John Strode Barbour (1866–1952)

John Strode Barbour
Born John Strode Barbour
August 10, 1866
Beauregard, Brandy Station, Culpeper County, Virginia
Died May 6, 1952 (aged 85)
Doctors Hospital, Washington, D.C.
Resting place
 Fairview Cemetery, Culpeper, Virginia
Nationality American
Ethnicity European American
Citizenship United States of America
Alma mater University of Virginia
Occupation newspaper editor, lawyer, mayor, statesman
Political party
 Democratic Party
Religion Presbyterian
Spouse(s) Mary B. Grimsley
Parent(s) James Barbour
Fanny Thomas Beckham
Relatives nephew of John S. Barbour, Jr.
second cousin of James Barbour and Philip Pendleton Barbour

John Strode Barbour (August 10, 1866 – May 6, 1952)[1][2] was a prominent American newspaper editor, lawyer, mayor, and statesman.[1] As the son of James Barbour (1828–1895), Barbour was a scion of the Barbour political family.

Early life and education

Barbour was born on August 10, 1866 at Beauregard in Brandy Station, Culpeper County, Virginia.[1][2] He was the son of James Barbour, a lawyer, planter, delegate from Virginia to the 1860 Democratic National Convention, delegate to the 1861 Virginia secession convention, and a major in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.[1][2] His mother was Fanny Thomas Beckham.[1][2]

Barbour was educated at a private school and at William Hartman Kable's Charles Town Male Academy in Charles Town, West Virginia.[1] In 1884, Barbour began reading law at John Franklin Rixey's law office in Culpeper, Virginia.[1] In 1886, Barbour started a weekly newspaper, the Piedmont Advance, which operated for approximately two years.[1] Barbour then began attending law school at the University of Virginia in 1887 and graduated in 1888.[1] Barbour returned to Culpeper and joined Rixey's law practice.[1] Rixey was elected to the United States House of Representatives for Virginia's 8th congressional district.[1]

Barbour married Mary B. Grimsley on April 4, 1894.[1] The couple had no children.[1]

Political career

From 1897 through 1898, Barbour served as mayor of Culpeper.[1] Barbour was elected on May 23, 1901 to represent Culpeper County at the Constitutional Convention in Richmond, Virginia.[1] At the convention on May 29, 1902, Barbour voted to proclaim the new constitution in effect without submitting it to the voters for ratification.[1]

Barbour relocated to Fairfax County, Virginia in 1907 where he joined R. Walton Moore and Thomas R. Keith to start up a law firm.[1] Barbour raised a dairy herd at his Fairfax County estate and founded the Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Association.[1] From 1932 through 1949, Barbour was a member of the board of the Virginia State Library.[1] While residing in Fairfax, Virginia, Barbour built the "Barbour House" which still exists today.[3]

Death

Barbour died at Doctors Hospital in Washington, D.C. on May 6, 1952.[1][2] He was interred at Fairview Cemetery in Culpeper County, Virginia.[1][2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 Beckham Family Tree (Mar 22, 2005). "John Strode BARBOUR". Beckham Family Tree. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Find A Grave (Jul 22, 2004). "John Strode Barbour". Find A Grave. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  3. ↑ William Page Johnson, II (Spring 2004). "The Unfinished Manassas Gap Railroad". Historic Fairfax City, Inc.: The Historical Society of Fairfax City, Virginia. Retrieved 2009-04-05.