Barr, William J., was born in Elba, N.Y., January 12, 1862, a son of J. J. Barr, and a grandson of Phineas Barr, a pioneer of Elba, who built the first sawmill in the town and was one of the founders of the Presbyterian Church. William J. Barr attended the district schools and supplemented the instruction there obtained by study in private schools and the Oswego Normal School, from which institution he was graduated in 1885. In 1887 he was elected school commissioner in which office he served eight years, when he was appointed inspector under the compulsory education law. He is a public spirited citizen and has exerted a broad influence in the County, both in educational affairs and in the councils of the Republican Party. His career as school commissioner marked a new era in education in the County. The schools were graded according to modern and approved educational methods, the standing of scholarship among teachers was raised, and the common school system received a lasting impetus. Mr. Barr is a Mason, holding membership in Batavia Lodge, the Chapter and Commandery; he is also an Odd Fellow, a member of Majestic Lodge and Genesee Encampment. On January 18, 1894, he was married to Mrs. Emma Curtis, daughter of Josiah Gardner.

Source: Our County and its people, A descriptive work on Genesee County, New York, Edited by: F. W. Beers, J.W. Vose & Co., Publishers, Syracuse, NY 1890