Chittenden

BARRETT, Byron Simeon

Men of Vermont: an Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters and Sons of 
Vermont. Ullery. Brattleboro, VT: Transcript Pub. Co., 1894, Part II, pp 
19-20 (portrait p 20)

Byron Simeon BARRETT, of Burlington [Chittenden County, Vermont], was born 11 
December 1831 in Madrid [St. Lawrence County], New York, son of Solomon and 
Apphia (MILLER) BARRETT. His father, Solomon BARRETT, was well known as the 
author of a series of grammars of the English, Latin, Greek, German, and 
French languages, and the subject of this sketch was also the author of a 
work on English grammar, having been educated at the Utica [New York] Academy 
and the Rochester Collegiate Institute.

From 1860 to 1869 Mr. [Byron Simeon] BARRETT was associated in business with 
the firm of John F. Henry & Company, druggists, and had the management of the 
Montreal branch of their business. He then removed to New York where he was 
associated with Mr. HENRY in the New York house. He then engaged in printing 
and literary work and contributed for several years to Puck and other 
metropolitan journals. He visited Europe and spent two years in traveling 
through the states and territories west of the Missouri [River], and from the 
material gathered during the course of his travels there he has prepared a 
lecture entitled "Out West," which he is now delivering. In 1889 he located 
at Burlington and established the newspaper "The Earth," and in 1893 his 
firm, Barrett & Johnsons, bought the "Vermont Farmers' Advocate" and since 
then he has had editorial charge of both papers.

Mr. BARRETT has never been an office seeker, but did some campaign work for 
Abraham LINCOLN in 1859, and during his residence of nearly twenty years in 
Brooklyn [Kings County], New York, he was active in Republican politics and 
was for several years connected with the Sons of Temperance and Good 
Templars, and was at one time an officer in the Grand Lodge of the Sons of 
Temperance in the Province of Quebec. He is also an amateur musician of some 
note, having composed over sixty vocal and instrumental pieces that have been 
published by Ditson and other publishers.

On 06 June 1855 he [Byron Simeon BARRETT] married Ellen P., daughter of Jacob 
and Rispah (BURLINGAME) JONES of Madrid [St. Lawrence County], New York. 
Four children have been born to them, all now [1894] living: (1) William 
Wallace; (2) Nellie, Mrs. E. C. BROWNE; (3) John Francis; and (4) Franklin 
Clark. Mr. BARRETT is not a native Vermonter, but has cast his lines with us 
and takes a deep interest in the welfare of the people of this state, whose 
interests he conserves in both his papers with all the ability he can command.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly