The settlements in Barry township date back to about 1808, and of the original settlers the Yarnall family, who came from New Jersey, are among the most prominent. Three thousand acres of land in the township were owned by Joseph Reed at the time of its first settlement, and were sold by him to John S. Heister in 1812, the deed bearing November 5th of that year. It was divided by him into tracts of three hundred acres, and sold to settlers.
The first log house was built by John Clauntz, and the first crops were raised by Issac Yarnall. I.D. Rupp, in his history of Schuylkill county, says that in 1840 Barry Twp. contained two stores, one forge, three grist-mills, twenty-three saw-mills; population in 1840, 639.
The first merchant of Barry was Amos Yarnall, whose log store, opened about the year 1820, was located on the old Yarnall farm. The pioneer hotel, kept by Jesse Yarnall, was built of logs, and opened in 1810. It is still standing and is the residence of Calvin Reed. In 1820 the people built a log school-house opposite the site of St. John's church, and hired William Bolich to teach a school in Barry, still living in the township, are Charles Marwine and Charles M. Billman. The free school system was adopted in 1847, and in 1880 there were six districts in the township.
Civil Government.
The township was erected from Norwegian and Schuylkill in 1821, and the first election was held at the house now occupied by Frank Bolich as a shoe shop. The first justices elected were John A. Otto and Elijah Yarnall. The following persons have held the office from that date to 1880: John A. Otto and Elijah Yarnall, from 1845 to 1850; Israel Reed and William Hoch, from 1850, the former until his death in 1876, when he was succeeded by Charles M. Billman, and the latter continuously until 1880. The township officers for 1880 were: C. W. Kramer, town clerk; William G. Kehler, treasurer; George A. Sly, assessor; William Hoch, Michael Snyder and Ephraim Yarnall, auditors; Gideon Weikel constable.
Union Church at Barry. In 1816 several citizens built a school-house near the site of what is now known as the Union church, and this was for some years used for religious services. The first minister who preached there was George Eyster, who organized a church composed of the following persons: Peter Ziegenfus, Jacob Ziegenfus, Peter Zerbey, John Kimmel, Charles Marwine, George Kessler, John Deitrich, George St. Clair, Michael Bolich, Henry Bolich, John Yarnall, Jesse Yarnall, Gideon Mirkel and Michael Madeary.
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