Joel Allen Barber

Joel Allen Barber (January 17, 1809 – June 28, 1881) was an American lawyer and politician who became a prominent public figure in early Wisconsin statehood. He served two terms in the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district, was the 15th Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, and served one term in the Wisconsin State Senate. A member of the Republican Party in his later career, Barber participated in the legislative process during a significant period in American history, representing the interests of his constituents at both the state and national levels.

Barber was born on January 17, 1809, in the town of Georgia, in Franklin County, Vermont, to Joel Barber and Aseneth Melvin Barber. He spent his youth working on a farm until the age of eighteen, gaining the practical experience typical of rural New England in the early nineteenth century. Seeking further education, he entered the Georgia Academy, where he prepared for advanced study. After completing his work at the academy, he attended the University of Vermont in Burlington, where he pursued legal studies. Although he did not complete a formal degree and left the university after two and a half years, he continued his legal training by reading law under the guidance of George P. Marsh, a noted Vermont lawyer and intellectual.

Barber’s early professional life combined teaching and law. While teaching school in Prince George’s County, Maryland, he completed his legal preparation and was admitted to the bar there in 1833. Following his admission, he returned to Vermont and commenced the practice of law in Fairfield. His experience in both education and law provided a foundation for the public service roles he would later assume in the developing communities of the American frontier.

In 1837, Barber moved west to the Wisconsin Territory, settling in Lancaster in Grant County, where he continued to practice law and quickly became involved in local affairs. He served as county clerk of Grant County for four years, and as district attorney for three terms, building a reputation as a capable attorney and public official. His growing prominence led to his selection as a delegate to the first Wisconsin constitutional convention in 1846, where he participated in framing the initial, though ultimately unsuccessful, draft of a state constitution. This early involvement in territorial governance positioned him as an influential figure as Wisconsin moved toward statehood.

Barber’s legislative career in Wisconsin began with his election to the Wisconsin State Assembly. He was first elected as a Whig, serving in the Assembly in 1852 and 1853. He later returned to the Assembly as party alignments shifted in the Civil War era, winning election in 1863 as a Republican and again in 1864 on the National Union ticket, which reflected the wartime coalition supporting the Union cause. During the 1863 session, he was chosen as the 15th Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, presiding over the lower house during a critical period in the nation’s history. In addition to his Assembly service, Barber represented Grant County in the Wisconsin State Senate for one two-year term, serving in 1856 and 1857, and thereby gaining experience in both chambers of the state legislature.

Alongside his state legislative work, Barber maintained an active legal practice in Lancaster. In 1869, he formed a law partnership with George Clementson, a collaboration that would continue through his years in national office. The firm became one of the leading practices in the region, and when Barber later entered Congress, Clementson assumed primary responsibility for the firm’s day-to-day legal work.

Barber was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Republican, representing Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district in the Forty-second and Forty-third Congresses. He served from March 4, 1871, to March 3, 1875, a period that fell squarely within the era of Reconstruction following the Civil War. As a member of the Republican Party representing Wisconsin, he contributed to the legislative process during his two terms in office, participating in the democratic process and advocating for the interests of his constituents in southwestern Wisconsin. He chose not to be a candidate for renomination in 1874 and was succeeded in Congress by Henry S. Magoon.

After leaving Congress in March 1875, Barber returned to Lancaster and resumed the practice of law with his partner, George Clementson. He continued to be regarded as a respected figure in the community, drawing on decades of experience in law and public service. Barber’s later years were spent in the town he had helped develop from its territorial days, remaining engaged in professional and civic life until his final illness.

Joel Allen Barber died in Lancaster, Wisconsin, on June 28, 1881, following an attack of peritonitis. He was interred in Hillside Cemetery in Lancaster. His career, spanning from the New England farm of his youth to the halls of Congress, reflected the broader patterns of westward migration, state-building, and political realignment in nineteenth-century America.