Processed by
Chris Harter
3 December 1998
Revised 12 September 2001
Updated 9 March 2004
Manuscripts and Visual Collections Department
William Henry Smith Memorial Library
Indiana Historical Society
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
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VOLUME OF |
1 manuscript box |
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COLLECTION |
ca. 1849-1890 |
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PROVENANCE: |
Donald E. Baker, 7925 Coventry Ct., Evansville, IN 47715, 26 October 1998 |
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RESTRICTIONS: |
None |
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COPYRIGHT: |
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REPRODUCTION |
Permission to reproduce or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Indiana Historical Society. |
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ALTERNATE |
None |
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RELATED |
None |
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ACCESSION |
1999.0041 |
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NOTES: |
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The Barnett family of Pulaski and Cass Counties, Indiana, were originally from New York or Connecticut. William and Maria (Cook) Barnett were the parents of eight children. They included William C., John P., George H. and Alexander.
According to the 1883 history of Pulaski and White Counties, William Cook Barnett (1813-1881) was born in Greene County, New York. However, the Indiana General Assembly directory lists his birthplace as Salisbury, Connecticut. In 1837, he moved to Logansport, Cass County, Indiana, and worked as a tailor for three years. He returned east for a short time to marry Harriet Porter (b. 1821). The Barnetts returned to Logansport, but moved to Winimac in Pulaski County around 1846, where William began a grocery business. In 1853, he was elected as a state senator to represent Pulaski, Cass, and Howard Counties. He served as Pulaski County treasurer (1847-1852), county commissioner (1857-1860), and was a founder of the Tippecanoe Petroleum Company, which was formed at Winimac in May 1865.
William and Harriet had one child, George H. (b. 1842). He had one child, William J., by his first wife Samantha Clark. After her death in 1873, George married Mary Raver. They had three children: Charles A., Clarence H., and Francis A.
John P. Barnett was born circa 1815 in Connecticut or New York. He moved to Indiana sometime before 1850. He was a Baptist minister and railroad station agent before being elected as a representative to the Indiana General Assembly in 1869. He and his wife, Emeline, moved to Oregon after his service. He died in 1886.
George H. Barnett (fl. 1850-1890), son of William and Maria, owned Barnett and Freeman, a real estate and collection business in Winimac. His partner was N. R. Freeman. George and his wife, Rebecca (fl. 1850-1890), had at least two children: William A. and Ida Louisa.
Wright's Pastime Sketches states that Alexander Barnett purchased the Washington Hotel in Logansport in the early 1850's. He later built and managed the Barnett Hotel.
Sources: Material in the
collection.
Biographical Directory of the Indiana General Assembly.
Vol. 1 (1816-1899), p. 15
Counties of White and Pulaski, Indiana. (1883),
passim
Helm, Thomas. History of Cass County, Indiana.
(1886), p. 300, 409, 730.
Reidelbach, John. A Century of Achievement in Pulaski County, Indiana,
1839-1939. passim
Wright, Williamson Swift. Pastime Sketches, Scenes, and Events at 'The Mouth
of the Eel' on the Historic Wabash. (1907), p. 27
This collection consists of correspondence (ca. 1849-1890) from the Barnett family of Cass and Pulaski Counties. Correspondents include George H., Ida Louisa, Maria, Rebecca, William A., and William C. The majority of the letters were written by Maria to her son, George H., and his family. Letters dated 1850 were sent from Catskill, New York, while later correspondence originated in Logansport, Winimac, and Pleasant Grove (Jasper County), Indiana. In her letters, Maria details daily family activities and news, and asks to hear the same from those to whom she writes.
The collection is arranged chronologically.
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CONTENTS |
CONTAINER |
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Ca. 1849-1850 |
Folder 1 |
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1851-1856 |
Folder 2 |
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1857 |
Folder 3 |
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1858-1859 |
Folder 4 |
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1860-1861 |
Folder 5 |
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1862-1865 |
Folder 6 |
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1866 |
Folder 7 |
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1867 |
Folder 8 |
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1868-1869 |
Folder 9 |
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1878; 1890 |
Folder 10 |
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n.d. |
Folder 11 |
For additional information on this collection, including a list of subject headings that may lead you to related materials:
1. Go to the Indiana Historical Society's online catalog: http://157.91.92.2/
2. Click on the "Basic Search" icon.
3. Select "Call Number" from the "Search In:" box.
4. Search for the collection by its basic call number (in this case, M 0733).
5. When you find the collection, go to the "Full Record" screen for a list of headings that can be searched for related materials.