Arkansas, like any other state, draws its owes its place names for cities towns and other features (for the most par) from the names of people that settled or inhabited the regions which were named for them later.
It's always fascinating to learn the origins of those names. Especially when you can trace the family history of the person that gave the name to that town back to the 1600's.
Barling, in Sebastian County, derives its name from one of the early settlers in the region, Aaron Barling.
Barling left the legacy of not only the town's name but generations of descendants that inhabit the area to this very day.
Aaron Barling was born June 4, 1792 in Walworth, London Borough, England the son of Moses and Mary Barling who sailed to America just a little after the birth their son.
The roots of the family in that part of England can be traced all the way back to 1625.
Moses, who was born April 29, 1767, originally settled in Baltimore where he and his wife had six children before she passed away in 1787 at the age of 26.
Mary was 20 years younger than Moses at the time of their marriage and he died the following year at the age of 47, leaving the children as orphans.
Aaron was by trade a sail maker. After the death of his parents, he was raised by an aunt and while still just a young boy he went to sea, and followed the seafaring life for 12 years.
During that time, he married Rebecca Tucker, a native of Maryland and during that marriage, Aaron Barling continued his adventures on the high seas, until he joined the United States Army and came to Arkansas with Captain John Rogers to establish the first Fort at Belle Point in 1817.
He was in federal service for five years, at which time he transferred to Fort Gibson in what later became Indian Territory and after retiring as a sergeant he bought a farm in the Steep Hill area of Sebastian County.
In 1835, Barling earned a commission through the federal government to issue supplies to the Seminole Indians out of Fort Gobson and in the spring of 1841 he moved back to his farm in Sebastian County.
The Barling farm was said to have been on the road to Little Rock, nine miles east of the present city of Barling. According to historical records, Barling operated a tavern at that location, and for many years it was a "custom of travelers going from Fort Smith to go out to the 'Barling's' to spend the night and enjoy the good times there".
Finally in 1853 he moved with his family to Fort Smith, where Mrs Barling died July 27th of that year. On March 22 of the following year, Aaron Barling died.
Sixteen years after his passing, Spring Hill got a post office.
Through proclamation of the postal service, another post office already existed with that name. William Meade Fishback, who later became the governor of Arkansas, suggested that the post office be named 'Barling' in honor of its first settler.
Aaron Barling and his wife were laid to rest in Oak Cemetery as was two of their children Sarah and Sophia. One son, Robert Coffee Barling, was buried in the Barling Cemetery after his death in 1904.
Jerry Barling, who served the city of Barling for over 47 years and was first elected mayor in 1971, serve terms in that office most of his life up until his death in 2018.
He is buried just a strong throw from his parents and his great grandparents.
