most of the following nine years there, after which he located in Labette county, Kansas, in November, 1868. He first settled in Chetopa, and then, in 1869, took as a claim the southwest quarter of section 4, township 35, range 20, in Hackberry township. He greatly improved his claim, built a cabin 12 by 20 feet, in size, and resided here until 1873. He then went to the western part of Kansas, and was in the cattle business for a period of nine years. Upon the expiration of that time, he returned to Labette county, in 1882, and located upon his present home farm, the south half of section 5, township 35, range 20, in Hackberry township. He built a fine two-story frame house in 1885, in which he has since lived. He now owns an entire section of land in Hackberry township, renting most of his land. He has been a hard working, industrious man, and well merits the success which has attended his efforts. In politics, he is a sturdy supporter of Republican principles.