The Baker Families of Wapello County, Iowa

HIRAM T. BAKER, one of the leading agriculturists of Center township, Wapello county, Iowa, is located on section 31, township 72, range 13, where he owns a tract of 50 acres which has been in the family since 1862. He was born in 'arrick county, Indiana, November 24, 1841, and is a son of J. G. Baker, and grandson of John Baker.

John Baker was of Scotch-Irish descent, and came to this country just previous to the Revolutionary \A'ar, in which he took sides with the colonists. He was but sixteen years of age and, owing to his recent arrival, was dressed as an English boy by the general and sent out to get valuable information. These excursions of his were always attended by great danger, and he met with many thrilling experiences. Upon one occasion he and eight other scouts, all well mounted, were sent out to get information from within the English lines. Catching sight of a "Red Coat," they proposed his capture, and, suiting the action to the word, they spurred their horses and were led into an ambush of 40 men.

The. only alternate to hopeless fighting was to surrender, and this they would not do. Every brave man of the party was killed but Mr. Baker and one noble comrade. The latter was mounted on a thoroughbred horse and after passing the enemy's line could easily have distance them, but the former, being on a sewer horse, proposed to get off and trust to his feet for escape. The gallant comrade objected to. this and instructed Mr. Baker to ride to the left, and he would draw the fire to himself until the latter could escape, and would then trust to the fleetness of his horse for his own escape. This ruse was successful and they both returned to headquarters. This is but one instance of the great dangers he encountered and the valuable work in which he was engaged. The only relic the family now possesses of this gallant old soldier is the old chair in which he sat during the late years of his life while relating his interesting experiences. J. G. Baker was born in Warrick county Indiana, and came to Wapello county, Iowa, in October, 1844. He located just north of the cemetery, and awaited the opening of the land granted by the government. He then entered a piece of land seven miles from Ottumwa and remained there until 1856, when he removed to Ottumwa because of the educational advantages that city would afford his children. In 1862 he purchased the home farm in section 31, township ji, range 13, Center township, but lived in Ottumwa until his death, which occurred at the age of seventy-three years.

Hiram T. Baker was but three years of age when his father came to Iowa, and here he was reared and schooled. After attending the public schools for a time he entered a select school and attended it for five years. He then became identified with his father in the hotel business in Ottumwa, and in 1862 located on the farm, to which he succeeded as owner. The place was at that time wholly unimproved, having only- a log house upon it, which was replaced l)y a good frame house, 24 1) 34 feet, in 1869. A good barn, a granary and other buildings necessary to successful farming were erected, and it is now one of the best improved farms in its section of the county. He also built another house on the farm for a son, but new resides in it himself. He engaged in general farming and stock-raising, with great success, his preference being for Shorthorn cattle.

i Mr. Baker was united in marriage with

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JAMES ROY BAKER, who comes of a prominent old family of Ottumwa, Iowa, resides on the old Baker homestead just out of the city and is at the present time engaged in gardening. For some years he was engaged in the furniture business and expects to renter that field of business as soon as a suitable opportunity presents itself. He was born December 3, 1868, in Fort Branch, Indiana, while his mother was on a visit, and is a son of J. J. McCoy and Anna E. (Burns) Baker.

J. J. McCoy Baker was born in BoonviUe, Warrick county, Indiana, January 29, 1840, and was four years of age when, in 1844, his parents moved to this county, locating on a claim about seven miles north of Ottumwa. There he lived until 1860, then located in the city of Ottumwa, where his father, John G. Baker, conducted the hotel called the Ottumwa House. It soon became a popular resort, especially during the Civil war, when John G. Baker expended time and money for the benefit of the soldiers. It was through his instrumentality that the railroad companies cut rates for the sick and invalid soldiers, and, when they would arrive home from the battlefields or hospitals, he would secure them cheap livery and never charge them for stopping at his hotel. He was greatly assisted in this good work by his boys, who entered heart and soul into the work, and J. J. McCoy Baker never during his entire life forgot the lessons taught him by his father. All through life, John G. Baker was known as a charitable man, and was a member of the methodist church. He helped to form the firm of Gray, Baker & Madison, who contracted to furnish the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy Railroad with all the ties they could use in the construction of their new railroad. They conceived the idea of building a wagon and foot bridge across the Des Moines River, connecting North and South Ottumwa, which resulted in a handsome income for them during the twenty years they charged toll.

