June 28, 1860

John S. Barry was nominated for governor for fifth time.

In 1831, John Barry arrived in Michigan, settling first in White Pigeon and then Constantine. A successful merchant and one of the organizers of the Michigan Southern Railroad, Barry served as a delegate to the 1835 convention that wrote Michigan’s first constitution. A state senator, Barry was nominated by the Democratic party to run for governor in 1841. He was elected and reelected two years later. Barry was prohibited by a constitutional restriction to two consecutive terms. In 1849 the Democrats nominated him again and he won his third term. Barry left office in 1852, but ran twice more for governor (1854 and 1860), but lost each time.

Thank you Michigan Start Pages for this glimpse into our past.  See more here.