ELI A. BARNES, one of Grand Island's best known and most highly respected citizens, has spent almost a half century in Hall County and has been identified with much of its substantial development, being greatly interested in agricultural progress as well as in business affairs in this city. Mr. Barnes is an honored survivor of the Civil War, in which his gallantry won official recognition and ever since the orgaization of the Grand Army of the Republic, he has been a member and has been commander and senior vice commander of the organization of Nebraska.
Mr. Barnes was born in Chemung County, New York, September 14, 1837, of old Empire state and Holland ancestry and of Revolutionary stock. His parents were Jesse and Rachel (Swartwood) Barnes, and his paternal grandfather, Abraham Barnes, who was born and died in New York. Jesse Barnes was born in Sullivan county, New York and died in Chemung County in 1857. His vocation was farming but he became prominent in local politics and distinguished himself as a first lieutenant of artillery in the war of 1812. In Chemung County he served in the office of twon clerk and at the time of his death was superintendent of the county almshouse. He married Rachel Swartwood, who was born in Chemung County, New York. She was the daughter of Peter Swartwout, to give the name its orthography in Dutch, who came very early from Holland to the colonies serving as a quartermaster-general in the Revolutionary war. The mother of Mr. Barnes remained in New York after she became a widow until 1862, when she removed to Illinois and from there to Cedar Falls, Iowa. She was a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Of her large family of thirteen chldren many grew to vigorous maturity but at the time of writing Eli A. Barnes has but one surviving brother, George W., who has been in the agricultural implement business at Waterloo, Iowa, since before the Civil War; and one sister, Mary E., who has been twice married and is now a widow, first to Theodore L. Frence, and second to Hiram F. Lane.
Eli A. Barnes obtained his education in the district schools and Ithaca Academy, now Cornell University. He then engaged in farming until August 25, 1863, when he enlisted for service in the Civil War and was orderly sergeant of Company G, Ninth Iowa Calvary, and rose to higher rank before the close of the war. He removed to Illinois, in which state his mother was living, and there married February 22, 1865, Miss Nancy E. Crego, who was born in New York state. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes have been blessed in many ways and both enjoyed entertaining their friends on the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding, February 22, 1915. Mrs. Barnes is a member of the Episcopal church and is interested in the many charitable movements of the times.
Mr. Barnes came to Hall County, Nebraska, March 8, 1872, securing a homestead and resided on the same for thirteen years and then came to Grand Island to embark in a bond, insurance and pension business, which he continues with the exception of the bond feature, which he gave up in 1909. He is a notary public. He has been a prominent official of the State Board of Agriculture and served as its president from 1895 to 1896 and has been a member of the board for twenty-two years. In Grand Army affairs he has been commander of Lyons post, of which he is the present quartermaster, and has, as noted above, been senior vice commander and commander in the state. For years he has been conspicuous in Masonry in Nebraska. His is a member of Ashlar lodge No. 33, A. F. & A. M.; Deuel Chapter R. A. M.; and Mt. Lebanon Commandery No. 6, Knights Templar, and is past high priest and past eminent commander. He has taken fourteen degrees in the Scottish Rite, is a life member of all the bodies and is the oldest Shriner in Hall County.
