The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-01-13
Death of DIR. Barnes.


Brief announcement was made in last
weeks PRESS of the death of DIR. John B.
Barnes, one ofthe pioneers of Owosso
lie died Dec. rs. 1892, in San Jose, Cali
fornia, at the home of his daughter, Mrs
j. L.. f.. Kelly, after an illness of five DAYS,
from general breaking down of the
system, lacking onlya few days Of being
Sc yea $ of age.
DIR. Barnes was a prominent factor in
the early days of Owosso, one of the NOR
al and mental forces of its early develop
ment and progress. He was born in
Marlboro, Mass, Jan. 6, 1907. and took
his degree in medicine at Amherst Col
lege, Mass. In 1882 he was married to
Mrs. Sophronia hing Bishop, at Lowell,
Mass, and in 1885 removed to Lockport,
n. Y, where the daughters, the late Mrs.
}. l.. Wright and Mrs Kelly were born.
In 1910 they came to Michigan and To-
Gated in Ann Arbor, and in the fall of
1912 came to Owosso. The succeeding
40 years of his life were identified with
Owosso. He was one of the earliest prac-
ticing physicians in this section - DR..
Pattison, who came here from Fenton in
1889 being the first. DIR. Barnes built a
residence on Oliver Street with spacious
grounds (now the Fitzpatrick place. and
also purchased land which was laid out
into streets bearing family names: King
Street for Mrs. Barnes. Elizabeth Street
for Mrs. Wright, and Janette street for
Mrs. Kelly. In later years he turned his
attention to the cultivation of small fruits
and market gardening.
DIR. Barnes was one ofthe commission
ers appointed to locate the State road
and St Charles, and perhaps further,
sometime in the tifties. He was one of
the officers of Owosso Lodge +. & A. NJ,
who were installed the day its charter
was granted, Jan. 10, 1856. He was one
of the early members Of the First Con-
gregational Church of Owosso. In 1866
he was elected Mayor of this city.
The social influence of DR.. Barnes and
his estimable family in their hospitable
home and in public enterprises, is init
mately connected with the culture and
refinement bestowed upon Owosso
in its early days by its exceptionally cul-
tivated class of first settlers whose inn
press is felt to this day. To beautify and
make attractive the streets of Owosso
was great idea with Or. Barnes, and to
him Owosso owes many of the beautiful
shade trees which are the pride of the
city.
AS a public spirited citizen Dr. Barnes
was always prominent. lie was man
of keen sympathies and strong convic-
tons active in benevolent, moral and
humane matters. Although ultra and
persistent in what he believed to be
right, he was always the genial social
friend and neighbor He was enthusi-
astic and aggressive in the temperance
cause, but in his later days he used to say:
ave can never accomplish what we are
working for until we have public senti-
ment on our side. l tell YOU this with
his peculiar emphasis, ''pubtic sentiment
has got to be at the bottom of this move
ment if we ever sucreed."
June, 81 1887, six months after the
death of their daughter, Mrs Wright,
with whom they resided, Dr. and Mrs.
Barnes, enfeebled by age, babe farewell
to the scenes where IS years of their life
had been spent, to make a home with
their daughter, Mrs Kelly, in San Jose,
Cal. The leave taking was sorrowful
Old friends gathered around them at the
depot to bid what they knew must be a
last farewell. They were very happy in
their California home, but the death of
Mrs. Barnes, Dec. 81, 1891, severed the
union of long years, and w this last
tribute is paid to Owosso's old and hon
Ored citizen, DR.. John b. Barnes.