Barrow, Hon. A. Feltus

Submitted by Mike Miller

Hon. A. Feltus Barrow, M. D. In view of his high standing and eminent accomplishments in his profession, his splendid service as a public official and the position which he occupies in public confidence because of his progressive but rational views on subjects of civic import. Dr. A. Feltus Barrow is rightly accounted as one of the foremost citizens of St. Francisville and of West Feliciana Parish.  During almost thirty years he has moved among the people of St. Francisville, ministering to them in a professional way and aiding them through his public labors, and in this time it has been his fortune to entrench himself solidly in the faith and confidence of his fellow-citizens.

Doctor Barrow was born on "Highland" plantation, West Feliciana Parish, September 13, 1868, and is a son of Hon. John J. and Eleanor E. (Barrow) Barrow. On the paternal side he is descended from an old and distinguished family which came from England during Colonial days and settled in Virginia, whence they subsequently made their way into Carolina. In the latter state was born the grandfather of Doctor Barrow, Bennett H. Barrow, and his father, William H.Barrow, the latter of whom founded the valuable tract of land which came to be known universally as "Highland" plantation and Was noted for its splendid production of sugar and Cotton. Both great-grandfather and grandfather died on this property. The latter married Emily Joor, born in Carolina.

John J. Barrow was born on "Highland" plantation, July 2. 1833, and died May 24, 1890, at Pass Christian Louisiana. When the war between the states came on he enlisted in the Rosale Guards, of the Eleventh Louisiana Regiment, of which he was made lieutenant, and came out of the struggle with the rank of captain and was brevetted a major. At the close of the war he returned to the home acres, where he took up the work of a planter and subsequently inherited the home place, on which he carried on operations during the remainder of his active life. He owned and operated nearly 4,000 acres of land and raised about 700 bales of cotton annually. In politics a democrat, he took an important part in public affairs. The first democratic sheriff of West Feliciana Parish, he held that post for twelve years, subsequently was sent to the Legislature, representing West Feliciana Parish, and at the time of his death was a member of the State Senate, representing the senatorial district comprised of East and West Feliciana parishes. He belonged to the Episcopal Church and was a warden therein. His fraternal connections were with the Masons and the Knights of Pythias. Mr. Barrow took for his first wife Miss Olivia R. Barrow, who was born on "Greenwood" plantation, West Feliciana Parish, and who died on "Highland" plantation, leaving two children: Bennett, former warden of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, who died at Baton Rouge in 1923; and  Elwyn J., who was first appointed postmaster by President McKinley and has held that post continuously since except under the administrations of President Wilson. Following the death of his first wife Mr. Barrow married her sister, Eleanor E. Barrow, who was born in 1834 on "Greenwood" plantation and died on "Highland" plantation August 27, 1891. To this union there were born six children, as follows: T. J. Bird, who died at the age of ten years;  James J., who died when twenty-one years of age; Dr. A. Feltus, of this review; Olivia R., who died at Gunnison, Mississippi, as the wife of Bennett I. Barrow, who now resides on "Rosehank" plantation, West Feliciana Parish; Margaret L., the wife of David I. Norwood, residing on "Highland" plantation, of which she is owner, having inherited it from her mother; and Eleanor J., the wife of William C. Wade, a planter of Como, this state.

A. Feltus Barrow attended public and private schools in his native parish during his boyhood and youth, and for two years was a student at Louisiana State University. He then attended the Bethel Military and Classical Academy, near Warrenton, Virginia, from which he was graduated as a member of time class of 1885, after which he enrolled as a student of the medical department of Tulane University, graduating with his degree of Doctor of Medicine April 1, 1890. He is a member of the Sigma Nu Greek letter fraternity. After leaving college Doctor Barrow began practicing medicine in the vicinity of the place of his birth, but in 1893 changed his field of operations to Baton Rouge, where he made his headquarters until 1895, in October of which year he located at St. Francisville, a community which has since been his home and where he has accomplished much for the good of suffering humanity, carrying on a general medical and surgical practice. From about 1910 until 1918, or a period of eight years, Doctor Barrow conducted a sanitarium at St. Francisville, but at the present time his offices are situated in his own office building on Royal Street, in addition to which he owns a comfortable residence.

Doctor Barrow stands high in the ranks of his calling, and from 1894 until 1907 was president of the State Board of Medical Examiners.  He holds membership in the American Medical Association, the Southern Medical Association, the Louisiana State Medical Society and the West Feliciana Parish Medical Society. During the World war he was commissioned a captain in the Medical Corps and assigned to the Fifty-seventh Regiment, Fifteenth Division. He commenced his labors at Camp Logan, Houston, Texas, September 25, 1918, and received his honorable discharge December 10, 1918, since which time he has been a member of the United States Medical Reserve Corps with the rank of major. Doctor Barrow ownsone-half of the original "Highland" plantation of 1,780 acres of valuable land, situated seven miles northwest of St. Francisville, and carries on extensive operations. in politics a democrat. Doctor Barrow has been active in public matters. He served as mayor of St. Francisville for three terms, and was a member of the West Feliciana Parish School Board for four years. From 1912 to 1916 he was state senator, representing the Seventh Senatorial District, which comprises East and West Feliciana Parishes. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1921, which gave Louisiana its present Constitution, and for the past twenty years has been a member of the State Central Committee of the democratic party. His religious connection is with Grace Episcopal Church of St. Francisville, in which he is a member of the vestry. Doctor Barrow is also widely known in fraternal circles and takes a great deal of interest in fraternal matters. He belongs to Feliciana Lodge No. 31, A. F. and A. M., St. Francisville, of which he is a past master; Feliciana Chapter No. 11. St. Francisville, of which he is a past high priest; Kenneth Commandery No. 9, K. T., Hammond, and formerly was a member of Jerusalem Temple, A. A. 0. N. M. S. He is the present grand representative of the Grand Lodge of the I. 0. 0. F. of Louisiana; a member of Bayou Sara Lodge No. 50, I. 0. 0. F., of which he is a past grand, and also a past grand master of the I. 0. 0. F. of Louisiana; a past chancellor of St. Francisville Lodge No. 15, K. of P.; past consul commander, W. 0. W.; past patron, Laurel Chapter No. 44, 0. E. S.; and past grand patron of the 0. E. S., State of Louisiana. Mrs. Barrow is the present worthy grand matron of the Grand Chapter, 0. E. S., of Louisiana.

On December 10, 1892, at Grace Episcopal Church, St. Francisville, Doctor Barrow was united in marriage with Miss Camilla Leake, daughter of Judge William W. and Margaret (Mumford) Leake, both of whom are deceased. Judge Leake was a leading banker and lawyer and at one time judge of the Circuit Court. Mrs. Barrow, a woman of numerous graces and accomplishments, attended Nazareth Convent, Nazareth, Kentucky. To Doctor and Mrs. Barrow there have been born five children: Amelia, the wife of Robert G. Beale, an attorney of Baton Rouge; Eleanor E., who is unmarried and resides with her parents; Frank L., ex-clerk of the court of West Feliciana Parish, who during the World war had the rank of sergeant and was stationed at Camp Nichols and Camp Martin, New Orleans, being in the service for about a year; Margaret L., the wife of Joseph A. Pullen, of St. Francisville, general agent for the Curtis Publishing Company for the states of Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi; and Johnston A., of Baton Rouge, is with the state highway department.

NOTE: The referenced source contains a black and white photograph of the subject with his/her autograph.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 185-186, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc.,
Chicago and New York, 1925.