Sonoma County Biography
Solomon Q Barlow
Generations of the Barlow family had lived useful lives in their native England before the name was transplanted to the soil of the new world, and the first member of the family of whom we have any record, is Warren Barlow, the grandfather of Solomon Q. Barlow. From Connecticut Warren Barlow went to New York state and settled in Sullivan county, where his three sons and three daughters were born. The fifth child in this family was Thomas Barlow, born June 25, 1809, and who died April 22, 1882, his entire life having been passed in Sullivan county. His companion and helpmate in life, Rachel Quimby, was also a native and life-time resident of Sullivan county, her death occurring there April 16, 1883, almost a year to a day following the death of her husband. In the family of his worthy couple were four sons and four daughters, one of whom was Solomon Q. Barlow. He was born May 20, 1837, and was given such education as the times and place afforded, finishing his schooling in Ellenville high school, where he was fortunate to have as tutor Prof. S. A. Law, who was then the efficient principal of the school.
During his boyhood Mr. Barlow had been a competent assistant to his father in his farming and lumbering interests, and after his graduation from high school he purchased the homestead farm and sawmill, his father thereafter removing to Napanoch, N. M. Solomon Barlow continued the business which he thus assumed until 1862, when he removed to Pompton, N. J., where for two years he was agent for James Horner & Co., during the erection of their steel and file works. It was upon resigning his position with this firm that he came to California by the Isthmus route. Coming direct to Sonoma county, he made settlement in Two Rock valley, and on April 21, 1864, located on the ranch which was the home of the family for the following eight years. It was then, in 1872, that he purchased and located upon, the ranch of two hundred and twenty acres in the same valley, six miles west of Petaluma, which was his home until his death. Here he followed dairying, general farming, horticulture and poultry raising, and at his death, August 20, 1895, left a valuable property to his widow and children.
The marriage of Solomon Q. Barlow was solemnized February 8, 1860, and united him with Elizabeth J. Denman, who was born in Sullivan county, N. Y., March 14, 1837, the daughter of William Denman, and who died December 3, 1874. Five children were born of this marriage, as follows: Thomas E., deceased; Anna D., also deceased; Mrs. W. H. Darden, of Corning, Cal.; Mrs. J. W. McNeal, of Honolulu; and Mrs. Eva Mordecai, of Petaluma. The second marriage of Mr. Barlow occurred in Point Arena, Mendocino county, October 9, 1879, uniting him with Louise E. Brandon, who was born in Iowa City, Iowa, the daughter of John and Sarah (Robbins) Brandon, natives respectively of Carlisle, Pa., and New Carlisle, Clark county, Ohio. Mr. Brandon became a pioneer settler in Iowa City, where he was living at the time of the discovery of gold in California. He crossed the plains with ox-teams and followed mining until 1854, when he returned east, settling in Dayton, Ohio, where he was a merchant until his death. Mrs. Barlow was reared in Dayton, Ohio, and attended the public schools of that city. She came to California in the spring of 1877 and up to the time of her marriage was a resident of Point Arena. After the death of her husband she assumed charge of the ranch and ran it until 1901, since which time she has leased it and made her home in Berkeley. Mrs. Barlow has one daughter, Grace, who is a graduate of the University of California, class of 1905, and now the wife of R. J. Brower, of Belmont. Mrs. Barlow is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley and is an active worker in its varied charities.
History of Sonoma County, California
History by Tom Gregory : Historic Record Company, 1891
Los Angeles, Ca. 1911
Transcribed by Roberta Hester Leatherwood
November 29, 2007 Pages 584-587
Sonoma County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
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