HARRISON BARNHART.-The business life of Sullivan county finds a worthy representative in Harrison Barnhart, who has been an agriculturist throughout his industrial career, and during the past four years he has also conducted a wholesale butcher business and enjoys a large and remunerative trade. During the past seven years he has also bought and shipped stock quite extensively. When he started out in life for himself after his marriage he owned a little tract of five acres where he now lives, and his present estate consists of eighty-seven acres of rich and fertile land.
Mr. Barnhart is a representative of one of the oldest families of Sullivan county. His father, Chauncey C. Barnhart, who was born in Pennsylvania January 29, 1824, came with his mother, his father having previously died, to this county during his early manhood, and they bought forty acres of land in Jackson township, but in 1874 they sold that land and went to Champaign county, Illinois, where they farmed on rented land until Mr. Barnhart was too old to carry on active work for himself. He then bought property in Tolono, where he yet resides. His mother, Lydia Barnhart, lived to the age of ninety-three years. Harrison Barnhart is the only child by his father's second marriage, he having been four times married, and his second wife bore the maiden name of Charlotte Halberstadt. She was born in Jackson township about 1834, and died when her only son and child was a babe of fourteen months. She was a daughter of Harrison and Elizabeth (Manwarring) Halberstadt, who were farming people.
After the death of his mother Harrison Barnhart lived with his maternal grandparents until he was twenty-three years of age, when he was married to Hannah Peterson, who was born in Curry towmship, Sullivan county, March 27, 1863, a daughter of John and Deliah Peterson, the former of whom is now deceased and the latter is living in Jackson township. Mr. and Mrs. Barnhart have become the parents of five children: Lillian, who was born July 10, 1882, is the wife of Lou McCrocklin and lives in Curry township; Flora, born October 29, 1883, has completed the course in the public schools; Arthur, born May 20, 1884, is working with his father; Edna, born April 10, 1899, is in school; and Odetta, born October 29, 1904. Mr. Barnhart is a Republican in his political affiliations. Mrs. Barnhart is a member of the Methodist church.