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Frederick Barker and Ann Bligh, parents of Henry Barker, were married in England, Feb. 18, 1822, and settled down at Diss, Eng., where four children were born to them: Matilda, Mary Ann, James, and Sarah. The family set sail for America March 23, 1830, in the “New Brunswick,” encountering a severe siege of smallpox during the ocean voyage, the father becoming so afflicted that a bed sheet taken from his bed would stand alone. The mother, however escaped the disease and was able to wait on the afflicted.
They were accompanied to America by his brothers James and George, George’s wife died on the ocean during the smallpox siege and left him with five children. They landed at Staten Island, June 23, and soon afterwards located at LeRoy, Jefferson Co., N.Y., and later moved to Watertown. William, William the 2nd and Harriet were born in LeRoy, and Daniel, Jane, Henry and Bryon were born in Watertown. Henry was born Oct. 6, 1840, Watertown, Jefferson Co., N.Y.
Henry Barker’s parents joined the church in 1844, through efforts of Dimick Huntingdon, Benjamin Brown, Jesse W. Crosby and Thomas Dutche [Butcher?]. Henry and his family and his uncles, George and James and their families, emigrated to Illinois. There they saw the temple at Nauvoo and visited the camps of the Saints. They stopped at Indian Prairie, near Lebanon, Iowa, for three years, obtaining means and provisions to equip themselves for the journey West.
They arrived at Council Bluffs June 8, 1849, and became part of a large company consisting of 205 souls, 65 wagons, 292 oxen, 127 cows, 34 yearlings, 21 horses, 1 mule, 148 sheep, 9 pigs, 25 dogs, 15 cats, 2 geese, 5 turkeys, 14 ducks, 36 chickens and 2 doves.
The family was placed in the hundred of Allen Taylor, the 50 of Enoch Rheese, and the 10 of David Moore. They left July 7, 1849. They journey was attended with many hardships and privations, and required much labor in opening up roads and bridging streams to facilitate the onward move of the company, to say nothing of the sleepless nights in standing guard against Indians.
Oct. 20, 1849, the Barkers reached Salt Lake City. They next day, being the Sabbath, a layover for rest was taken, and a meeting was held in the Bowery. Many of the company availed themselves of the privilege, and heard Orson Pratt speak.
On Monday morning, Oct. 22, Frederick Barker and family proceeded on and camped that night at Bountiful, Davis Co. Next day they traveled as far as Layton and camped. Oct. 24, 1849, the company arrived at what afterwards was named Ogden, and stopped for the winter in Brown’s Fort, located in a group of cabins between the two rivers, near where Ogden River enters Weber River.
Here in this locality Frederick Barker lived for awhile with his family. In the spring of 1850 they moved cabins and all from Brown’s fort into Farr’s fort near the old Woolen Mill site between Mill Creek and Ogden River just below where the North Ogden Canal was afterwards made around the foothills.
Henry was baptized by Elder Grover about 1850. His patriarchal blessing was given 25 Aug 1855 in Ogden by Cahrles W. Hyde and he was on the House of Ephraim.
In 1858 the family moved south at the time of Johnson’s army going as fas south as Summit Creek now Santaquin.
When Henry was 18 years of age, he moved with his father to North Ogden. In 1863 and 1864 he made two trips to Montana as a freighter hauling supplies to the mines and farm produce from Weber County. They would while away the long evening hours singing songs, wrestling, and reading. Because of the shortage of reading material, one would read aloud to the rest. Henry was a very good reader and was also interested in sports. Until he was 60 he played ball, wrestled, and ran foot races. It is said that Henry worked hard to get to the top, but he was free and generous in nature.
In 1866 he was called to go on a mission to the Missouri River to bring emigrants to Utah. ON this trip he noticed the grave of John Peter Stalle the father of Margaret Stalle who was later to be his wife and though it quite strange to have particularly noticed it. When Henry got to Missouri they were about three weeks ahead of the emigrants and so while waiting to bring the poor back, he got work in a dairy making cheese and butter for his board and $.75 a day. Many of the company refused to work for such a pay and sat around all day when they were not cooking a little bread and bacon to eat.
With the money he earned he bough a little Charter Oak cookstove. At that time dishes also came with the stove including pancake griddles and a boiler. He also got a big coffee pot, a very large tea kettle, a frying pan and three drippers for the oven. At this time there were only two or three stoves in North Ogden.
Henry purchased his farm then known at the “Rice” farm and following his wedding Nov. 30, 1867 in the Endowment House to Marguerite Stalle established his own home there.
Henry also got a half dozen plain chairs and a table made by Thomas Brown of Ogden to add to their home, and a bedstead made by Brown given to Margaret by his sister Mary Warren. They also had a half dozen tin plates, a half dozen tea cups and saucers, two little bowls and glasses. Margaret had cloth to make quilts that she earned working for Henry Holme’s family, Dean and others sometimes working all day and coming back to Warren’s (her sisters) to do the dirty dishes and clean house. Often Margaret worked in the mornings too, before going our for the day. She had cloth for sheets and four quilts.
Henry built a house on Jones hill. The house had a dirt roof. It was just one room, but it had a floor and windows. They lived there a year then the next fall he built one room with a shingle roof and squared logs on the south side of the farm. He intended to add other rooms like it, but going to Salt Lake he saw bricks being made for a house. When he came home he said if he knew how to make bricks he wouldn’t make a log house. A hired hand Charlie Miller, said he knew how because making bricks was his father’s trade in England so Henry built a six room house, two upstairs and four down. It was the first brick house in North Ogden. There were a number of adobe houses already. Before he died he built another house on the north or “fort” side of the farm.
On Feb. 5, 1869 another patriarchal blessing was given to him in North Ogden by John Smith. He was of the house of Ephraim.
Henry and Margaret lived in the house the Henry built until Henry died in 1918 and then Margaret lived with her daughter Ann and then her daughter Lily.
When Henry was younger he played baseball, wrestled and ran footraces, and he was keenly interested in all sports. He remained always supporter of athletics.
He was a member of the North Ogden Elder’s quorum presidency for many years and also was active in the Sunday School. When he died in 1918 he was a member of the High Priests quorum of the Ogden Stake.
Part of Henry Barker’s success was due to his wife. She took the best of care of the family. They were always well cared for with food that was wholesome and abundant, and clothing suited to the season and in good repair. At the same time, nothing was wasted and everything used to the best advantage.
She gave her children a desire to learn which she had never been able to satisfy in herself. She began their education with patience. She taught all of her children to read before they started school. Also she was influential in their continuing in school as long as they cared to attend, and several of them graduated from the University of Utah. Margaret was unselfish, and always looking out for the best interest of her husband and children.
Henry and Margaret had ten children: Mary, Margaret Emma, Henry, Frederick, John, James L., William Nathan, George, Ann and Lilly. Three of these, Mary, John, and George died in childhood.
Henry died Feb. 18, 1918, and was buried in the North Ogden Cemetery. His funeral was held in the North Ogden Meeting House. The hall was not large enough to accommodate the huge crowd of friends and mourners which came. The High Priests quorum of the North Ogden Ward attended the funeral in a body, leading the funeral cortege from the home to the chapel, and from the chapel to the cemetery.
Elder George Brown, President Thomas E. McKay of the Ogden Stake, Frederick E. Barker of Salt Lake City, Patriarch James Ward and John Gibson spoke at the funeral.
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