In 1855 Benjamin F. Barkley, a Kentucky physician, settled on a farm at Birdville with his wife, Malinda Elizabeth Duncan, and their children. There he practiced medicine, became a lawyer, and became a charter member of Masonic Lodge No. 148 in Fort Worth. In 1856 he tried unsuccessfully to keep the county seat at Birdville. As a Republican leader, he spoke out against slavery and secession. He was admired for donating land for Birdville's cemetery and participating in Indian campaigns, but his strong will and pro-Union stand stirred anger in the area, and he barely escaped death several times. Despite his opposition to the Civil War, he treated wounded Confederate soldiers, aided their families, and served as local postmaster during the war. During Reconstruction, he headed the county registration board, which denied the vote to former Confederate supporters. He was appointed county judge in 1867 and used federal troops to maintain order. With great courage he fought to protect the rights of the ex-slaves. He left office after Democrats won all county offices in 1873, but remained active in law and medicine throughout North Texas for the remainder of his life.