newspaperman, lawyer, politician, judge, b. Wilton, N.Y. He learned the printer's trade, and graduated from the law school at Ballston Spa, N.Y. After moving to Waukesha in 1851, he purchased the Waukesha Democrat, changed the name to Chronotype, and published it until 1854. A Democrat, he was postmaster of Waukesha (1853-1857). Barron moved to Pepin (1857), was admitted to the bar, practiced law, was appointed judge of 8th judicial district (1860-1861). Upon an offer from Caleb Cushing, he moved to St. Croix Falls in 1861 to become an agent for the St. Croix Falls Manufacturing and Improvement Co. He became a Republican shortly after the outbreak of the Civil War and served in the Wisconsin assembly (1863-1864, 1866-1869, 1872-1873; speaker in 1866, 1873). From 1869 to 1871 he was a U.S. Treasury auditor. Barron served in the state senate (1874-1876), where his activities favored the development of lumber companies and railroads, and where he supported legislation for "homesteaders." In 1876 he resigned to become circuit judge of the 11th judicial district, a position he held until his death. By act of the legislature in 1869 the name of Dallas County was changed to Barron County in his honor. Coles. State Hist. Soc. Wis., 9(1909); C. R. Tuttle, Illus. Hist. Wis. (Boston, 1875); Proc. State Bar Assoc. Wis., 3(1901); J. R. Berryman, ed., Bench and Bar of Wis. (2 vols., Chicago, 1898); WPA field notes; Wis. Blue Book (1872).

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Henry Danforth Barron Speech for details.

View Barron's obituary at Wisconsin Historical Collections.

View newspaper clippings at Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles.

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[Source: Blue book]