Caleb P. Barns
| Caleb P. Barns | |
|---|---|
Caleb P. Barns, Burlington Historical Society
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| Assembly Member for Wisconsin State Assembly |
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In office 1. 1850 2. 1855 – 1. 1851 2. 1856 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 12, 1812 Owego, New York |
| Died | October 29, 1866 (aged 54) Burlington, Wisconsin |
| Resting place | Burlington, Wisconsin |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations |
Whig (1843) |
| Children | 3 beyond infancy |
| Residence | Burlington, Wisconsin |
| Profession | lawyer, banker |
Caleb Paul Barns (January 12, 1812 – October 29, 1866) was an American lawyer, businessman, and legislator.
Born in Owego, New York, Barns (or Barnes as it was spelled much of the time) grew up in the western part of New York, most likely in or near Chautauqua County. Little is known of his boyhood, although a couple vague clues exist. One addresses his "good scholastic and legal education," while another indicates that he was "early thrown upon his own resources." After describing Barns as a person of "extreme reticence," a writer continued, "few men have lived so long in one community as he did of whose personal history so little is known by their neighbors generally."
As a young man, Caleb Barns moved to Wisconsin Territory, settling in Burlington, Wisconsin. Local history sources claim that he journeyed to Wisconsin prior to 1840, returning to New York to marry his future wife. Other sources date his arrival as 1842. David L. Wells of Utica, New York brought his wife, the former Cornelia Eddy, to Burlington at about the same time. Wells, destined to become Barns' brother-in-law, was appointed postmaster. The close association between the Barns and Wells families continued for decades, as the families became increasingly intertwined.
In 1845 Barns married Elizabeth Ann Eddy, of Troy, New York, a daughter of Asa Eddy and Lucy (Shepard) Eddy. Elizabeth had been a student at the Emma Willard School for Girls in Troy, New York, a pioneering institution in women's education. It is not known whether they knew each other in New York or were introduced through family connections in Wisconsin.
Caleb Barns and his wife, Elizabeth, were parents to three children who survived infancy: Cornelia, born about 1852, Frederick W., born in November, 1860, and Charles Edward Barns, born in July, 1862. Their first two children and their fourth died in infancy and are buried in the family plot at Burlington. These were Alfred A. Barns (February 1847 – 26 August 1847), Lucy Shepard Barns (1848 – 20 October 1849) and Elizabeth Barns (January 1855- 16 July 1855). Lucy Shepard Barns was named for Elizabeth Eddy Barns' mother.
In the early 1850s, David and Cornelia Wells, and their two young sons, Asa Eddy Wells and Frederick Elisha Wells, left Burlington and settled near Sutter Creek in California. Their departure was believed influenced by Cornelia Well's physical state, as she was then suffering from tuberculosis. In spring of 1856, Cornelia Eddy Wells died from her illness. Compounding the tragedy, several months later David Wells was thrown from his horse and died next day. The two orphaned sons, aged 9 and 11, were placed on a ship bound for New York, and then escorted by relatives to Burlington. There they joined the Barns family, making it a family of five. As noted above, Caleb and Elizabeth Barns gave birth to son Frederick W. Barns in 1860, followed by Charles E. Barns in 1862. There were now five children in the home, three Barns and two Wells.
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