Murray S. Barker

Diversified farming is essential to profitable production and maintenance of soil fertility, but it is necessary to specialize on something to secure a superior standard of excellence. A. well diversified farm will have the customary crops that are grown in the locality, together with the usual farm animals, and some one crop or some one animal should be singled out as a specialty. A. farmer may take good care of his crops and animals and conduct his business at a profit, but he will find an added enjoyment and an increased profit by giving special attention to some one crop, animal or fowl.

Suppose a farmer's specialty is corn. If he does his duty by his pet crop he will raise some of the best, if not the best, corn in the neighborhood. He will not only have greater profits in the ordinary use of the crop, but the demand for his seed corn will enable him to dispose of a large amount of it at better than the average price of seed corn. The necessity of using only the best seed is yearly becoming more appreciated and the man who has the reputation of growing the best corn is the one that seed buyers will seek. The reputation is the reward for building up a specialty.

It is well known that the specialty of Murray S. Barker, one of the most progressive of Boone Co's young farmers, who owns a valuable model farm in Sugar Creek township, is Black Langshan chickens, which have carried his name throughout the United States. He has done much to improve the poultry of this locality and the results are plainly visible at the local fairs and exhibits. He has given his own reputation to the Co and the Co will not only continue to be advertised as a result but it will mean much in a material way. It does not make much difference what the specialty is so that it is the one thing in which the owner has the greatest interest. The more one gives his attention to his specialty, the more it will take possession of him and the only danger is that he may in a degree neglect his other stock or crops in his desire to excel in his specialty, but a glance over Mr. Barker's finely cultivated and tastily kept farm will indicate that such has not been the case with him, for everything is done systematically and according to the best and most modern methods. He knows that the mind of the farmer must be as well balanced as the farm affairs, and that with a good mental grasp on the situation a farmer should be able to get great enjoyment and much profit out of his specialty without interfering with the known necessity for diversified farming.

Mr. Barker was born in Sugar Creek township, Boone Co, February 16, 1873. He is a son of Isaac N. and Cyrena (Brown) Barker, the former a native of Wayne Co, IN, and the latter was born in Sugar Creek township, Boone Co, After their marriage, the parents of our subject settled on a farm in Sugar Creek township. In connection with general farming, the father made a specialty of raising fine poultry and Berkshire hogs, which he followed until his death, November 3, 1901. He was one of the leading citizens of the Co for many years, and he showed his stock at many important fairs and exhibitions and always took premiums, and was generally recognized as one of the leading breeders of the United States.

The subject of this review, the youngest of a family of five children [Editor's Note: He was next to youngest in family], grew to manhood on the home farm in his native township and there assisted with the general work, paying particular attention to his father's methods of stock raising and, with such a careful and learned preceptor, he laid by valuable information that has stood him well in hand in after years. He received his education in the district schools and when eighteen years of age entered Earlham College at Richmond, IN, where he remained four years and made an excellent record for scholarship. He had previously taught school two years. After his graduation from college he taught successfully for five years, first in Cheyenne, WY, where he taught chemistry in the high school. He then went to Philadelphia, PA, where he taught chemistry and physics for three years. In June, 1901, he returned home and went into business with his father and brother raising stock and continued thus for six years on a large scale, when our subject and his brother divided the business, the former devoting his attention more to chickens, which business he thoroughly understood. having literally grown up in the same.

So he was successful from the start and in the spring of 1907 he began specializing in raising Black Langshans and is now widely known to poultry fanciers all over the country, there being a great demand for all the chickens he places on the market owing to their superior quality. He has sold either chickens or eggs in every state in the Union but two and in a large number of exhibits of poultry in various cities he has taken many first premiums. He is owner of one of the choicest and most desirable farms in the Co, which contains two hundred and seventy acres of fertile and highly improved land which he has brought up to a high state of cultivation, and he is one of the most successful general farmers in Sugar Creek township, operating all his land in an up-to-date manner and also raising all kinds of live stock on a large scale. He has a commodious and attractive home in the midst of beautiful surroundings and numerous convenient outbuildings, in fact, everything about the place denotes good management, thrift and prosperity.

Mr. Barker was married February 27, 1902, to Anna Roop, a lady of many commendable characteristics, cultured and well educated. She is a native of Shelby Co, OH. Mrs. Barker attended Antioch College in OH for three years, also spent two years in college in Richmond, IN. Mr. and Mrs. Barker have one child, Murray Stanley Barker, born June 26, 1907.

Politically, Mr. Barker is a Republican, and while he is deeply interested and influential in public affairs, has no political ambitions, preferring to devote his attention to his extensive business interests and to his pleasant home. Fraternally, he belongs to the Masonic Order, No. 113, at Thorntown. He was reared in the Quaker faith from which he has not departed, while Mrs. Barker is a member of the Newlight Christian church. They are prominent in the affairs of the community and pleasant people to know.

Submitted by: Shelly Sloan
Source: "History of Boone County, Indiana," by Hon. L. M. Crist, 1914.