Robert Barron Biography in 1895 History of Butler County p. 1244
Note: material in {braces } is added by E. W. Williams for clarification. Nothing, however, is added that is not elsewhere available in this text.
ROBERT BARRON was born in Down County, Ireland, Sept 19, 1832, son of David and Margaret Gibson Baron, who were married in Ireland in 1831. His father was a son of John Barron, a native of Down county, Ireland, and grandson of John Barron, Sr., a farmer of the same county. The latter had a family of eight children: Archie; John; William; David; Robert; Margaret; James , and Samuel The second son, John, was the grandfather of our subject, {Robert Barron}, and died in Down county, aged eighty-five years. His sons William; Robert; John, and David, came to the United States. William, a school teacher, died in West Virginia; Robert, a merchant, died in Ohio, and John, a weaver, worked in Pittsburg ten years, and then returned to Ireland and died there.
David, the father of Robert, was a weaver, but followed farming until 1834, in which year he came to the United States, leaving his wife and child in Ireland, and died at Steubenville, Ohio. His widow and child made their home with her parents, James and Susan (Hines) Gibson. Her {Margaret's} maternal grandfather, Richard Hines, came to this country in 1800, with his wife and five children, viz.: Richard; Geoerge; Eleanor; Betty, and Jane, leaving behind Alexander and Susan. They afterwards settled in Brady township, Butler County. Alexander later came to this county, and died at the home of his parents. Their children, George, Eleanor, and Jane, also died at home. Richard located on a farm in Brady township, married Betsey Brandon, and two of his children, Eli and Mrs. Mary Gibson, reside on the old Hines homestead.
The mother of our subject {ie Margaret Gibson Barron, mother of Robert Barron} married George Dixon, and remained in Ireland. Robert came to the United States when seventeen years of age, worked for a short time on a railroad at Albany, New York, and then came to the home of his grandmother, Susan Gibson, of Worth township, Butler county. { Susan Gibson = Susan Hines, daughter of Richard Hines. Thus, all of Richard Hines' children eventually immigrated to America.} Here he remained for two years, working on a farm in summer and attending school in winter. He afterwards learned the plasterer's trade, and worked at it until 1872. In 1860 he bought 100 acres of land upon which he now resides, sent for his mother and her husband {Margaret Gibson & 2nd husband George Dixon}, and gave them a home during their declining years. He has added to his farm from time to time until he how owns 250 acres, and is one of the leading farmers of the township.
Mr. Barron was married, September 28, 1854, to Mrs. Mary Craig, nee Shaffer, and has five children, viz.: Joseph, who married a daughter of Alexander Black, and lives on a part of the homestead; Mary C., wife of A. V. Grossman, of Brady township; Robert J., who died at the age of seven; Elizabeth J., wife of W. P. Martin, of Venango township, and Alvirda, wife of Jacob Milleman, of Harmony.
In 1872 Mr. Barron was elected, on the Republican ticket, to the office of county commissioner, and re-elected in 1875. During this time he purchased the Willard Hotel, conducted it for a short time, and subsequently sold it. For many years he has been prominent in the local councils of his party, and has filled nearly all the township offices. In March, 1885, he served as foreman of the grand jury in the United States district court at Scranton. Mr. Barron is now vice-president of the Worth Mutual Fire Insurance Company, filled the office of president of the company for two years, and has also served on the board of directors. He was an elder in the Slippery Rock United Presbyterian church for twenty-five years, and for two years has filled the same office in the West Liberty United Presbyterian church.
