Pierre Augustus Barker (April 17, 1790 – January 4, 1870) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

, serving in 1837–1838.

Early life

He was born in

LaGrange, New York LaGrange ( ) is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 15,975 at the 2020 census. The town was named after the estate of the Marquis de Lafayette. History The town was originally established in 1821 as "Freedo ...

, on April 17, 1790. He was a son of Samuel Still Augustus Barker (1756–1819) and Mariah ( Delevan) Barker. His paternal grandparents were Esther and Samuel Barker, a Brigade Major in the 2nd Connecticut during the Revolutionary War.

Career

He arrived in Buffalo in and, a wealthy man, purchased many properties in and around the village. Shortly after his arrival he was appointed collector of customs for the port of Buffalo, and held the position from 1829 to 1838. He was one of the founders of the first Bank of Buffalo in 1831. He served as president of the Commercial bank in 1835 or 1836. The Commercial Bank was incorporated in

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the ...

on January 28, 1831. In 1838 or 1840, Barker was president of the United States Bank at Buffalo. In 1837, Barker held the office of Alderman for the 5th ward and lived in a mansion on Hudson Street. He was selected as acting mayor on December 21, 1837, after

Josiah Trowbridge Josiah Trowbridge (1785–1862) was mayor of Buffalo, New York, serving in 1837. He was born in Framingham, Massachusetts on September 29, 1785. In 1808 or 1809, he was licensed to practice as a physician and began work in Weathersfield, Vermont. ...

resigned. He immediately took to trying to calm the unrest in the city due to the Canadian revolutionary movement, or "

Patriot War The Patriot War was a conflict along the Canada–United States border in which bands of raiders attacked the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British colony of Upper Canada more than a dozen times between December 1837 and Decembe ...

". His term ended in 1838 and sometime after 1841 Barker left Buffalo and moved to

Natchez, Mississippi Natchez ( ) is the county seat of and only city in Adams County, Mississippi, United States. Natchez has a total population of 14,520 (as of the 2020 census). Located on the Mississippi River across from Vidalia in Concordia Parish, Louisiana, N ...

Personal life

In 1812 he married Annache Gilbert Livingston (b. 1790). Together, they were the parents of eight children, including: * Eugenia Marie Barker, who married Philander Hodge. * Elizabeth King Barker (1823–1905), who married John Johnson. Barker died on January 4, 1870, in

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, Pierre A. 1790 births 1870 deaths Mayors of Buffalo, New York 19th-century American politicians Collectors of the Port of Buffalo