The Barba Family

As hinted in my earlier post, revisiting the family connections in New Orleans, the Barba family appears in New Orleans records as merchants and liquor distributors in the 1800s. My connection to the Barba family is through my great-grandfather Harry O'Brien, who had a short-lived first marriage with Marguerite Barba in New Orleans between 1906-1911. Finding the references to the Barba family alongside Hubert Fellrath caused me to check again for news clippings or documents that might provide some additional insight into this family.

Marguerite's mother, Margaret Sarah Spangeberg, married John Barba on 9 May 1877 in New Orleans. He was a clerk with the importer and grocer Jose Barba, who I think was either his uncle or father. Margaret was originally from Mississippi, and may have come from a wealthy family. Margaret appears in the New Orleans City Directories with husband John as a dressmaker. She and John had three children:
- Leonora Barba, born 8 January 1879
- Henry John Barba, born 8 November 1882
- Marguerite Theresa Barba, born 3 September 1884

John Barba took on a new job as a clerk for Angelo & Joseph Solari and worked there in the 1880s.

New Orleans City Directory.

In 1889, the family was at 90 Orleans Street, in the French Quarter. Their domestic life was not a great one by this time. John was arrested in 1888 for assaulting Margaret, and from the reading of the clipping below, it appears this was the second time she had him arrested.

Times-Picayune, 10 Nov 1888.

John Barba must have died about 1890, as he was no longer in the City Directory. Margaret was listed alone as a dressmaker, living at 121 1/2 N Rampart Street. In 1893, she was at 201 Camp Street.

1893 City Directory, New Orleans.

Margaret and family covered a lot of territory between Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama in the late 1880s-early 1900s, which makes me think she inherited a lot of money from her husband or from her own family. She appears in society clippings with daughter Marguerite in 1905 in Pascagoula, Mississippi; they attended a fancy wedding in 1896; checked into the Mexican Gulf Hotel in Pass Christian, Mississippi on 4th of July weekend in 1897.

Times-Picayune, 4 Jul 1897.

Margaret eventually went into renting furnished rooms for rent. In 1898, she advertised in the Times-Picayune that she had rooms for rent from $1 to $4 per day.

By 1900, Margaret and the children appear in Birmingham, Alabama. Her son Henry was working as a cashier at the Hotel Morris Bar, a luxury hotel located on the corner of 19th & 1st Avenue North.

1900 US Census. Birmingham, Alabama.

1900 US City Directory, Birmingham, Alabama.

Morris Hotel. Source: Bhamwiki.

Margaret and her children had returned to New Orleans in 1901, and she had acquired the home at 708 Carondelet Street. This is where my great-grandfather would meet Marguerite Barba in 1906.

Times-Democrat, 10 Sep 1901.

1910 US Census, New Orleans, Louisiana.