After retiring from his medical practice, he became a rancher and vintner, and had a large mansion built for his family.

After Barton's death, his land holdings were split into lots and sold for development; the area eventually became the city of Redlands.

Barton built some of the earliest buildings in Redlands and neighboring San Bernardino, and his villa is now listed as a historic site.

[1][2] He met and married his wife, Eliza Brite, in Texas, and they resided in El Paso until 1854.

[1] In the late 1850s,[1][2][4] Barton was able to purchase large amounts of land from members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Rancho San Bernardino at low prices due to Brigham Young's recalling the Mormon outpost in San Bernardino.

Also in 1858, Barton was elected school superintendent for the recently formed county of San Bernardino.