William C. Barnard was born around 1815 in Ohio. He married Sarah Hall, and they had at least two children: Frank, born around 1859; and Grace, born around 1861. They lived in Dayton, Ohio, and he worked as a machinist. By 1860, he owned $1,000 of real estate and $10,000 of personal property. They moved to Chatsworth, Illinois, in the 1860s, and by 1870, he owned $10,000 of real estate. They moved to Santa Barbara County, California, around 1874, and he died around 1876.