Pictures of Our Ancestors

Mahlon Barton and Anna Barton. One of the distinguishing characteristics of Mahlon was his intense eyes, clearly seen in both pictures we have of him.

The above picture of Mahlon Barton and Anna James Barton, courtesy Niels Witkamp. Per Niels:

"Hi Rick, that's sort of a funny coincidence that Roda's headstone is on that one picture and that happens to be your ancestor. My in-laws for a while owned a cabin at the camp meeting where Joshua died. They got it passed down through the generations. I'm not sure if it was the actual cabin Joshua owned (and died in), but I know it came from his daughter at least. They sold it a few years ago since they were not using it much. Camp meeting is still held at Crystal Springs for a week in August. When camp meeting is in session you HAVE to have your cabin (still called a 'tent', even though they are wood structures now) open for the entire week and due to other obligations they were not able to fulfill that, prompting them to have to sell it.

Akersville is a pretty nice cemetery, with lots of old stones. Too bad a lot of them are leaning, it seems worse than at most other cemeteries, maybe it's the soil or a mole problem?

Included with this e-mail are pictures of Joshua Nelson Barton and Sarah Hoop Barton as well as a picture of what is assumed to be Mahlon Barton and Anna James Barton. The person who gave us a copy of this picture said that their names are not written on the picture, but he was told when he got the picture (I assume from his parents) that they were a direct relative of his (on that particular side of his family) and a possibility of who it might be. Then through researching when the picture was made, when the clothes they were wearing would have been worn and who they resemble he said he was certain it had to be Mahlon and Anna. Whether you want to assume the same is up to you. We have the picture on our wall as being Mahlon and Anna, but I just wanted to let you know that at this point we might never be 100% certain it actually is them."

More information on Methodist camp meetings

Birth: Sep. 13, 1807
Bedford County
Pennsylvania, USA
Death: Jan. 27, 1887
Fulton County
Pennsylvania, USA

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Mahlon Barton, son of Rachel Barton, was a farmer, who had three sons who served in the American Civil War: Asa Barton, James Barton and Morgan McClellan Barton. In 1850 he lived in the Brush Creek Township in Fulton County, Pennsylvania. Buried in Akersville Cemetery. Akersville Cemetery is located at the intersection of South Valley Road, Piper Road and Pleasant Valley Road in the Brush Creek Township of Fulton County, PA.

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In this picture taken by Niels Witkamp, you can see Roda Barton's gravestone on the front left, and to the right of Roda is Anna Barton's gravestone and to the right of Anna is Mahlon Barton's gravestone.

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Cemetery Information: BARTON, Mahlon AKRSVL METHO b-13 Sept. 1807; d-27 Jan. 1887

Names of Deceased in Fulton County Cemeteries

Fulton County was created on April 19, 1851 from part of Bedford County and named for inventor Robert Fulton. When Mahlon Barton was born Brush Creek Township was in Bedford County, when he died Brush Creek Township was in Fulton County.

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The Central Pennsylvania dialect is most prevalent in Bedford and Fulton counties.

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Mahlon Barton and Anna James Barton had the following children:

1. Joshua Nelson Barton b: 28 APR 1827 in Brush Creek Township, Bedford County, ( Now Fulton Co.), PA
2. James Barton b: 13 DEC 1828
3. Sarah Jane Barton b: 23 NOV 1829
4. Rachel Barton b: 16 MAY 1832
5. Mary Etta Barton b: 23 DEC 1833 in Bedford County, Pennsylvania;
6. Lythia 'Sitha' Barton b: 30 JUL 1835
7. Osee Barton b: 2 FEB 1837
8. Roda Barton b: 29 MAR 1839
9. Asa Barton b: 10 FEB 1841
10. Morgan McClellan Barton b: 9 FEB 1843
11. Julia Ann Barton b: 27 OCT 1845
12. Minerva Jane Barton b: 26 OCT 1847

