the Janesvillians - BARRICK | Mcpherson | kidder

I wanted to provide an update for my Kidder family out there. First, a little background.
​
John T. Barrick was born in 1808 in Virginia. For some reason, he spent much of his impressionable youth living with his aunt in Ohio instead of his parents, Russell M. Barrick, Sr. (1777-1862) and Mary Timberlake (b. 1784) who lived in Kentucky. His aunt raised him with Quaker ideals, so when he returned to his father's home and was given the plantation, he refused. He could not accept a gift which included slaves, so he returned to Ohio and became a carpenter and joiner.

James T. Barrick, founder of Janesville, Iowa

Around 1840 he moved to Iowa and began a habit of opening up new saw mills wherever he went. The third one he built was in Bremer County, IA which was the first mill in the county. He also had a farm and built the first frame house in the county.

In 1849, James T. Barrick founded the town of Janesville, Iowa. It was named for his beloved wife, Jane M. McPherson (1809-1884).

Jane M. (McPherson) Barrick, founder and namesake of Janesville, Iowa

It is said that tunnels were built under that town of Janesville to shelter and move people escaping slavery. The story goes that John Barrick was so passionate about the issue, he ensured their safety and escape through these tunnels. It should be mentioned that while the house Barrick built and lived in no longer stands, the basement and foundation of his house does and a new home has been built over top of it. (Information about the house came from Peggy Coleman who went with a few other family to visit Janesville some years ago.) If he did have a tunnel connecting his own home to other homes in the area, one might be able to see evidence of it in that basement. But I should also caution that "tunnels under the town" is a very widely spread urban legend throughout the United States and is most often unable to be validated.

As the founder of a town, one does gain some notoriety, albeit if only locally. John T. Barrick's story is told in a book titled "The Janesvillians, Volume II, 1974-1999." There is a Volume I as well, but at the time it was published, they had not identified all his children.
​
Which brings me to my update. I was on the hunt for Volume I of this book. The Volume II copy I had said that one could purchase additional copies through the Janesville City Clerk's office so that's where I started. Eventually I was directed to the library (which is being renovated) and had a chat with THE librarian. She told me that they do not have any additional copies of Volume I (it having been printed in 1974, 125 years after the town's founding), but that she often has people wanting one. They are planning to release a Volume II to commemorate the 175th anniversary of the town and are considering a reprint of Volume I. Anyone that is interested should subscribe to the library's newsletter for updates on the project. It might be nice for them to know that there is more interest as well, so you might want to shoot them an email too!


Every year at the end of July, Janesville celebrates their founding with a local festival aptly named for our their town and our ancestor: Janesville Days. Comment below if you'd like to take a big ol' family fieldtrip to Iowa one year. Maybe we could join the parade!

---