He was born near Oxford, Ohio, and was educated at Miami University and at Yale, where he graduated in 1882.

He was assistant paleontologist to the United States Geological Survey under Othniel Charles Marsh from 1882 to 1888.

[1] Also in 1891, he was appointed by Governor Thayer as Acting State Geologist, a position he also retained for many years.

As assistant curator of paleontology, his sister Carrie Adeline Barbour also participated in fieldwork and prepared specimens at the museum.

The genus Barbourofelis of false saber-toothed cats was named in his honor; the B. fricki holotype specimen was found a few days after his death.