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History of Bedford, Somerset and Fulton Counties, Pennsylvania; Chicago: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1884, pp. 656
[Chapter XCI, Brush Creek]:

Mahlon Barton was born and reared in the house where he now lives. The house was built by Elijah Barton about 1800. Mahlon was married in 1826, to Anna James, of Brush Creek, and has reared eight daughters and four sons, all living except one son, Asa. Three of the sons were in the army -- Asa, Co. H, 208th Penn. regt. (submitters note: this can not be the right regiment as the 208th was formed in 1864; per the soldiers of the Civil War lookup page provided by the National Parks Service, Asa Barton served with the 77th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Infantry.), died in hospital at Nashville; James Barton served in Co. H, 158th regt. Penn. Vols., and Morgan in Co. M, 22nd Penn. Cav. Mahlon Barton was one of the pioneers of Methodism, and served as class-leader for twenty-five years. His descendants are quite numerous -- eleven children, ninety grandchildren and twenty-eight great-grandchildren, living.

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Mahlon Barton was the son of Rachel Barton (1789-1820), his father is unknown. Rachel Barton (1789-1820) was the daughter of Elijah Barton (born 1757) and Mary Barton (born 28 DEC 1758)(are Mary and Elijah cousins?, I am not 100% sure about that. Do we have any proof their fathers were closely related?) Mary Barton (born 28 DEC 1758) was the daughter of Captain Elisha Barton (born 1729) and Jemima Van Kirk. Captain Elisha Barton (born 1729) served in the American Revolutionary War as a captain in the Eastern Battalion of Morris County, New Jersey, also known as the First Battalion New Jersey Militia. Elijah Barton (Mahlon Barton's grandfather) was the son of George Barton, another leader in the American Revolution.

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The 1824 will of his grandfather Elijah Barton left the homestead to grandson Mahlon.

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From Barton Family Information - Compiled by C. Kirkstadt, Jan 1997:

MAHLON BARTON - Will of Elijah Barton, date Mar 10, 1824 includes...
"Sixthly, I give and bequeath unto my grandson Mahlon Barton, immediately after my decease, all my plantation where I now live, except the property as soon as he shall be of age."

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1850 PA Census: Fulton Co. Brush Creek Twp. family 38
Series M432, roll 783

Mahlon BARTON, 43, Farmer
Anna, 44
Joshua, 23, Laborer
James, 21, Laborer
Rachel, 18; Mary, 16; Eliza, 14; Osa, 12; Rhoda, 11; Asa, 9
Morgan, 7; Julia A., 5; Minerva, 2

1860 PA Census: Brush Creek Valley, Fulton Co., Akersville P.O. p. 92
Series M653, roll 1113

Maland BARTON, 52, Farmer, $2000/630, b. Pa
Anna, 53
Rachael, 27
Roda, 22
Asa, 18, M, Farmhand
Morgan, 16, M, Farmhand
Julian, 14, F; Minerva, 12, F; Emeline, 5; Joseph, 3

1870 PA Census: Fulton Co. Brush Creek Twp. Akersville P.O. p. 10
Series M593, roll 1347

Mahalon BARTON, 62, Farmer, 1400/400, Pa.
Annie, 63
Rhoda, 31
Morgan, 23, Farming
Mary C., 23, Keeping house
Mary A., 3
John R., 10/12, [census taken 28 July 1870]
Joseph, 13
Ketura, 9

1880 PA Census: Fulton Co. Brush Creek Twp. ed 207/30/4
Series T9, roll 1133:

Mahlon BARTON, 72, Farmer
Anna, 73, Wife, Keeping house, Pa/Va/Va
Rachel KAUFMAN, 48, daughter, widow, domestic
Rhoda, 41, dau, at home
Joseph, 22, son, at home
Catura AKERS, 20, granddau., at home
Philip V. MELLOTT, 6/12, Nov., Great grandson

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From a Barton history:

