WILLIAM A. BARKER, a native of Maury County, born December 3, 1850, son of George Barker, who started out on life’s rough track for himself at the age of twenty-one. The father had a limited education, but enough for practical purposes. He was a farmer, a Democrat and a member of the Masonic fraternity. He was also a member of the Baptist Church. In 1840 he married Maria L. Byers, and by her became the father of three children: Nancy, William A. and George D. He died in 1861. The mother of these children was born in Virginia, August 15, 1820, and is the daughter of Anderson and Sarah (Dortch) Byers, natives of North Carolina. They were married there, but afterward moved to Virginia, where they remained for some years. They then moved to Tennessee, locating in Maury County. The mother died in 1861. The paternal grandparents of our subject were Alexander and Margaret (Dodsen) Barker, who were born in North Carolina and Tennessee, respectively, the former in 179l and the latter in 1801. They both lived to be old people, the grandfather dying in 1878 and the grandmother in 1885. Our subject was reared on the farm, and at the age of twenty-eight engaged in the mercantile business at Rock Spring, and is at present engaged in that occupation. He is also a mechanic and a blacksmith. In 1879 he married Mollie Usery, a native of Giles County, Tenn., born July 22, 1861, and the daughter of William L. and Matilda (Wright) Usery. To our subject and wife were born three children: Alfred H., born 1880; Florence, born 1881 and died 1882, and Willie T., born 1883. Our subject has a good sound education, and was a school teacher for some time. He is a Democrat, and he and his brother, George, are in the merchandise business together, the firm being known as the Barker Bros.

Source: History of Tennessee: From the Earliest Time to the Present; Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford and Marshall Counties. Nashville, Tenn: Goodspeed Pub. Co, 1886.