THOMAS W. BARNES was born in Greene County, Ohio, June 27, 1814, and is the son of Alexander and Sarah (Kirkpatrick) Barnes, natives of Pennsylvania. John Barnes, father of -Alexander, came from Ireland to this country previous to the Revolutionary war, in which he took part for eight years. serving as Captain. Alexander Barnes was a soldier in the war of lSl2 ; he died in Parke County, Ind., February 16, 1830, leaving his wife with eight children. When our subject was but six months old, the family moved to Vincennes, Ind., thence to Fort Harrison, and thence to Parke County. In the spring of 1831, the widow moved, with her children, to Carroll County, and entered land near the north line, and there died in October, 1838. In 1840, Thomas W. married Miss Cynthia Ginn, daughter of Robert and Anna Ginn, and born August 26, 1821. In 1868, Mrs. Barnes died, leaving seven children Lovita J., Robert A., Sarah A., William A., Thomas E. (now deceased), Nancy Amanda and Mary M. In 1834, Mr. Barnes entered eighty acres of land near the home farm, which he subsequently sold ; then made several trades, and finally settled on 155 acres, remaining until 1848, when lie sold out and purchased 140 acres of his present farm in this township, which lie has increased to 166 acres, and put under a high state of cultivation. The Barnes family was the sixth to settle here, and underwent all the hardships of pioneer life. there being neither a road nor a bridge west of the Wabash at that time . Mr. Barnes assisted in building the first church and schoolhouse, and in laying out the first road in this section, and has always been foremost in works for the public good. He is a leading member of the United Presbyterian Church, and is a Republican.

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