First Jewish Settlers - Barker Family

Dear Mr. Finkle -  I just received a copy of your newly published book on Trenton's Jews, a book that was long needed.   If you do a 2nd printing, can you correct a mistake on one of my Barker relatives that lived there?   On the page that mentions first Russian Jews that moved there, you state that "Jacob Barker" and his wife and 7 children, moved there in 1881.   It was actually Jacob's MOTHER that moved there, and she was the one that had 7 children. And she was a widow.

When Jacob's father was killed in 1876 in Lithuania, Jacob's mother "Czerne", sent Jacob to America, in 1878.  Two other brothers came later, and then in 1882, Their  mother and 3 younger siblings, arrived in 1882 (my great grandmother stayed behind, for another 20 years).

The first mention of Jacob in America, occurs in the 1885 Trenton

city directory.   A relative of mine, who has been an expert genealogy for many decades, has tried to find mention of Jacob, in the records of the New Jersey Archives in Trenton, but has found none.   I've also tried myself.  That is why you mentioning Jacob being in Trenton in 1881, is a somewhat magnified mistake. However, I'm glad you mentioned one of my Barker relatives to begin with!

I was struck by the synchronicity that you mention that there 2 Turkish bath houses.   Because I was just researching the one that James Barker helped to build.  In fact, I only found evidence that his was the only one in the Jewish section.   He built his on 105-107 Union St., with Hyman Movsovich.   According to the August 1900 Trenton Times, they started building it in place of a "bath house" that was in the back of the "Union St Synagogue".  The synagogue had been torn down, to be replaced by a new synagogue. I've often wondered if the "bath house" was really a mikvah, considering that it was in the back of a synagogue.

In any event, the Turkish bath house was completed in May 1901. But after constant advertisements for it, they soon disappeared. James Barker and Hyman Movsovich would soon go to other businesses. In other words, that don't appear to have been a success.

There was a Turkish bath house that was built on 132 N. Warren St, in late 1906, by non-Jewish businessmen.   But in order for them to stay in business, they ending up creating rooms for rent.

Mark London

Natick, MA