The 1880 United States census showed Ed Barr (age 21, born in Wisconsin, stone cutter) living with Sarah (age 19, born in Wisconsin) and Susie (age 17, born in Wisconsin) in Mason City, Iowa.
The 1885 Iowa census showed Edward Barr (age 26, born in Wisconsin) married to Carrie (age 25, born in Norway) and living in Mason City, Iowa. A daughter, Hattie (age 1, born in Iowa), also lived with the couple.
The 1895 Iowa census showed Edward Barr (age 36, born in Wisconsin) living in Mason City, Iowa.
The 1900 United States census showed Edward Barr (age 40, born in June 1859 in Wisconsin, brickyard proprietor) living in Austin, Minnesota. Children Hattie (age 15, born in March 1885 in Iowa), Nellie (age 12, born in April 1888 in Iowa), Nancy (age 9, born in August 1890 in Iowa), Mable (age 5, born in September 1892 in Iowa), Edward M. (age 3, born in June 1896 in Iowa) also lived with Edward.
Ed Barr, of Austin, Minn., has moved to Mason City, Ia., where he will be the manager of the North Iowa Brick & Tile Co., a $400,000 capitalized company. (Clay Record, Clay Record Publishing Company, Chicago, January 30, 1907, Volume XXX, Number 2, Page 40)
The 1910 United States census showed Edward Barr (age 51, born in Wisconsin, traveling salesman) married to Maude L. (age 43, born in Vermont) and living in Mason City, Iowa. Children Mable (age 15, born in Iowa), Edward (age 12, born in Minnesota), and Nancy (age 19, born in Iowa) also lived with Edward.
Austin friends were shocked to hear of the death of Edward Barr which occurred at 4 o’clock this morning (January 19, 1917) in Rockwell, Ia., where Mr. Barr had been living since last spring and where he was looking after the hardware business of his son-in-law, George Asleson, who died during the past year. (Born in Waupon, Wisconsin, July 8, 1858) Mr. Barr had not been ill long. He had been having a siege of grippe and Mrs. Barr who was in Austin caring for her mother went down and remained with him a week, returning last Sunday. He was then so far recovered that he was able to be up and about the house. The first word heard from him was the news of his death which came as a great shock to Mrs. Barr and to his other relatives. Mr. Barr was fifty-nine years of age and a native of Wisconsin. He came to Austin about twenty-two years ago and started the brick yard. He was identified with the industry for a dozen years, and then went to Mason City, Ia., where he started and was connected with the North Iowa Brick yards. He was there four years and then went to Zumbrota where he installed another brick yard. After establishing this industry he returned to Austin and accepted a position as traveling salesman for the Arbuckle Clay Works and Machinery located at Rushville, Ind. When his son-in-law died at Rockwell he felt called to go thither and look after his business. But Mr. Barr was planning on going soon to West Virginia and opening up a brick yard there, when death cut short his plans.
Mr. Barr was married October 11, 1907 to Mrs. Ruland of this city. By a former marriage he leaves three daughters, Nellie Asleson and Mable of Rockwell and Miss Nancy Barr who is teaching in Perdue College in Indiana, also an adopted daughter Dorothy, now Mrs. Arthur Burk of Rockwell, Ia. One son Edward died last June in Clinton, Ia., and the body was brought to Austin for burial. Mr. Barr was a member of the Episcopal church and the Woodman lodge. Mr. Barr was well known in the business life of our city with which he was identified for over a dozen years. In later years he bought the Dunkelman home of Bridge street and this was his last residence in Austin. He was a kindly man, devoted to his home and his family and one who will be greatly missed by his wife and daughters. Mrs. Barr and son Alfred Ruland went to Rockwell, Ia., today and the body will probably be brought back to this city for burial. (Austin Daily Herald, Friday, January 19, 1917, Page 2)
Ed Barr is proprietor of the Austin Brick and Tile Works. He established the same in 1895, free water for the fire protection and use at the plant being guaranteed by the city for a period of ten years. The works are located near the junction of the Milwaukee and Great Western railroads, which furnish ample shipping facilities. The manufacture consists of paving and common brick and drain tile. A machine is used in making brick which turns out 25,000 daily, the capacity of the tile machine being 5,000 to 15,000 per day, according to the size of the pipe. Last season there were manufactured 25,000 tile and 800,000 brick. Twenty-five men are required to operate the plant at full capacity, and thus far steady employment has been given to fifteen or twenty men. Mr. Barr is a practical man of about then years experience in this line of work and Austin is fortunate in securing a man of this kind to operate such an industry. He is a native of Wisconsin, but came from Mason City to Austin. (Souvenir of Austin)