A statement provided by my father George Robinson Barker about what he knows or remembers about his grandfather who died a year before he was born.
Partner: Only reference, Captain Inglis. Based in Savannah where my aunt Eugenia spent many of her summers. Must have been good friends as well as business partners.
The Barker’s (I believe) had a beautiful home in Jacksonville, I think in the Riverside area right on the St. Johns River. It may be near or where the current memorial Park is. It would have been interesting if they new the likes of Henry Flagner, or any of the many rich carpetbag Yankees that invaded Florida and “helped” in the early development.
Business enterprises as (as far as I have been told or remember). Cotton brokerage in Madison FL.
Phospahe: I suspect that the cotton brokerage lasted until the beginning of the 20th century and perhaps into the 20th. At that time, phosphate mining became a profitable option in FL. first in extracting river-bed phosphate pebbles then by 1920, with the introduction of diesel engines and electricity, huge drag-line rigs were developed to remove 15 to 50 foot over-burden to get to the phosphate rich layer. This completely revolutionized the phosphate extraction business and really attracted investors.During this period, the partners saw opportunity and began phosphate mining operations in the Dunnellon area of Florida. I say this occurred early in the century because my father George,(1899) remembers the Withlacoochee River during boyhood visits to the area. He was born in 1899, so the first decade of the new century seems to logical. That was also the time of maximum river-pebble operations, which finally ceased around 1908(I looked up phosphate mining on the internet). I also know that my dad was in the army for a year or so at the end of WWI(1917-1918). Actual dates I don’t know, but I remember seeing a picture of him in uniform.
I tried Inglis FL on the internet hoping to find some history and perhaps who the town was named for, hoping to get a handle on Ralph’s colleague. Nothing much except the town was made famous on CNN when they conducted a town-wide exorcism to rid the place of Satin. Other than that, just real estate listings and things to do. For, example, Yankeetown, on the Gulf just west of Inglis was the western terminus of the Florida Barge Canal. That boondoggle was fortunately killed, but the route was well laid out. It is now know for the Cross Florida Greenway. The lake that was formedjust off the Gulf, has become a wildlife management area with lots of trails(bike, walking and equestrian).
I am afraid this isn’t much, but it’s all I know without personally visiting the area archives. I don’t think I could add any more.
Daddio