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Lorenzo A. Barker
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Lorenzo A. Barker, editor and proprietor of the Clarion at Reed City, was born
Aug. 16, 1839, in Naples, Ontario Co.,
N.Y. George W. Barker, his father, was born March 1, 1815, in Deerfield,
Mass., and was married Sept. 7, 1835, to
Weltha Tyler. she was born June 21, 1816, and they became the parents of five
children. Their first born died on the
day of birth, April 6, 1837; Lorenzo, born Aug. 16, 1839, is the oldest living
child; Bruce, born Jan. 13, 1842, died
March 11, 1845; Alida, born Aug. 4, 1844, died Jan. 14, 1846; Eugenia, born
Jan. 31, 1850, is the wife of Monroe
Dickinson, a merchant at Boyne Falls, Charlevoix Co., Mich., and they have one
child Vera Iona. The father was during a
number of years a merchant in the State of New York, and later transferred his
family and mercantile interests to Italy
Hollow, Yates Co., N.Y. In 1853 another transfer was made, to Battle Creek,
Mich., where the senior Barker engaged in
the daguerreotype business, and is now a photographer at South Arm, Charlevoix
County. The mother of the subject of
this sketch died at Italy Hollow, in 1852.
Mr. Barker passed a year in farm employment after the removal of his family to
Michigan. In 1854, he entered the office
of the Battle Creek Journal to learn the art of printing, and was an attache
of the Journal until the year in which the
rebellion started abroad in the land in its blind and misguided fury. All
through the course of the earlier months
after the attack upon the Federal fort at Sumter, while his fingers recorded
the disasters of the opening campaign and
also the varied literature which arose from the exigences of the time, he was
awakening to the fact that men with the
true fire of patriotism blazing in their breasts were surely needed at the
front, and he was led by the growing impulse
to throw himself early in the contest into the heat of the fray. He enlisted
at Battle Creek, Sept. 18, 1861, in Co.
E., Berger's Sharpshooters. The style of the organization was changed to
Company D, of the same regiment, which was
known as the 66th Illinois Western Sharpshooters. Mr. Barker was in action at
Mt. Zion, Mo., Dec. 23, 1861; Fort
Donelson, Tenn., Feb. 13, 14, 15, 16, 1862; Shiloh, April 6-7; seige of
Corinth, April 20 to May 30; Iuka, Sept. 19;
Corinth, Oct. 3-4, - after which he was occupied in camp duty and guerrilla
warfare until his discharge Dec. 23, 1863.
He immediately re-enlisted on the same date at Pulaski, Tenn., in the same
command, returning home on a veteran's
furlough of 30 days. On the expiration of his leave of absence he rejoined
his command at the front, and the regiment
marched to Challanooga to join General Sherman in the Georgia campaign. Mr.
Barker was under fire at Ball's Knob, Ma 9,
1864, and Resaca, May 14; and at Rome Cross Roads, May 16, was wounded in the
left foot, but recognized no disabling
injury and went into battle at Dallas May 27; Kenesaw Mountain, July 3;
Nickajack Creek, July 4; before Atlanta, July
22, JOnesboro, Aug. 31; Atlanta, Sept. 2; Lovejoy Station, Sept. 3; Nashville,
Dec. 16, 17, 18; Big Salt Creek, Dec. 21;
Columbia, Sc.C., Feb 17, 1865; Bentonville, N.C., March 2; Kingston, March 10;
Goldsboro, March 24; Rolla, April 12;
Richmond, Va., May 13, and thence he went to Washington, D.C. for the final
scene, the Grand Review. He was mustered
out of the service of the United States at Louisvile, Ky., and received his
discharge at Springfield, Ill., July 7,
1865. He retained ownership of his rifle which he had carried from 1862 - a
Henry Repeater, 16 shooter - and having the
names and the dates of the battles engraved beside the lock. He was
discharged as Sergeant. He came to St. John's,
Clinton County, whither his parents had removed.
In 1867 he went to Sioux City, Iowa, and became an employee of the JOurnal
published at that place. Later he engaged on
the Sioux City Times, where he continued until he founded the Sibley (Osceola
Co., Iowa) Gazette, issuing its first
number July 5, 1872. He continued its publication until May 30, 1873, when he
sold the journalistic enterprise to
Messrs. Riley & Brown. May 26, 1875, he assumed the management of the Chelsea
(Iowa) Bugle, and his connection with
that paper ceased in October of the same year. In 1876 he came to Michigan
and took charge of the Hastings (Narry Co.)
Banner, which he conducted as foreman and manager until April 27, 1877, when
he established the Lake City (Missaukee
Co.,) Journal, whose publication he continued until May, 1884. He then sold
the paper to H.N. McIntyre, and bought the
Reed City Clarion. He issued the first number May 30, 1884, and had already a
fine circulation and a steady growing
popularity. He has a large and increasing job patronage. The office
facilities include two presses, comprising an
improved C.B. Cottrell & Sons cylinder press, fitted for hand and steam power,
and is the only power pres in the county.
The other is adapted to the requirements of job work. The Clarion is a nine-
column folio.
Mr. Barker is a Republican, and is deservedly popular in the local ranks of
the party, was elected Presidential Elector
in the Blaine & Logan campaign of 1884, and is a member of the West Michigan
Press Association, of the I.O.O.F., the
Knights of Pythias and the G.A.R., Stedman Post, No. 198, Reed City.
Mr. Barker was married April 16, 1876, in Shenandoah, Iowa, to Mrs. Eliza Jane
(Reagan) Grant. She was born May 20,
1843, in Jackson Co., Mich.
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