"Aunt Sophia Kannady, of Fort Smith, Ark., was born in Fort Gibson, Cherokee Nation, August 16, 1826, and is the daughter of Aaron and Rebecca Barling. Aaron Barling was born in London, England, June 4, 1792, and his father, Moses Barling, sailed for America August 31, 1793, and landed on American soil November 5 of the same year. He brought his family with him, and lived in Baltimore the balance of his life. He was born April 29, 1767, and died in 1796. He was married in England to Miss Mary Cooper, March 7, 1787, and she died in Baltimore, at the age of twenty-six years. Aaron Barling was one of five children born to his parents, and was by trade a sail-maker. Being left an orphan at an early age, he was reared by an aunt. When quite a boy he went to sea, and followed a seafaring life for twelve years. During this time he was married to Miss Rebecca Tucker, a native of Maryland, born October 14, 1781. After his marriage, Mr. Barling followed the sea until he joined the United States army, and with the first troops came to Arkansas, where he helped locate Fort Smith. He was in the Federal service for about five years, when he finally received his discharge. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant. His family had previously joined him at Fort Gibson, and of the six children born to his union, three are now living: Sophia, subject of this sketch; Henry and Robert. After resigning his position in the army Mr. Barling bought a farm in what is now Sebastian County, and upon this farm the family was reared. About 1835 Aaron Barling was employed by the Government to issue supplies to the Seminole Indians, and in the spring of 1841 he moved back to his farm. In 1853 he moved with his family to Fort Smith, and here Mrs. Barling died July 27 of the same year. On March 22 of the following year Mr. Barling also died. May 19, 1847, the subject of this sketch married Jerry R. Kannady, and their marriage was the first one published in the first newspaper of Fort Smith. They were also married by the first Episcopal minister of the place. Jerry R. Kannady was a native of Pennsylvania, and was born at Beaver, Beaver County, on February 11, 1817, and moved to Ohio with his family while yet an infant, their home being in Ohio, at Hebron. He came to Fort Smith in the last of February, 1836. He came with his uncle, Capt. J. Rogers, the founder of Fort Smith, for whom he kept store until he engaged in mercantile pursuits for himself, and then engaged in various kinds of business. At the time of his marriage he was sutler for the United States troops at Fort Smith, for many years. During the Civil War, Mr. Kannady manufactured different kinds of implements. He owned several slaves, and about 1863 he took his wife and negroes south, remaining in the "Lone Star State" until the close of the war. He then returned to Fort Smith in the summer of 1865. During the latter part of the war he was in the employ of the Confederate Government, erecting public buildings. He was born in 1818 and died in 1883. Mrs. Kannady has an oil painting of Fort Smith as a garrison, and this is valued at $700, and is the only one in existence."

Biography Source: The Goodspeed Histories of Sebastian County, Arkansas, c. 1889, pages 1332-1333.

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1850 Census - Fort Smith, Crawford Co., AR

Jeremiah R Kannady 32
Sophia Kannady 23
Ellen Maloy 12
James Darmody 53 (laborer)
Johnathan A Eno 28 (physician)

1860 Census - Fort Smith, Sebastian Co., AR

J R Kannady 42
Sophia Kannady 36
Kate Pryor 32
Lilley Pryor 6 (niece)
Neil Pryor 2 (nephew)
James Dormish 60 (clerk)
William Airal 21 (clerk)

1880 Census - Fort Smith, Sebastian Co., AR

James R. Kannady 60
Sophia B. Kannady 54
Neal Pryor 21 (nephew)

Jeremiah Kannady passed in 1882 leaving Sophia widowed. She survived him by several years. In 1907, her residence was recorded in a Fort Smith city directory as 203 N 5th.

Sophia Barling Kannady passed in 1908. Both she and her husband are buried at Oak Cemetery in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

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