John L. Baker

As printed in 1897

JOHN L. BAKER, member of the board of city affairs, of Dayton, was born in New Carlisle, Clarke county, Ohio, December 10, 1848. His father, William Baker, was born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1821, and was a son of John Baker, one of the earliest settlers of the city of Dayton, and one of the first carpenters and contractors to locate there. John Baker assisted in building the old Third street bridge. William Baker was reared in Dayton, where he learned the trade of carriagemaking. In 1840 he removed to New Carlisle, Clarke county, where he was married to Mary McNeal, who was born in Pennsylvania and who died about 1850. Mr. Baker died in 1870. Until the beginning of the war he carried on the manufacture of carriages at New Carlisle. He and his wife were the parents of two sons, John L., and William A., his elder brother, who is now a resident of Muncie, Ind.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

New Carlisle, continuing until January 2, 1872, when he moved to Dayton and entered upon the same business there, having been thus engaged ever since. His present factory is situated at Nos. 22, 24 and 26 West Fifth street. In March, 1889, Mr. Baker also embarked in the livery business with a stable on Ludlow street, between Third and Fourth streets, and has now one of the largest establishments in the city. On January 29, 1894, he purchased the Dayton Transfer company’s property and business, and now operates that as well as his carriage manufactory and livery stable. In April, 1895, he was appointed by Mayor Mc- Miilen to a position on the board of city affairs, of which office he took possession on the 19th of that month. Mr. Baker has always been a democrat, and as such holds his present office. He was married in 1875 to Miss Josie Brower, of New Carlisle, and to their marriage there has been born one daughter, Blanche Louise.

Brederick d. barker, m. d., physician and surgeon of Dayton, Ohio, with office at No. 29 North Perry street, was born at McConnelsville, July 13, 1860. He is a son of Charles L. and Rachael (Maxwell) Barker, both of whom are of Scotch descent and now living at McConnelsville. The family were among the earliest settlers of Morgan county, Ohio, and experienced all the trials, hardships and dangers of pioneer days. They have been for years prominent in their part of the state in political and religious matters as well as in philanthropic movements, and there are many of the name in southeastern Ohio.

The grandfather of Dr. Barker was Luther D. Barker, who, in company with two of his brothers, located early in the Muskingum valley. They were interested in flatboating down the river, and were otherwise employed in business of various kinds, and also in farming. Some members of the family became ministers of the gospel, while Frederick D. is the only one who has turned his attention to medicine. The family are mostly republicans, and with few exceptions are members of the Baptist church.

Frederick D. Barker is one of a family of five children, and is the only son. He was reared in his native town, received his education in the public schools, from which he was graduated in 1878, having, however, previously taken a course of study in the Southeastern Ohio Normal school. After graduating from the public schools of McConnelsville, he entered Denison university at Granville, Ohio, graduating from this institution in 1882, with the degree of bachelor of philosophy. In 1891 he was honored with the degree of master of philosophy.

After graduating from Denison university he engaged in business with his father in Mc- Connelsville, dealing in provisions and wool, and continued thus engaged until 1888. In 1884 he made a trip to Europe, visiting the British Isles and the entire continent, with the double purpose of pleasure and study, and in 1888 began the study of medicine with R. Harvey Reed, surgeon-in-chief of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, and took his first course of lectures at the Ohio Medical college in Cincinnati. The second course of lectures he took at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was graduated in the class of 1890. In a competitive examination among twenty-five applicants, for the position of house physician and surgeon in the Presbyterian hospital in Philadelphia, Dr. Barker took first place, and as a consequence served as resident physician for one year, leaving there in 1891, and coming direct to his present location in Dayton,

Ohio. Here he has been engaged in the active practice of medicine ever since.

Dr. Barker is a member of the Beta Theta Pi college fraternity, of the Stille Medical society, of Philadelphia, and of the American Academy of Railway Surgeons. He is the physician to the Widows’ home in Dayton, is the city police surgeon, is head surgeon of the Dayton district of the D. & M. railway, and of the C., D. & I. and C., H. & D. railways. He is also surgeon on the staff of the Deaconess hospital, and teaches anatomy and physiology in the Dayton Summer school for teachers. He lectures on medical subjects before the Young Men’s Christian association in Dayton, and also in Xenia, and is active in the general work of that association.

In 1894 Dr. Barker made a second trip abroad, spending most of his time in the hospitals of London and Vienna. In the following spring he made a trip through Italy and down into Egypt, through Palestine, to Athens and Constantinople, returning through Bulgaria, Syria and Hungary to Vienna. Throughout his entire career he has been self-reliant, and an independent student and investigator. He paid his own way through the medical schools, met without assistance his expenses upon the three trips to Europe, and, in short, what he has thus far accomplished has been wholly through his own unaided efforts.

Dr. Barker was married in Boston, June 3, 1896, to Helen R. Rice, a native of Boston and a daughter of Marshall O. Rice, manufacturer of that city.

As printed in Centennial portrait and biographical record of the city of Dayton and of Montgomery County, Ohio, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with the biographi (1897). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.