George Baker
George Baker was born November 7, 1786, in Chester Twp., Delaware Co., PA, and died September 13, 1814, in Clifton, Greene Co., OH, at age 27. He is the son of Thomas Baker of Chester Co., PA, and Sarah Woodward of Chester Co., PA.
Catharine McIver was born about 1790, in Lancaster Co., PA, and died 1865, in Clifton, Clark Co., OH, at about age 75. She is the daughter of Unknown.
George Baker and Catherine McIver were married February 18, 1805, in Chester Co., PA.
George Baker and Catherine (McIver) Baker had four children:
TIMELINE
George Baker was born November 7, 1786, in Chester Co., PA.
Catharine McIver was born Unknown.
George Baker died September 13, 1814, in Clifton, Greene Co., OH, at age 27.
The 1840 U. S. Census shows Isaac Baker (age 30-39) is Head of Household living in Miami Twp., Greene Co., OH. There are also 2 males under age 5; 1 male age 5-9; 1 female age 30-39; and 1 female age 5-9. Polly Grahm is the next farm Head of Household.
Helen Margaret Gebauer was born October 7, 1845, in Olan, Silesia (Slazen), Prussia, Germany.
The 1850 U. S. Census taken on July 27, 1850, shows Isaac Baker (age 43) born in Pennsylvania with Real Estate of $1,500 is a Farmer living in Miami Twp., Greene Co., OH. Living with him is Eliza Baker (age 41) born in Ohio. Also living there are seven children, all born in Ohio: George Baker (age 18), a Farmer; Louisa L. Baker (age 16); John H. Baker (age 13); William Baker (age 11); Brinton Baker (age 8); Joseph Baker (age 6); and Hesther Baker (age 9/12).
Gottlieb and Charles Gerhardt (both age 28) arrived in the Port of New York on August 6, 1856, on S. S. Rising Sun.
The 1860 U. S. Census taken on June 8, 1860, shows Isaac Baker (age 52) born in Pennsylvania with real estate of $2,550 and personal estate of $400 is a Farmer living in Miami Twp., Greene Co., OH. Living with him is Eliza Baker (age 51) born in Ohio. Also there are five children, all born in Ohio: George Baker (age 28) with real estate of $500, a Blacksmith; Joseph Baker (age 17); Hester Baker (age 10); Sarah Baker (age 8); and Charles Baker (age 4).
The 1860 U. S. Census taken on July 8, 1870, shows Brinton Baker (age 18) born in Ohio is living in Miami Twp., Greene Co., OH. He is living in the household of a Farmer and his wife, Wm. and Mary Jeane Caufer.
William Penn Baker served in the Civil War first in Co. D, 44th Ohio Infantry and then a private in Co. M, 5th Ohio Cavalry.
Gottlieb Gerhardt married Doretha Weiler about 1863 in Lawrence Co., OH.
Marriage Index Book 8, Page 5 DECEMBER 1862 - APRIL 1866
PROBATE COURT - Ironton Register, March 12, 1868 (?) * We take the following from the Court's record for the past week: * Ezra E. Adams filed first account as Guardian of S. J. Argo's heirs. * Gottleib Gerhardt of Germany was naturalized. * C. M. Golden and Arvilla Spicer, filed first account as administrators of Wm. H. Spicer, deceased.
The 1870 U. S. Census taken on July 8, 1870, shows William P. Baker (age 30) born in Ohio with real estate of $500 is a Painter living in the Village of Yellow Springs, Miami Twp., Greene Co., OH. He is living in the household of a Retired Merchant, Nathaniel Benedict.
The 1870 U. S. Census taken on August 5, 1870, shows Isaac Baker (age 62) born in Pennsylvania with real estate of $7,000 and personal estate of $870 is a Farmer living in Miami Twp., Greene Co., OH. Living with him is Eliza Baker (age 61) born in Ohio, who is Keeping House. Also there are three children, all born in Ohio: Joseph Baker (age 26), a Journeyman Plasterer; Esther Baker (age 20), who is Helping Mother; and Charles Baker (age 15), who Works on the Farm.
The 1870 U. S. Census taken on June 23, 1870, shows Gottlieb Garhart (age 44) born in Silesia (Slazen), Prussia, with real estate of $2,500 and personal estate of $400 is a Farmer living in Elizabeth Twp., Lawrence Co., OH. Living with him is Dora Garhart (age 31) born in Silesia (Slazen), Prussia, who Keeps Up House. Also there are four other Garharts: Helen Garhart (age 24) born in Silesia (Slazen), Prussia; Anna Garhart (age 21) born in Silesia (Slazen), Prussia; Rasa Garhart (age 9) born in Silesia (Slazen), Prussia; and Charles Garhart (age 6) born in Ohio.
The 1870 U. S. Census taken on August 5, 1870, shows George Baker (age 38) born in Ohio with personal estate of $580 is a Farmer and is living in Miami Twp., Greene Co., OH. Living with him is Eliza Baker (age 30) born in Ireland, who is Keeping House. Also there are three children, all born in Ohio: Mary Baker (age 3); William Baker (age 2); and Elizabeth Baker (age 2). Mary Scarlett (age 12) born in Ireland, also lives in the household.
William and Marie were married May 20, 1874, in Ohio.
Gotlieb Gerhardt died about 1878 in Elizabeth Twp., Lawrence Co., OH, at about age 53.
