Judge Benjamin Franklin Barkley
Haltom City, Tarrant County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(1822 - 1882) In 1855 Benjamin F. Barkley, a Kentucky physician, with his wife Malinda Elizabeth Duncan (1827-1917) and their children settled on a farm at Birdville. There he practiced medicine, became a lawyer, and a charter member of Masonic Lodge No. 148 in Fort Worth. In 1856 Dr. Barkley tried unsuccessfully to keep the county seat at Birdville. As a Republican leader, he spoke out against slavery and secession. Barkley was admired for donating land for Birdville's cemetery and participating in Indian campaigns, but his strong will and pro-Union stand stirred anger in the area. He barely escaped death several times. Barkley treated wounded Confederate soldiers and aided their families despite his opposition to the Civil War, and served as local postmaster during the war. During Reconstruction, Barkley headed the county registration board which denied the vote to former Confederate supporters. He was appointed county judge in 1867 and used federal troops to maintain order. With great courage he fought to protect the rights of the ex-slaves. He left office after Democrats won all county offices in 1873, but remained active in law and medicine throughout North Texas for the remainder of his life. (1979)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Benjamin Franklin Barkley, a Kentucky-born physician turned lawyer, settled at Birdville in North Texas in 1855. A Republican who spoke openly against slavery and secession in the heart of the Confederacy, he treated wounded Confederate soldiers and aided their families even as his Union loyalty put his life at risk. During Reconstruction he headed the county registration board, served as county judge, and used federal troops to protect the rights of freed people before Democrats swept the county in 1873.
Why it matters
Barkley's story captures the perilous position of Southern Unionists and the bitter local struggles over citizenship and voting that defined Reconstruction across Texas.
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Related people
- · Benjamin Franklin Barkley
- · Malinda Elizabeth Duncan Barkley
Related events
- · Reconstruction
- · American Civil War
Themes & tags
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