David E. Barker

{{Short description|American plantation owner and politician (1836–1914)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

File:D. E. Barker - 1881 Arkansas House of Representatives.png

David E. Barker (July 8, 1836 – December 1914) was an American plantation owner and politician.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JjlEy4Bq3dMC&dq=david+e.+barker.arkansas+senate+president&pg=RA1-PA206|title=The Encyclopedia of the New West: Containing Fully Authentical Information of the Agricultural, Mercantile, Commercial, Manufacturing, Mining and Grazing Industries, and Representing the Character, Development, Resources and Present Condition of Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, New Mexico and Indian Territory. Also, Biographical Sketches of Their Representative Men and Women|first1=William S.|last1=Speer|first2=John Henry|last2=Brown|date=January 5, 1881|publisher=United States biographical publishing Company|via=Google Books}} He served in the Arkansas Senate including as President of the Arkansas Senate.

He was born on July 8, 1836, in Tennessee. He lived in Monticello, Arkansas. He served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War and was wounded.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HFNNAQAAMAAJ&dq=david+e.+barker.arkansas+senate+president&pg=PA1228|title=A Pictorial History of Arkansas: From Earliest Times to the Year 1890|first=Fay|last=Hempstead|date=January 5, 1890|publisher=N. D. Thompson Publishing Company|via=Google Books}} Thomas Whitington, who served in the Arkansas Senate, was one of his commanders during the Civil War.

After the Civil War, he served in the state legislature from 1879–1881. In 1885, he served in the Arkansas House of Representatives for Drew County, Arkansas. In 1887, he served as President of the Arkansas Senate. He ran for governor.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jcVnDwAAQBAJ&dq=d.e.+barker.arkansas&pg=PT203|title=Arkansas's Gilded Age: The Rise, Decline, and Legacy of Populism and Working-Class Protest|first=Matthew|last=Hild|date=November 1, 2018|publisher=University of Missouri Press|isbn=978-0-8262-7418-2 |via=Google Books}}

Cornelius Winn Barker was his younger brother. David Barker never married.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gDBEAQAAMAAJ&dq=david+e.+barker.arkansas+senate+president&pg=PA106|title=Confederate Veteran|date=January 5, 1919|publisher=S.A. Cunningham|via=Google Books}} He was a member of the Freemasons, Odd Fellows, and belonged to a Missionary Baptist church. He died in December 1914.