Abraham Andrews Barker (March 30, 1816March 18, 1898) served as a soldier during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

, and was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

Early life and career

Barker was born in Lovell in Massachusetts'

District of Maine The District of Maine was the governmental designation for what is now the U.S. state of Maine from October 25, 1780 to March 15, 1820, when it was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state. The district was a part of the Commonwealth of Massach ...

. His parents were Stephen Barker and Betsey Andrews. Barker received a small education, up until he was sixteen. In 1842, he married Orsina Little. Orsina was the granddaughter of Jonathan Clark and Moses Little.Storey's pp. 501-502 Barker engaged in agricultural pursuits and also in the

shook Shook may refer to: People with the surname * Al Shook (1899–1984), American football player * Barbara Ingalls Shook (1938-2008), American philanthropist * Edwin M. Shook (1911-2000) Maya archaeologist * Fred Shook (1919-1992), American footbal ...

business. He moved to Carrolltown, Pennsylvania, in 1854 and later to Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, where he continued the shook business. Barker also worked with Neal Dow in favor of the Maine law. Barker was an ardent prohibitionist.Union Publishing's pp. 434-435 He also engaged in the mercantile business in 1858 and later in the lumber business. He became the president of the Ebensburg and Cresson Branch Railroad, until it was taken over by the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

Political Career and later life

Barker was a delegate to the

1860 Republican National Convention The 1860 Republican National Convention was a United States presidential nominating convention, presidential nominating convention that met May 16-18 in Chicago, Illinois. It was held to nominate the Republican Party (United States), Republican Pa ...

. He cast his vote for the nomination of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

at the convention. During the

, he served in Company E, Fourth Regiment, Pennsylvania Emergency Troops. Barker was elected as a Republican to the Thirty-ninth Congress. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in

1866 Events January–March * January 1 ** Fisk University, a historically black university, is established in Nashville, Tennessee. ** The last issue of the abolitionist magazine ''The Liberator'' is published. * January 6 – Ottoman troo ...

and for election as a Republican in 1872. After leaving congress, Barker left the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

to join to the

Prohibition Party The Prohibition Party (PRO) is a political party in the United States known for its historic opposition to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages and as an integral part of the temperance movement. It is the oldest existing third par ...

in 1876. From 1878 to 1882, Barker served as the president of the Pennsylvania Prohibition Party. He reengaged in the lumber and shook business until 1880. Barker was also highly involved in

Freemasonry Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

. In 1896 Barker was nominated to run for congress by the

. This was his final political race, and he lost. He died in

Altoona, Pennsylvania Altoona is a city in Blair County, Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the Altoona Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The population was 43,963 at the time of the 2020 Census, making it the eighteenth most populous city in Pennsylvania. ...

, while on a visit for medical treatment in 1898.

Notes

References

*Storey, Henry Wilson; ''"History of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Volume 2"'', Lewis Publishing Company, (1907) *Union Publishing Co. (Philadelphia); ''"Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of Cambria County, Pennsylvania: comprising five hundred sketches of the prominent and representative citizens of the county"'', Union Publishing Co, (1896) Retrieved on 2008-02-14

External links

The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Abraham Andrews 1816 births 1898 deaths Union Army soldiers People from Lovell, Maine People of Maine in the American Civil War Pennsylvania Prohibitionists People from Cheltenham, Pennsylvania Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania 19th-century American legislators Activists from Pennsylvania