J. J. McCoy Baker was a farmer by occupation, although he conducted a grocery business and a livery business for a time. He believed in the fundamental truths taught in the Bible and practiced what he believed, but could not stand the different creeds which seemed to teach contradictions more than charity and deed. He was respected by all as a man, who was sincere in what he believed and practiced. He was very successful in his business enterprises and his accumulations were mainly invested in farm lands. At the time of his death,. January 28, 1898, he owned a half interest in the Pioneer office building of Ottumwa, and three of the finest farms in the county, the one in the outskirts of Ottumwa being the one his widow and family now reside on, and on this he erected a handsome home which he did not live long enough to enjoy. He died full of honor and had the confidence of all the community. Although a member of no church, he was a great reader of the Bible and believed faithfully in it. He married Anna E. Burns, who was born in Warrick county, Indiana, and was a daughter of Ratcliffe B. Burns. The latter, who was a relative of Daniel Boone, was born near Bowling Green, Kentucky, in 1820, and in early life was a merchant, later becoming proprietor of a hotel in Chariton, Iowa; he lived to reach the great old age of four score years, — his father was one of the earliest settlers of Warrick county, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

FRANK D. BAKER.

Among the successful farmers of Richland township is Frank D. Baker, who owns one hundred and eight-one acres on sections 26, 35 and 34, Richland township, all of which is in a high state of cultivation. He gives also considerable attention to stock-raising. He was born in Richland township, October 24. 1860, and is a son of L. Taylor and Jane (Hill) Baker, the former a native of Indiana and the latter of England. The paternal great-grandfather, John Baker, was a cavalryman in the Revolutionary war. The parents of our subject made their entrance into Wapello county in 1844 and settled on the farm which our subject now owns. There the father pursued agricultural labors until his death, passing away in 1900, his widow following him in 1911. His first house was a log cabin, and the family lived in that primitive way for several years. In his later years he operated a flour mill in addition to his farm. He and his wife had six children: W. J., of Oklahoma; Sarah, who married D. W. Terrell of Virginia; John H., of Wapello county; Minerva, deceased; F. D., of this review; and Eunice M. Jane (Hill) Baker taught the first school in Richland township, giving to the children of the pioneers instruction in the branches of knowledge which best fitted them for life.

F. D. Baker has remained upon the homestead practically all his life. He early began to assist his father with the work of the fields and when he reached his majority rented the homestead, later acquiring title thereto. He has always followed the most modern methods and has proven himself progressive in many ways, having adopted a number of valuable innovations which have increased the productivity of his fields. His buildings are in good condition and he has installed a valuable lot of farm machinery. He specializes in raising horses and also feeds cattle and hogs for the market.

On November 16, 1887, Mr. Baker married Miss Ellen Neil, who was born in Ottumwa and is a daughter of Daniel and Eliza. (Wilson) Neil, the former of England and the latter of Ireland. They came to America with their respective parents when they were yet small children. The father first located in Ohio, but in 1853 came to Iowa, where he was engaged in the drawing business in Ottumwa until the Civil war. He enlisted with the Iowa Seventh Cavalry and participated in the frontier fighting with the Indians for about three years. He then returned to Wapello county, buying a farm in Green township, and there he lived until his death in 1887, his widow surviving him until 1894. I" their family were seven children as follows: William J., of Ottumwa; James A., deceased; Margaret, the wife of J. C. McCune; Mrs. Baker; Hugh, deceased; Daniel, of Oklahoma; and Elizabeth, w'ho resides in Ottumwa. Mr. and Mrs. Baker were the parents of six children, of whom five are living: Maude E., a graduate of the Ottumwa high school in the class of 1908, who married Albert R. Bluhm; L. Taylor, who graduated from the Ottumwa Commercial college, at home; Jessie M., a graduate of the Ottumwa high school in the class of 191 1, who resides at home and is now engaged in teaching;

Margaret M., attending high school; and Daniel Neil, who is a student of the same institution. William F. has passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Baker are members of the Presbyterian church and the former serves as one of the trustees. Politically he is a democrat and at present renders valuable service as township trustee, while in former years he served as a school director. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, belonging to Lodge No. 101, and also belongs to Ottumwa Lodge of the Modern Woodmen of America. He has many friends in Richland township, all of whom esteem him for his high qualities of character and because he is a useful and public-spirited citizen.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

LORENZO D. BAKER.

Lorenzo D. Baker, busily engaged in general agricultural pursuits, his farm being on sections 22, 26 and 27, Highland township, was born in Chautauqua county, New York, on the ist of March, 1845, f P- and Jane (Wood) Baker, the former a native of New York and the latter of England. In girlhood days the mother came to the United States and was married in Chautauqua county. Thinking to have better opportunities in the middle west, the parents removed from New York to Illinois, settling twenty-two miles north of Chicago. Subsequently they went to Will county, Illinois, and in the '50s came to Iowa, establishing their home in Mount Pleasant. In 1867 Mr. Baker came to Wapello county with his family and after five years removed to Nebraska, in which state he passed away at an advanced age. His life work was that of farming and he handled many cattle. During the period of the Civil war he enlisted for service at Mount Pleasant with the Fourth Iowa Cavalry and went to the front, doing active duty in defense of the Union through the darkest period in the history of the country. His religious faith was that of the Methodist Episcopal church, and his well spent life won him respect and honor. In his family were nine children, seven of whom reached adult age, namely: Lorenzo D.; O. W., now a resident of Nebraska; Lydia, the wife of Abe Berry of Nebraska; J. K., Charles, and Elizabeth, all of whom have now passed away; and Elzada.

