Danford N. Barney

Danford Newton Barney (March 4, 1808 – March 8, 1874) was an American expressman who served as president of Wells Fargo & Company from 1853 to 1866.

Some writers have incorrectly rendered Barney's given name as "Danforth", but his brother Ashbel H. Barney spelled it "Danford" in a notice to Wells Fargo shareholders in 1869, and D.N. Barney himself signed the articles of incorporation of the New York Elevated Railroad in 1871 as "Danford N. Barney".

Barney was born in 1808 at Henderson, New York, the son of John and Sarah (Grow) Barney. He was a descendant of Jacob Barney of Bradenham, Buckinghamshire, England, who settled at Salem, Massachusetts, about 1630. John Barney was a farmer in Jefferson County, New York, when his sons Danford (1808) and Ashbel (1816) were born.

As a young man, Danford Barney went to Sacketts Harbor, New York, where he was cashier in a bank. On October 8, 1833, he married Cynthia Maria Cushman, daughter of Peter Newcomb Cushman and Sally (Kellogg) Cushman. The couple were the parents of three children:

In 1842 Danford Barney and his brother, Ashbel, went to Cleveland, Ohio, and engaged in business as forwarding and commission merchants as Danford N. Barney & Company. The Danford Barneys resided in Cleveland at 24 Public Square and later 169 Euclid Street.

Cynthia Barney died on August 5, 1843. Barney married on January 26, 1847, Azubah Latham, the daughter of William Harris Latham and Azubah (Jenks) Latham of North Thetford, Vermont. Azubah was a sister of Charles F. Latham, later treasurer of Wells Fargo & Company, and a first cousin of Milton Latham, United States Senator from California in 1860-63. Barney and his second wife were the parents of the following children:

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