Barker, Charles J.

Submitted by Mike Miller
From Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, volume 2, pp. 261-262.

 Hon. Charles J. Barker, recorder and deputy clerk of La Fourche parish, La., was born in this parish, fifty miles below Thibodeaux, on January 25, 1845, and is the son of Benjamin F. and Louisa (Hobbs) Barker.  The father came to Louisiana from New York state, of which he was a native, making the journey in 1838 and locating on La Fourche bayou, later at Lockport; he was engaged as forwarding agent on the bayou and he was also collecting agent of Barataria Canal company until the breaking out of Civil war.  He was justice of the peace for a number of years and a man respected and esteemed by all acquainted with him. He died in 1865, May 14, at the age of seventy-nine years. 

His wife was born in Joliet, Ill., and there they were married.  Her death occurred in  1862, at the age of forty-five years.  In his younger days the father was navigator on the great lakes and was the owner of large schooners. He lost his fortune in the panic of 1837, having gone security for some of the bank officials.  Failing health caused him to start for Texas, but he first stopped in New Orleans and there heard of the loss of his property.  Necessity caused him to locate in Louisiana, and there he resided until his death.  He was a Whig in politics. 

To his marriage were born five children, all sons.  One of them, Benjamin F., died with yellow fever in 1853, at the age of fourteen years.  He was at that time a practical book-keeper and was a remarkably bright boy.  Another son, Richard H., died in 1878, when about twenty-one yeears of age, also with yellow fever.  He was in his brother Frank G. Barker's commission house in New Orleans at the time of his death.  Alexander is in the silver mines of Arizona. and, as usual with miners, has been both prosperous and otherwise.  He is now prospecting. 

Charles J. Barker, the second in order of birth of the above mentioned children, attended the public schools at Lockport until fourteen years of age and then entered the Kentucky Military institute, near Frankfort, Ky.  One year later the war broke out and he left the school and returned home.  In July, 1863, he joined the Eighteenth Louisiana infantry, Company G, better known as the La Fourche Creoles, and served with that company until the battle of Mansfield, La., where he was wounded, losing his right leg below the knee, and this of course finished his career as a soldier. 

Returning home at the close of the war, his younger brothers looked to him for support, and he opened a private school at Lockport.  He taught his younger brothers and afterward sent them to the public schools.  He was then appointed justice of the peace and discharged the duties incumbent upon this office for about ten years, when he was appointed notary public.  He held that position until his appointment as deputy clerk of La Fourche parish in June, 1888, assuming charge of the recorder's office.  In 1870 he was elected to the legislature and filled that position for two years, being a member of the committee on militia during that time.  Mr. Barker is possessed of extraordinary stability of character and great perseverance, and being eminently qualified for the positions which he holds, fills them satisfactorily to all concerned.

On May 30, 1866, he married Miss Eliska Le Blanc, daughter of Adolphe Le Blanc, a resident of this parish, and who is about sixty-seven years of age.  Mr. Le Blanc is a sugar planter.  To Mr. and Mrs. Barker have been born four children -- two sons and two daughters:  Sallie, Isabella, Charles J. Jr. and Richard H.  The family are Catholics.  Mr. Barker is a member of the Catholic Knights of America and is trustee of St. Charles branch 336, of Thibodeaux.  He is a stanch democrat and is now a candidate for clerk of the court.