The 1880 U. S. Census taken on June 28, 1880, shows William P. Baker (age 40) born in Ohio to Pennsylvania and Ohio-born parents is a House Painter living in the Village of Yellow Springs, Miami Twp., Greene Co., OH. Living with him is Helen M. Baker (age 34) born in Silesia to Silesia-born parents. Living with them are Baker children, all born in Ohio to Ohio and Silesia-born parents: Albert M. Baker (age 2); and Gertrude P. Baker (age 4/12). Also living there is William's brother-in-law, Charles Gerhardt (age 15) born in Ohio to Silesia-born parents.
The 1880 U. S. Census taken on June 1, 1880, shows Geo. Baker (age 48) born in Ohio to Pennsylvania and Ohio-born parents is a Farmer living in Miami Twp., Greene Co., OH. Living with him is his wife Lizzie Baker (age 40) born in Ireland to Irish-born parents who is Keeping House. Also there are his four children, all born in Ohio to Ohio and Irish-born parents: Marietta Baker (age 13); Lizzie Baker (age 12); Wm. Baker (twin) age 12); and Geo. W. Baker (age 9). The Isaac Baker family lived next door.
The 1880 U. S. Census taken on June 1, 1880, shows Isaac Baker (age 72) born in Pennsylvania to Pennsylvania-born parents is a Farmer living in Miami Twp., Greene Co., OH. Living with him is his wife Eliza Baker (age 71) born in Ohio to Virginia-born parents who is Keeping House. Also there are: Joseph Baker (age 36) born in Ohio to Pennsylvania and Ohio-born parents, who is a Plasterer.
History of Greene County, Ohio, 1918
GEORGE BAKER.
The late George Baker, a veteran of the Civil War and for years one of the best-known farmers in Miami township, this county, was born in that township and most of his life was spent there, two of his sons and a daughter now occupying the old home place three miles west of Yellow Springs which their father bought in 1881 and on which he spent his last days. He was born on a pioneer farm one mile south of Yellow Springs on November 14, 1831, son of Isaac and Eliza (Graham) Baker, the latter of whom also was born in this county, September 27, 1809, a member of one of the pioneer families of Greene county.
Isaac Baker was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, May 3, 1807, and became one of the early settlers of Greene county, establishing his home here after his marriage to Eliza Graham. He and his wife reared their family here and here spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of nine children, of whom the subject of this memorial sketch was the first-born, the others being Mrs. Louise Hawkins, deceased; John, who was killed in the battle of Cedar Creek on October 19, 1864, while serving as a soldier of the Union during the Civil War; William P., who died on July I, 1907; Brinton, who is still living, making his home now at Dayton; Joseph, who is now living at Pratt, Kansas; Mrs. Hester Hutchinson, who is living at Yellow Springs, in this county; Sarah, who died in 1868, and Charles West, who died on April 14, 1914. Five of these brothers served in the Union army during the Civil War.
Reared on the home farm in Miami township, George Baker received his schooling in the neighborhood schools at Yellow Springs and early learned the trade of blacksmith at which he worked, at Yellow Springs and at Salem, until he was twenty-five years of age, when, in 1856, he joined that considerable band of Greene county young men, including Senator Plum and Captain Frazer, who went to Kansas in 1856 and started things going in the vicinity of where the flourishing city of Emporia now stands. George Baker set up the first blacksmith shop in Emporia and remained there for three years, or until 1859, being thus an active participant in the desperate struggle that then was being waged in "bleeding Kansas" between the free-soilers who wanted to preserve the Territory of Kansas against the intrusion of the institution of slavery and the "border ruffians" who, coming in from Missouri, across the river and from other points south, were determined to fasten slavery on the prospective state. The struggle finally became so acute that Mr. Baker, in 1859, became disgusted with the unsettled condition of things and came back home and resumed his labors as a blacksmith at Yellow Springs and was living there when the Civil War broke out. Early in the progress of that struggle between the states he enlisted his services in behalf of the Union and went to the front as a member of the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which command he served until the termination of his term of enlistment, when he returned home and started farming ; but a short time later he enlisted in Company K, One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which command he served until the close of the war, then returned to his farm and there remained until January 3, 1881, when he bought a farm of one hundred acres three miles west of Yellow Springs, moved onto the same and there spent the rest of his life, his death occurring on February 6, 1890. His widow survived him for more than twenty years, her death occurring on January 18, 1911. George Baker was reared in the Methodist church and his wife was reared in the Catholic church, and their children were reared in the faith of the latter communion.
On September 14, 1864, at Springfield, George Baker was united in marriage to Elizabeth Higginson, of Yellow Springs, who was born in Ireland, but whose girlhood was spent at Albany, New York, where she was living when her family came from that place to Greene county during the '50s. To that union five children were born, namely: John Wentworth, who died in 1866; Mamie C, who is still living on the old home place, keeping house for her brothers. William and George, who are farming the place: William J. and Elizabeth (twins), the latter of whom is now a nun, a member of the Visitation Order, in the convent at Georgetown, Kentucky, and the former of whom is noted above as remaining on the home farm, and George, who is also living on the home place, he and his brother operating the same, while their sister Mamie keeps house for them. The Baker brothers are good farmers and have a well-kept and profitable cultivated farm. They are Republicans, as was their soldier father, and take a proper interest in local civic affairs, but have not been seekers after public office.