Pierre A. Barker
7th Mayor of Buffalo
In office
December 21, 1837 – 1838
Preceded byJosiah Trowbridge
Succeeded byEbenezer Walden
Collector of the Port of Buffalo
In office
1829–1838
Appointed byAndrew Jackson
Preceded byMyndert M. Dox
Succeeded byGeorge W. Clinton
Personal details
Born
Pierre Augustus Barker

(1790-04-17)April 17, 1790
LaGrange, New York
DiedJanuary 4, 1870(1870-01-04) (aged 79)
Natchez, Mississippi
SpouseAnnache G. Livingston
Children8

Pierre Augustus Barker (April 17, 1790 – January 4, 1870) was an American mayor of Buffalo, New York, serving in 1837–1838.

Early life

He was born in LaGrange, New York, on April 17, 1790.[1] He was a son of Samuel Still Augustus Barker (1756–1819) and Mariah (née Delevan) Barker.[2]

His paternal grandparents were Esther and Samuel Barker, a Brigade Major in the 2nd Connecticut during the Revolutionary War.[3]

Career

He arrived in Buffalo in c. 1829 and, a wealthy man, purchased many properties in and around the village. Shortly after his arrival he was appointed collector of customs for the port of Buffalo, and held the position from 1829 to 1838.[4][5] He was one of the founders of the first Bank of Buffalo in 1831. He served as president of the Commercial bank in 1835 or 1836. The Commercial Bank was incorporated in Upper Canada on January 28, 1831. [6]

In 1838 or 1840, Barker was president of the United States Bank at Buffalo.[1] In 1837, Barker held the office of Alderman for the 5th ward and lived in a mansion on Hudson Street. He was selected as acting mayor on December 21, 1837, after Josiah Trowbridge resigned. He immediately took to trying to calm the unrest in the city due to the Canadian revolutionary movement, or "Patriot War". His term ended in 1838 and sometime after 1841 Barker left Buffalo and moved to Natchez, Mississippi.[1]

Personal life

In 1812 he married Annache Gilbert Livingston (b. 1790). Together, they were the parents of eight children, including:[1]

Barker died on January 4, 1870, in Natchez, Mississippi.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Pierre A. Barker". Through The Mayor's Eyes, The Only Complete History of the Mayor's of Buffalo, New York, Compiled by Michael Rizzo. The Buffalonian is produced by The Peoples History Union. 2009-05-27.
  2. ^ a b Colonists, Daughters of the American (1979). Lineage Book. The Daughters. p. 176. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Brigade Major Samuel Augustus Sill Barker". www.theconnecticutsociety.org. The Society Of the Cincinnati in The State of Connecticut. 4 July 1783. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Appointments by the President". Vermont Republican and American Journal. Windham, Windsor and Orange County Advertiser. 9 May 1829. p. 3. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  5. ^ "A Directory for the Village of Buffalo" (PDF). Maryland State Archives. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  6. ^ Pound, Richard W. (2005). Fitzhenry and Whiteside Book of Canadian Facts and Dates. Fitzhenry and Whiteside.
  7. ^ Rizzo, Michael F. (2005). Through the Mayors' Eyes: Buffalo, New York 1832-2005. Lulu.com. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-4116-3757-3. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
Government offices Preceded byMyndert M. Dox Collector of the Port of Buffalo 1829–1838 Succeeded byGeorge W. Clinton Political offices Preceded byJosiah Trowbridge Mayor of Buffalo, NY 1837–1838 Succeeded byEbenezer Walden
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