David Henry Barker
December 25, 1852 - November 22, 1890
Texas Lawman
by
James R Hewitt Jr.
© Copyright 2019, All rights reserved
Page last updated on April 30, 2003
My great grandfather, David Henry Barker was born in Lafayette County, Missouri, on December 25, 1852, and died in Colfax County, New Mexico, on November 22, 1890. He was by trade a Stock Raiser and Butcher. However, from about 1874 until his death he served at various times in the capacities of Deputy Sheriff and County Constable for Shackelford, Wheeler and Oldham Counties in Texas. From The Flat of Fort Griffin in Shackelford County Texas, moving up into the Texas Panhandle at Mobeetie near Fort Elliott in Wheeler County then to Oldham County, Texas at Tascosa along the trail to Dodge City Kansas and from their into the Raton Pass region of north eastern New Mexico Territory. He followed the same migration route as many well-known lawmen and gunslingers of his time.
Recently I came into possession of a cache of documents letters and journals documenting incidents between Dave Barker and the likes of Sheriff John Larn, John Selman, Pete Fulton aka: "The Dutchman" and John Gough aka: "The Catfish Kid", the "Long Canyon" Mining Camp killing of Alex Weir and the death of his killer, Charles Gardner, who was gunned down by Dave Barker while he was resisting arrest in 1888, and Dave's own demise when James T. Gibbons gunned him down in a dispute over a dog at Catskill, New Mexico, in 1890. I have temporally removed my original work from these pages while I update the story with this new information.
If you have an interest in the life and times of Dave Barker or want to contribute information I would like to hear from you. Please email me.
James R Hewitt Jr.
