HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS, E. Polk Johnson, three volumes,
Lewis Publishing Co., New York & Chicago, 1912. Common version, Vol. III,
pp. 1202-03.   [Kenton County]

OSCAR F. BARRETT--The life history of Oscar F. Barrett is that of a
successful business man who owes his advancement to close application,
energy, strong determination and executive ability.  He has never allowed
outside pursuits to interfere with the performance of business duties or
the meeting of any business obligations, and thus he stands to-day one of
the prosperous residents of his community with extensive business interests
in various parts of Kentucky, and strong in his honor and good name.
     Oscar F. Barrett was born in Meigs county, Ohio, on April 27, 1860,
the son of John and Dorothea (Harpold) Barrett, the former a native of
Lewis county, Kentucky, in the thirties.  Davis Kelly Barrett, grandfather
of our subject, was a native of Virginia and came to Kentucky with his
family, locating in Lewis county.  He turned his attention to river
interests in later years on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, conducting an
extensive business until the war between the states, when he lost his
packet boats in the South.  Later he returned to Virginia, where he died.
The father of our subject was reared in Kentucky, moving later to Meigs
county, Ohio, where he married and then settled in Covington, Kentucky, and
for many years was engaged in the wholesale coal business and river
transportation.  He died at his home in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, in 1897, at
the age of fifty-eight years.  When a young man and soon after his marriage
he enlisted in the One Hundred and Forty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry,
served a short time, and was mustered out as captain of his company,
receiving his discharge on account of disability, although not serious.
His widow survives him, residing at Fort Thomas.  They were the parents
of three children, one of whom died in infancy and two living at the
present time, our subject being the eldest of the children.
     Oscar F. Barrett was six years old when his parents settled in
Covington, Kentucky, where he was reared, and was educated both in
Covington and in Dayton, Kentucky, at the public and private schools,
finishing at Hughes High School of Cincinnati.  For a number of years he
was associated in business with his father, and after his father's death
succeeded to and continued the same line, river transportation and boat
building, the ship yards being at Levana, Ohio.  His business includes the
Frankfort Elevator Coal Company, of which Mr. Barrett is president, and
which extends over all points on the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers,
with five tow-boats in commission.  Mr. Barrett employs about three
hundred men and practically is sole owner of all the interests involved in
the business.  He was one of the organizers of the Campbell County Bank
at Bellevue, Kentucky, a prosperous institution of which he is president
and he is a director of the Louisville and Cincinnati Packet Company, a
director of the Consolidated Boat Store Company and a director of the
Columbia Life Insurance Company of Cincinnati.  While he was a resident of
the Highland, Kentucky, district he was chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Mr. Barrett was never active in politics, his numerous business interests
occupying all his attention, although he belonged to several social
societies.  He is a Mason, having taken the degrees as high as the Knight
Templar, Scottish Rite and Shriner, and is also a member of the Knights
of Pythias, and Eagles.
     Mr. Barrett was married in 1890 to Mary E. Slack, a native of Mason
county, Kentucky, and a daughter of Jacob A. Slack, a farmer and tobacco
merchant of that county who died in Covington, Kentucky.  He belonged to
an old Kentucky family.  A brother who died recently was of the fourth
generation of Jacob A. Slack who had owned the old homestead.  Mr. and
Mrs. Barrett have two children:  Oscar Slack, sixteen years old, attending
Cincinnati University, and Dorothy Marie.  Mr. Barrett is a member of the
Baptist church and for a number of years while living in Dayton, Kentucky,
was a trustee and deacon of the church and for ten years was superintendent
of the Sunday-school.  His wife and son are members of the Christian
church.  He has conducted all affairs, whether of private interest or of
public trusts, as to merit the esteem of all classes of citizens, and no
work of reproach is ever uttered against him.  As a man and citizen he
enjoys the prosperity which has deservedly come to him.

Barrett Harpold Slack
=
Lewis-KY Ft._Thomas-Campbell-KY Frankfort-Franklin-KY Mason-KY
Cincinnati-Hamilton-OH Meigs-OH VA

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/kenton/barrett.of.txt