Person:Unknown (26729)

Dwelling 44, Family 44

Joseph Baker
68
Male
Farming
Value of real estate: 400
Born in North Carolina

Elizabeth Drake
29
Female
Born in Illinois

Sarah Drake
7
Female
Born in Illinois

Mary Drake
6
Female
Born in Illinois

JUDGE JOSEPH BAKER. Many of the representative men of Moultrie County make their home in Sullivan and among them there is probably no one who is more thoroughly known or has a more general acquaintance through the county than the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch. He is one of the pioneers of this region and for many years was a general farmer, stock-breeder and a buyer and seller of live stock. During the war he served the county as Associate Judge and has always been prominent in public affairs. He owns more than seven hundred acres lying within the limits of the city and his handsome home is located in the Northeastern part of the corporation. His farm of four hundred and seven acres adjoins the city and it is all either under the plow or in use as pasture land, being well stocked with the best grades of animals and being considered one of the best farms in the county. His other fine farm of two hundred and ninety-one and one-half acres, in another part of Sullivan Township is entirely in pasture, and is well watered by the Okaw River.

Mr. Baker has lived near the city of Sullivan since 1848 and began work here as a laborer for Dr. William Kellar in order to pay a bill which he owed the doctor for professional services. He was then a poor man and has gained his handsome property by his own efforts and enterprise. He waa born October 29, 1828, at the old Bland Homestead, on Sand Creek, Shelby County. His father. John A. Baker, a native of North Carolina, was a son of Joseph Baker who came to Kentucky while his son John A. was still a boy and settled in Allen County near Paducah and after some years (about 1826) the family removed to Shelby County, Ill., coming overland with teams and camping out along the way, being accompanied by the families of Mr. Wigger and Mr. Ledbetter.

The first location of this party was on Sand Creek, and the Baker family finally settled upon the Bland Homestead and began life as pioneers, and there where they first settled near Windsor, the wife of Joseph Baker died after she had spent a long and useful life. Her husband survived for a few years and died at the age of seventy-six. He had served in the Black Hawk War and enjoyed recounting his experience on the field of battle. They were members of the Christian Church and friends of Dr. Campbell and Mr. Stone. Joseph Baker was a Democrat in his political views and at an early date he was made Justice of the Peace in Shelby County.

John A. Baker, the father of our subject, was reared in Kentucky and there married Elizabeth Dillon who was born in the South and came of Irish stock. To them were born two children — Francis H. and Sarah F., who had their nativity in the Southern part of Illinois, before John and his wife came to Shelby County, and after coming here other children were added to their number. John Baker began as a poor man and turned the virgin prairie into a productive farm. He and his faithful wife were members of the Christian Church and universally beloved for their Christian faith and devotion. They died in old age, at Four Mile Grove. Of their eleven children seven are still living.

Our subject had not yet reached his majority when he came to this county, and here he was first married to Mary J. Brown who was born in Kentucky but reared here. She died while they were sojourning in Texas, leaving two children, John H. whose biography appears on another page of the Record and William A. now deceased. Mr. Baker married for his second wife Mrs. Nancy Kearney nee Duncan, a native of Indiana and the widow of Dr. Kearney by whom she had three sons — William A., Thomas H. and Amos T. By Mr. Baker she had two daughters — Sarah E. and Elizabeth A., the former being now Mrs. A. E. D. Scott of Fresno. Cal., and the latter, Mrs. David E. Dix, living in the same place. Mrs. Nancy Baker, the mother of these children died in Moultrie County in 1864, being then in the prime of life. The third marriage of Judge Baker united him with Miss Mary C. Miller who was born in Ohio and came to Illinois with her parents; Henry and Harriet Miller, who are both now deceased. They had given to their daughter a superior education and her natural abilities supplemented by the excellent training which she received have fitted her to shine in the social circles of Sullivan and have given her a broad influence with all who know her. She is the mother of four children, namely: Lucy May, a teacher in the public schools; Delia, a milliner; Rosa, a teacher and Zion F., all of whom are at home with their parents.

Portrait and Biographical Record of Shelby and Moultrie Counties, 1891 - p. 533/533

Transcription copyright 2003/2007, Moultrie County ILGenWeb/USGenWeb

EVAN BAKER

THIS gentleman, one of the representative farmers of Big Spring township, is a native of Shelby county, and was born on the headwaters of Sand creek, in Windsor township, on the 15th of May, 1830. The family to which he belongs is of English and Ir ish descent. His grandfather, Joseph Baker, was born in North Carolina, and moved thence to Tennessee. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. His father, James Baker, was born in Tennessee. About 1820, soon after the admission of Illinois into the union as a state, when the tide of emigration from the south was strong, the family emigrated to Illinois and settled in Gallatin county. In that county James Baker, who was a boy when he came to this state, married

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Margaret Emeline Patton, who was also born in Tennessee, and settled in Gallatin county about the same time with the Baker family. Soon after his marriage he settled on the head-waters of Sand creek, and was amo ng the early settlers of that part of the county, locating there in 1827. Evan Baker was the second of eleven children. When he was eleven years old his father moved to Richland township; afterward lived four years on a rented farm in the vicinity of Shel byville ; moved back to Sand creek one year, and then, after residing three years in Clay county, settled in Big Spring township, where James Baker died on the 31st of January, 1865. Mr. Baker obtained his education in the schools existing in the county in his boyhood. In those days only the simplest branches were taught. By dint of hard study he secured a good education, obtained a director's certificate, and one summer and fall taug ht school. He was married June 1st, 1853, to Francina Jane Ledbetter, who was born in Gallatin county, Illinois, and was a daughter of James Ledbetter. After his marriage he began farming for himself in Big Spring township, on the farm where he now lives. He is now the owner of about three hundred acres of land. His first wife died May 9th, 1859. His second marriage took place Feb. 29th, 1860, to Sarah Ellen Rentfrow, daughter of James M. Rentfrow. She was born in Effingham County. He has seven children - - two by his first, and five by his second marriage -- their names are: Elizabeth Jane, wife of F. M. Robinson, of Big Spring township; John Albert, who is farming on his own account; Alice Alvina, Oretta Arabelle, Florence May, James William E. R., and C harles Rinaldo J. E. Baker. He has always been a democrat in politics. His first vote for president was cast for Pierce in 1852, and he has voted the democratic ticket ever since on general elections; though he is a man of liberal and independent views, a nd in township elections has generally voted for the man whom he considered best fitted for the position, without regard to the party to which he belonged. He is a man who has enjoyed the confidence of the community, and has alwavs stood well as a citizen . He served four years as a justice of the peace, and has been township treasurer and collector. As one of the representative men of the south-eastern part of the county, his name here deserves mention.