Kirkland Charles Barker (September 8, 1819 – May 20, 1875) was mayor of Detroit, Michigan, and established the tobacco firm of KC Barker & Company.
Early life
Kirkland C. Barker was born September 8, 1819, in Schuyler, New York, the son of builder and contractor Mason Barker[1] and his wife Elizabeth Ingham Barker.[2] Barker was educated in the local schools, at age 14 attended a manual labor school in Whitesboro, New York, where he traded his labor for an education.[2] After leaving school, he worked as a store clerk in Frankfort, New York, and Utica, New York. At age 18, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and worked in a warehouse.[1] There, his ability at business was recognized by his employers, and he was frequently put in charge of ships bringing goods from New York.[1]
Leaving the warehouse, Barker took a job as a travelling salesman for a tobacco company in Logansport, Indiana, but himself lived in Detroit. Barker was determined to go into business for himself, and so established a partnership with other people in Utica, and built stores in Detroit and New York, and a factory in Jersey City, New Jersey.[1] This partnership was not successful, so Barker started anew by himself, opening KC Barker & Company (later the American Eagle Tobacco Company) in Detroit. This new firm prospered.[1]
Barker married in 1847 to the daughter of Gilbert Bedell of Ann Arbor, Michigan; the couple had three children.[1]
Later life
Barker dabbled in public service, serving as an alderman of Detroit in 1863 and as mayor in 1864–1865.[1] He was also an avid sportsman, and was president of the Detroit Audubon Club.[3] His love of the outdoors led to a close friendship with George Armstrong Custer.[3] Barker was also the presiding officer of the Horse Association of America, and was elected Commodore of the Great Lakes Yacht Club.[2]
During his later years, Barker took his brother, J. I. Barker, and son-in-law, Charles B. Hull, into his tobacco firm, and spent more time at his home on Grosse Ile, Michigan.[2] Barker had purchased the "Wedding Cake House," built for Samuel Lewis on East River Road.[4]
On May 20, 1875, he was boating near his home, had an attack of apoplexy, and drowned.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Silas Farmer (1889), THE HISTORY OF DETROIT AND MICHIGAN, p. 1044
- ^ a b c d F. A. Barnard (1878), American biographical history of eminent and self-made men: Michigan volume, Part 1, Western biographical publishing co., pp. 9–10
- ^ a b Richard G. Hardorff (2006). Washita memories: eyewitness views of Custer's attack on Black Kettle's village. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 80. ISBN 0-8061-3759-2.
- ^ Woman's improvement association of Grosse Ile (1907), The treaty tree and memorial tablet, Grosse Ile, Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford company, p. 50