Lorenzo D. Baker was very young at the time of the removal of the family to the middle west. He accompanied his parents to Mount Pleasant and in the fall of 1861, when a youth of sixteen years, he ran away from home to enlist as a soldier in the Civil war. He enlisted about four miles west of Burlington as a member of Company K, Fourteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for eighteen months, and was then honorably discharged on account of physical disability. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Shiloh on Sunday, April 6, 1862, and was thus held for fifty-two days, after which he was paroled and later exchanged. He then returned to the family home in Mount Pleasant and two or three years later came to Wapello county. Here he remained until 1870, when he went to Howard county in southern Kansas, where he lived for about eight years. While in the Sunflower state he preempted a claim of one hundred and sixty acres on the Osage Mission Reserve. This he sold and then returned to Wapello county in the fall of 1879. Two years passed and he then went to Webster county, Iowa, where he also spent two years. In 1883 he purchased his present farm on sections 22, 26 and 27, Highland township, upon which he has since resided, and he is today the owner of three hundred and ninety-five acres of rich, arable and valuable land, upon which he has made nearly all of the improvements. There is a creek called Big Cedar upon his place, also some brush land, and he likewise has some splendid prairie land, which responds readily to the care and labor he bestow upon it. He carries on general farming and stock-raising and both branches of his business are gratifying sources of revenue. Diligence and determination have ever been numbered among his sterling characteristics and constitute the chief features in his growing success.

In 1869 Mr. Baker was united in marriage to Miss Mary Stoughton, who died in this county. Their children were: Jessie and James, who are residents of Nebraska; Nellie, the wife of John Eby of the same state; Samuel, of Highland township; William, a resident of Idaho; and Ellsworth, who makes his home in Oregon. For his second wife Mr. Baker those Mrs. Sarah Dennis, who also passed away in this county, survived by a daughter, Eva, now the wife of Clifif Bourlan, of Eldon, while a son, Fred, died at the age of two years. On the 28th of February, 1893, Mr. Baker married Miss Rhoda McCormick, a native of Highland township and a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Stevens) McCormick, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Indiana. For a time they resided in Illinois, whence they came to Iowa during the early period of development in this state. The children of Mr. Baker's third marriage are: Searle, of Highland township; and Warren and Noel, both at home.

The political indorsement of Mr. Baker is given to the republican party, but, while he gives stanch support to its principles, he does not seek nor desire office. Fraternally he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and with the Grand Army of the Republic, and in the latter organization maintains pleasant connections with his old army comrades — "the boys in blue," who defended the Union. He has ever been as true and loyal in citizenship as when he followed the old flag upon the battlefields of the south.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

R. L. J. BAKER, one of the best known and most popular physicians of Ottumwa, Wapello county, Iowa, has been located in the city since 1882, when he came on a visit. He was so well pleased with the opportunities presented for success in his profession, that he immediately located here and has never since had cause to regret his action. He was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, in May, 1850. His grandfather, who was born about 1750, was a soldier of the Revolutionary War, and his father was born in 1805.

Dr. Baker received his education in Greene, Washington and Fayette counties, Pennsylvania, and then prepared for the medical profession by attending lectures in the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, from which institution he received the degree of M. D. in 1875. He first began practice in Ohio, and was afterward located at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, until 1882. He then came to Ottuniwa, Iowa, on a visit and, being pleased with the city, determined upon it as a permanent location. He has engaged in general practice with great success, and for several years past has had his office in the Baker Block. He has a thorough mastery of the profession, is a careful practitioner, and enjoys the confidence of his patients, and his fellow citizens in general, to a marked degree. He owns a very comfortable home.

Dr. Baker was united in marriage with Emma D. Shugert, of Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, and they have a daughter, Lois, who is attending the Ottumwa schools. In politic.'', the Doctor and the other members of his family are Republicans, with the exception of a cousin, Lewis Baker, who was appointed by President Cleveland minister to a South American government. Dr. Baker was health officer at Ottumwa for four years, and the excellent health regulations now in force were at that time established. He has ever been prominent in fraternal circles. He is a Mason and Knight Templar, and was recently elected grand master of Masons in Iowa. In 1889 he served a term as grand junior warden. He is now serving his second term as president of the AVapello County Medical Association, and also belongs to the Ljwa State Medical Association; the Des Moines Valley Medical Association; the Southeast Iowa Medical Asciation, and the Western Surgical and Gynecological Association. In religious views he is an Episcopalian.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.