Matthew R. Barr and Laura Wright

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Husband Matthew R. Barr ¹

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           Born: 25 Dec 1817 - Harbor Creek, Erie Co, PA 1
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         Father: James Barr (1782-1835) 2
         Mother: Polly R. Kelley (      -      ) 2

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       Marriage: 31 Mar 1842 2

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Wife Laura Wright ²

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Children

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1 F Louise Barr ³

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         Spouse: H. S. Seaman (      -      ) 3

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2 M Pressly J. Barr ³

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         Spouse: Lavinnia Saunders (      -      ) 3

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3 M George H. Barr ³

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         Spouse: Mary S. Briggs (      -      ) 3

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4 F Ellen M. Barr ⁴

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         Spouse: Capt. John C. Hilton (      -      ) 4

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5 M Lester J. Barr ³

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         Spouse: Eliza Thayer (      -      ) 3

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6 F Laura H. Barr ³

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         Spouse: H. E. McCandless (      -      ) 3

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General Notes: Husband - Matthew R. Barr

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He never attended school (except for a three months' term in the winter) after he was eight years old. He attended school one winter after his father's death. The next winter he taught a school in one of the rooms of the homestead. He subsequently taught several district schools in the winter and worked on the farm during the remainder of the year. At the spring election, 1845, he was chosen constable of Mill Creek by his friends, without his consent. They gave as a reason that he must have some business to give a chance for exercise, and to take him from the farm, or he would die of consumption. He served three years and declined re-election. In June, 1848, he commenced service as superintendent at the foundry of Lester, Sennett & Chester, and in 1851, purchased, in connection with Conrad Brown, the interest of Mr. Lester therein. The firm name was changed to Sennett & Co. He was a member of the various firms under the names of Sennett & Co., Sennett, Barr & Co.; Sennett & Johnson; Barr, Johnson & Co., until 1872. He then sold his interest in the business part of the enterprise and retired for the purpose of building the Pennsylvania R. R. from Cambridge to Erie, for which part of the work he had a contract. He spent about $30,000 in prosecuting this work; but the company abandoned the undertaking, made him an "estimate," and paid him only a portion of what he had expended. During his residence in Erie he was a member of the common council, 1855-56, select council, 1856 (resigned), member of the school board several years, trustee of the Erie Academy, twelve years, and water commissioner five years. He returned to the farm in 1877. He was afterwards United States collector of customs, 1880-83. He resigned and was appointed Indian Inspector, 1883-4. He resigned and was appointed special agent United States land office, with headquarters at New Orleans, 1884-86. He then resigned and returned to his farm.

In 1856, after very much of doubt, delay, and despondency, and nineteen years after the charter had been secured for the railroad, while yet without money or powerful backers, the contract for fifty-six miles from Erie, eastward, had been let to a party of eleven gentlemen. S. V. Merrick, being the president of the board, came to Erie, and, after looking over the ground, he asked the contractors to go to work (in a very moderate way), so as to aid the company in getting some legislation they needed. The contract was divided by the contractors into eleven sub-divisions: J. W. Ryan had the first, M. R. Barr had the second, and Wilson King the third. Work was commenced, J. W. Ryan and King sub-letting theirs. Mr. Barr hired men and did the work himself. In that way, they did considerable work. The company had no money, but gave estimates, and the contractors sent their own notes to Philadelphia to Mr. Merrick, and he had them discounted, by placing Erie city and county bonds as collaterals. The contractors received the proceeds with which they paid their men, and also the engineer's salaries; the company failed to get legislation. Mr. Merrick was discouraged, and wrote the Erie contractors to stop work. He said this "enterprise is a stench in the nostrils of Philadelphians. I will sell enough of Erie city and Erie county bonds to take up your notes, and pay you for the work not yet estimated, and then I will close the offices and bid farewell to the Sunbury and Erie R. R." A meeting of the contracting company was called, the situation discussed, and various projects suggested "to put backbone into Mr. Merrick." None, however, would be possible, if the work stopped. This was a vital point. Some one suggested that it would be unfair for those who were doing no work to decide the question of continuing, and that it ought to be left to King, Ryan and Barr. This was agreed to. The three retired for consultation. King said: "Ryan, you and I have sub-let our work, and while we must stand behind our sub-contractors, and not let them fall, yet it is not like standing in the front. Barr is doing his own work, and he must meet the risk in person. Suppose we allow him to decide this question." Ryan said: "That is right." Mr. Barr then said: "I engaged in this enterprise to help to build the Sunbury and Erie R. R., and not with the expectation of making much money, or of getting through without meeting some difficulties, and if the possible success or certain failure depends on me, my decision is, as long as I can buy a pound of meat and a bushel of potatoes to feed my men, the work will go on." This turned the scale, and a committee was appointed to go to Philadelphia, and the project of land subscriptions along the line of the road was started and boomed. The next winter legislation was obtained, and the line from Erie to Philadelphia became a fact. Had Mr. Barr's answer been different, the construction of that road, with all the opposition of powerful rivals to prevent its resuscitation (had it been allowed to be abandoned then) would have been postponed for years.

1 —, Nelson's Biographical Dictionary and Historical Reference Book of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Erie, PA: S. B. Nelson, Publisher, 1896), Pg 593, 809.

2 —, Nelson's Biographical Dictionary and Historical Reference Book of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Erie, PA: S. B. Nelson, Publisher, 1896), Pg 593.

3 —, Nelson's Biographical Dictionary and Historical Reference Book of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Erie, PA: S. B. Nelson, Publisher, 1896), Pg 594.

4 —, Nelson's Biographical Dictionary and Historical Reference Book of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Erie, PA: S. B. Nelson, Publisher, 1896), Pg 594, 612.