George Barton, Sr., whose gravestone shows a date of death of June 5, 1812, and his son, Elijah, came from N.J. in 1790 and settled on a tract of land which was a wilderness then; he got title to this land from Wm. and John Penn. Mahlon Barton, Sr., was his grandson and his home was a part of the land which his grandfather bought and is now owned by a grandson, Jesse C. Barton, and Dr. Ralph S. Akers, of Miami, Florida.
Mahlon Barton, Sr., married Anna James in 1826 and they had 12
children. Of their sons, M. Morgan, was a Civil War veteran and a church
worker; another son, James, was a Civil War veteran and a church worker
and lived where his grandson, Marvin, now lives, that house being one of
the old ones still in use.
George Barton, son of Elijah, was the father of Hon. George W.
Barton, a school teacher, and a leading citizen of Brush Creek. He was
elected Associate Judge in 1876. His son, Charles E. Barton, became the
Supt. of Fulton County Schools in 1902, and served until his death in May
1907. Mrs. Blanche Barton Barrows, a daughter of George W. Barton, was
born more than 60 years ago on the farm where her parents spent their
lives, it now being owned by Mahlon Barton, and the log part of the
house, built before 1821, is still in use. She was converted in a
revival meeting at Akersville Church about 1893 and her christian life
was nurtured in the church by those kind and fatherly men, B.P. Duvall,
J.L. Jackson, M.M. Barton and others. No doubt many other people could
give like testimony. Since 1918 she has been employed by the government
and lived in Washington, D.C. Her brother, Philip Barton, lives in
Illinois, and her brother, Arthur lives in California.
Mason Barton was a son of Joel Barton and married Charlotte
Akers. They had a number of children who were very talented. All have
passed to the Great Beyond except Harry M. Barton, a prominent man of

Clearfield, Pa., and Mrs. Maggie Barton-Bryson of Breezewood.
There are many, many descendants of the Barton's scattered over
the U.S.

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Pictures of the Mahlon Barton will taken by Niels Witkamp at the Fulton County Historical Society: Page One and Page Two

Will Abstract, Fulton Co. PA:

Barton, Mahlon, 1887, v. 2, p. 267
· daughter Rhoda Barton gets mansion place
· grandson Joseph Barton gets it if Rhoda marries or dies
· to Katurah Barton one sewing machine and bedstead
· my daughter Rachel Kauffman to live with daughter Rhoda if Rachel remains single
· neighbor Mason Barton executor
· signed 13 Dec 1886
· witnesses: Ellis E. Akers, Timothy H. Akers
· testator died Friday 28 January 1887
· proven 16 February 1887

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Mahlon Barton Family Tree

Some Descendents of Mahlon Barton

Find A Grave Site for Mahlon Barton

Information about the James family including Anna James Barton's father, James James: Children of Elias James (1744-1789) and Anna Matson (1746-1827) of Loudoun County, Virginia

Here is a picture of Joshua Nelson Barton and Sarah Hoop, picture courtesy Niels Witkamp.

Original picture of Mahlon and Anna Barton, courtesy of Niels Witkamp:

Mahlon Barton:

Anna Barton:

Below, a picture of Mahlon Barton's tombstone.
In the next picture below, taken by Niels Witkamp, you can see Roda Barton's gravestone on the front left, and to the right of Roda is Anna Barton's gravestone and to the right of Anna is Mahlon Barton's gravestone.

Inscription:
MAHLON BARTON
DIED
Jan. 27, 1887
aged
** ys. 4 ms. & 14 ds.

Below, in this picture taken by Niels Witkamp, you can see Roda Barton's gravestone on the front left, and to the right of Roda is Anna Barton's gravestone and to the right of Anna is Mahlon Barton's gravestone:

Left and below, pictures of Akersville Methodist Cemetery:

John & Charles Wesley and The History Of Methodism:

Above video on early Methodism from Benjamin Wyman on Vimeo.

Rev. Steve Petty explains the history of Methodism: