Barrow, B. L.

Submitted by Mike Miller

B. L. Barrow is a native of the state in which he now resides, born in 1856, a son of John J., who was a state senator from the Sixteenth district of Louisiana, and died during the last session of the legislature. He was very extensively engaged in sugar planting up to 1872, at which time he began devoting the most of his attention to the culture of cotton, in which business he was successful and made a large amount of money. He owned large tracts of hill land and 300 slaves before the war. His great-grandfather came to Louisiana in 1795, and in this state members of the family have resided ever since. John J. was an extensive office holder, and ably filled the positions of police juror, justice of the peace, a member of the lower house of the state legislature, parish sheriff and state senator, and was a man of more than ordinary influence. B. L. Barrow was educated at home until fifteen years of age, after which he spent two sessions in college at Pass Christian, Miss., and two sessions in the University of Louisiana at Baton Rouge. At the age of seventeen years he went to work on his father's plantation in West Feliciana parish, which he continued to manage until his father's death. He purchased his present property in 1890, on which he has since resided, the extent of this land amounting to 840 acres on the Mississippi river, a short distance above Bayou Sara, 600 acres of this property is well improved and in a fine state of cultivation, and will average about 300 bales of cotton each year. Mr. Barrow was parish assessor of West Feliciana parish under Gov. McEnery for two years, during 1887-88. In 1877 he was married to his cousin, a Miss Barrow, and by her is the father of the following children: Bird, Isabelle, Ruffin, Allcuer and Hale. Mr. Barrow is a member of the K. of H., and is one of the substantial business men of the parish and very popular with all. He was a captain in the Eleventh Louisiana regiment during the Civil war, and was a participant in the battles of Belmont, Shiloh, Forts Donelson and Henry. He was wounded at Shiloh, and, although the wound was painful, it was not very severe.

From Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, volume 2, p. 263.