Charles Averill Barlow (March 17, 1858 – October 3, 1927) was an American farmer, businessman and politician. He was most notable for his service as a member of the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The ...

and a member of the U.S. representative from California's 6th congressional district.

Early life

Barlow was born in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S ...

on March 17, 1858, the son of Merrill Barlow and Ann Frances (Arnold) Barlow. The Barlow family, including Barlow's three brothers and sisters, moved to

Ventura, California Ventura, officially named San Buenaventura ( Spanish for " Saint Bonaventure"), is a city on the Southern Coast of California and the county seat of Ventura County. The population was 110,763 at the 2020 census. Ventura is a popular tourist ...

in 1875. Barlow was educated in the public schools of Cleveland and Ventura, and after completing his education he supported himself by working as a harness maker and farm laborer.

Career

Barlow became a businessman. He purchased an interest in his employer's harness making business, and then invested in other ventures, including a business drying and shipping fruit grown in California. Barlow moved to

San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo (; Spanish for " St. Louis the Bishop", ; Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, in the U.S. state of California. Located on the Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly hal ...

in the early 1880s, where he grew wheat and with a partner began a weekly newspaper, the ''Reasoner''. He became interested in reform causes including the

Free Silver Free silver was a major economic policy issue in the United States in the late 19th-century. Its advocates were in favor of an expansionary monetary policy featuring the unlimited coinage of silver into money on-demand, as opposed to strict adhe ...

movement that led him to join the Populist Party, and the ''Reasoner'' became a major pro-Populist outlet. Barlow was elected to the

as a Populist, and served one term, 1892 to 1893. He served as chairman of the People's Party state convention in 1896. Later that year, Barlow was elected to the

55th Congress The 55th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1897, to M ...

, and he served one term, March 4, 1897, to March 3, 1899. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1898. After leaving Congress, Barlow turned his attention to business and moved to

Bakersfield Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...

. He was one of the major shareholders in and a board of directors member of Bakersfield's Security Trust Company. He was also a partner in Barlow & Hill, a company that dealt in land for oil exploration, and helped found several successful oil companies, some of which they continued to operate, and some of which they sold to other investors. Barlow served as president of the Kern County Board of Trade and was active in several civic organizations, including Modern Woodmen, Elks, and Odd Fellows. He joined the Democratic Party after the end of the Populist movement, and served as a delegate to the

1912 Events January * January 1 – The Republic of China is established. * January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens. * January 6 ** German geophysicist Alfred ...

and

1920 Democratic National Convention Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number), the natural number following 18 and preceding 20 * one of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (film), a 1987 science fiction film Music ...

Personal life

Barlow's wife was Elizabeth "Lizzie" McDonnell (1867-1914) of Ventura. After the death of Barlow's first wife, he married Julia Lillis Caldwell (1878-1971) of Santa Rosa, his wife's nurse. They adopted a daughter, Mamie. On October 3, 1927, Barlow died in

Bakersfield, California Bakersfield is a city in Kern County, California, United States. It is the county seat and largest city of Kern County. The city covers about near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley and the Central Valley region. Bakersfield's populat ...

. Barlow is interred at Union Cemetery in

References

Additional sources

Books

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Newspapers

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External links

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Extended biography of Charles A. Barlow

Join California Charles A. Barlow
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barlow, Charles A. 1858 births 1927 deaths California Populists County supervisors in California Democratic Party members of the California State Assembly Politicians from Cleveland People from San Luis Obispo, California People's Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California 19th-century American politicians Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California