| Notes |
- Niagara Gazette - 10/20/1905
THOMAS M. BARBER.
in the death of Thomas M. Barber,
who was buried from his late home In
Sanborn Sunday afternoon, Niagara
County lost one of the oldest, if not
the oldest, of her pioneer citizens.
It was In 1824. 81 years ago, that the
elder Barbers made the journey from
Connecticut' with ox teams and covered
wagons. James Barber, at that
time 7 years of age, was detailed to
drive a large part of the distance, one
of the slow-going teams of oxen,
trudging along for hundreds of miles
beside the patient beasts. The family
took up land near what is now the
Tuscarora Indian reservation-, a short
distance west of Sanborn. There they
endured all the hardships that belonged
to the pioneers era. and young
Barber grew up inured to toil.
In 1837, during what was known as
the Mackenzie Rebellion in Canada,
Thomas Barber served in the American
militia which guarded the border
to prevent the rebelling forces from
getting a foothold in this country. For
services rendered at that time he received
a government grant of several
hundred, acres in Iowa, upon which a
son, Edgar, now lives.
In the spring of 50, when the gold
fever swept the country. Mr. Barber
went with the flood of fortune hunters'
to the coast. He returned a few
years later and again took up his work
a t Sanborn, where-he owned several
farms.
Mr. and Mrs. Barber recently cele-
brated their diamond wedding. the
deceased passed away suddenly after
a brief illness of but a week. Besides
Mrs. Barber, four sons survive. They
are Edgar, who is living in Iowa, and
Matthew, Eugene, and Walter of San
born.
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Abt 1817 - Abt 1905 (~ 88 years)