Calvin Baker (1905)In 1828 William Baker loaded one wagon with his worldly goods and with his wife and children came overland to Shawneetown. He located at the John Crenshaw salt works, where he was employed for about two years. He then entered forty acres of land on Eagle creek, built a log cabin and devoted the rest of his life to agricultural pursuits. He died near Equality in 1841, aged fifty-two years. His wife died some time later at the age of fifty-five. Of their children but three are now living, viz.: Calvin M., the subject of this sketch; Sarah, widow of William Dorsey, and William, who lives in Arkansas. Those dead are Elizabeth, who married Wallace McKenney, and lived to be eighty-seven years old; Preston, who died at the age of twenty-three years; Covington, died at the age of seven years; Henry, died when he was about twenty years old; Phoebe, died in early childhood; James and Felix, who each died when about two years old; and Caroline, who married Thomas Scudmore. When Calvin M. Baker was about seventeen years old he commenced the battle of life by renting a farm, raising a crop in the summer months and working at the Illinois Iron Works in the winter time. He continued in this way for a few years, when on Jan. 10, 1850, he was married to Miss Frances Calvert [Editor's note: This should be Frances Colbert. See James Colbert entry.] and for the next four years lived in Hardin County. He then returned to Gallatin County and bought a tract of 120 acres of land, upon which, to use the old familiar expression, "there was not a stick of timber amiss." This place has been his home for fifty years, though he has added to his original farm until he now owns 360 acres. Here he has seen his children grow to maturity, marry and found homes of their own, and here in 1879 be lost his wife by death, after nearly thirty years of happy married life. Their children are Sarah, widow of Wiley Rose, now living at Elizabethtown, Ill.; William, who lives near his father; Phoebe, wife of John Harvey, also living in the neighborhood; Rena, deceased; Mary, wife of Harry Pearson, living near Harrisburg, Ill.; Lucy, wife of Charles Walsen, also living near Harrisburg; Effie, wife of John Brown, living near Equality. Mr. Baker has been one of the successful farmers and stock raisers of Gallatin County for many years. He is a Democrat and cast his first presidential vote for Lewis Cass in 1848. Since then he has always been a stanch defender of Democratic principles, though he has many warm personal friends among those of the opposite political belief because of his sympathetic nature and genial disposition. 1905. Memoirs of the Lower Ohio Valley . Madison, Wis.: Federal Publishing Company. 2:388-389. is maintained by Jon Musgrave. © 1998 You are our 1667 visitor — thanks for stopping by! |