Bio-Sawyers
Surnames: BEACH, HEBERLING, IRWIN, ADAMS

--Identified with Santa Clara County for the past twenty years or more, Benjamin F. Barkalow, one of San Jose's fine old G. A. R. men, having reached the age of eighty years, is now living a comfortable and retired life in the Golden State, still enjoying good health and having had many adventures; he is an interesting conversationalist, his stock of good stories of war and pioneer days never being exhausted. He is a native of Ohio, having been born in Miami County, on October 5, 1841, and was the son of Derick G. and Maria (Beach) Barkalow. The wife and mother died in about 1848, and D. G. Barkalow migrated to Iowa in 1855, and settled near Muscatine, where he continued farming until he died.

Benjamin Barkalow did not enjoy many educational advantages, as in those days school privileges were few. When the war broke out he enlisted in Company G in the Second Iowa Cavalry in 1861 for three years, and later in 1863 re-enlisted in the same company. He served under General Grant up to the time that he took charge of the Eastern forces, after which he served under General Thomas; he probably took part in twenty-five engagements in all, serving for four years, from September, 1861, to September, 1865. He was stationed in St. Joseph, Mo., and participated in the battle of Fort Pillow, and also took part in the engagements at Franklin and Nashville. At the engagement at Prairie Station he was wounded, being shot in the hip, but not seriously, and was soon able to go back with the regiment. After the war he returned to Iowa and engaged in farming near the old home, and later, in the spring of 1873, he came to Sonoma County, Cal., where he farmed, and also had an orchard at Green Valley, near Sebastopol, remaining here until 1877, when he returned to Iowa, where he purchased an eighty-acre farm devoted to general farming, and here he continued until the death of his wife, who was buried on Decoration Day, in the year 1900. He then sold his holdings and came to California and settled on a ranch at Berryessa, in Santa Clara County, which consisted of twelve acres and was devoted to fruit, but he only remained there for a year when he disposed of his property and moved to San Jose, making his home at 83 Pierce Avenue.

Mr. Barkalow's marriage, which occurred on September 16, 1866, in the city of Atalissa, Iowa, united him with Miss Isabella Heberling, who was born in Ohio and was the daughter of Andrew and Miranda Heberling, and they lived a very happy life, until her death occurred in 1900. Mr. Barkalow chose for his second wife Mrs. Anna Irwin, a native of England, who came to California when a young girl. Their marriage was solemnized in October, 1901, at Oakland, Cal. Having no children of his own, he adopted two, whom they reared as if they had been their own: Cora became the wife of Elmer H. Adams, and now resides in Oakland, Cal.; while D. J. Barkalow is a resident of Los Angeles, Cal. Mr. Barkalow was bereaved of his faithful wife August 25, 1919. He has long been a member of the G. A. R. and at present is officer of the day of Sheridan-Dix Post No. 7, G. A. R. He is a stanch adherent of the Republican party.

Transcribed by Joseph Kral,  from Eugene T. Sawyers' History of Santa Clara County,California,  published by Historic Record Co. , 1922. page 1528

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