Pierre A. Barker

Who was Pierre A. Barker?

Pierre Augustus Barker was mayor of Buffalo, New York, serving in 1837–1838.

He was born in LaGrange, New York. In 1812 he married Annache G. Livingston; they had eight children. He arrived in Buffalo around 1829 or 1830 and, a wealthy man, purchased a large number of properties in and around the village. Shortly after his arrival he was appointed collector of customs for the port of Buffalo, and held the position from 1830 to 1838. He was one of the founders of the first Bank of Buffalo in 1831. He served as president of the Commercial bank in 1835 or 1836. The Commercial Bank was incorporated in Upper Canada on January 28, 1831.

In 1838 or 1840, Pierre A. Barker was president of the United States Bank at Buffalo. In 1837, Barker held the office of Alderman for the 5th ward and lived in a mansion on Hudson Street. He was selected as acting mayor on December 21, 1837, after Josiah Trowbridge resigned. He immediately took to trying to calm the unrest in the city due to the Canadian revolutionary movement, or "Patriot War". His term ended in 1838 and sometime after 1841 Barker left Buffalo and moved to Natchez, Mississippi.