Samuel Baker

    Samuel Baker, farmer, Monroe Township, was the son of a Dunkard preacher, Michael Baker, a native of Maryland, whose father came from Germany and was sold for his passage money, for which he broke hemp for some time.

    The mother of Samuel Baker was Catherine Everly, and belonged to one of the oldest families of Pennsylvania.

    The subject of this sketch was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, July 14, 1817, and was raised on a farm until 18 years of age, when he came West, with two brothers, one of whom was a cabinet-maker. They landed at North Landing, near Rising Sun, Indiana.

    Mr. Baker served an apprenticeship of three years, with his brother, at the cabinet-making business, and then set up a shop of his own at Barkworks; he was a house joiner also.

    He married, at the age of 22, Miss Nancy Wallick, whose grandmother was a daughter of Col. Crawford, who was burned  at the stake by the Indians. Mrs. Baker's grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier, a ranger and Indian spy, or scout, in the early days of Indiana.

    Mr. and Mrs. Baker were the parents of three children, Elzina, Sylvania and Nancy. Mr. Baker's first wife died about 1847. He remarried, in 1849, to Nancy J. Haddock, whose parents were natives of Indiana; the result of this union was three children: Alice, Belle and John. This wife died in 1865. Mr. Baker was married a third time, in 1866, to Sarah Kelley, daughter of William Kelley, a native of Pennsylvania. Some of his family are dead, the living are in Texas and Indiana. John, the youngest son, is at home.

    The greater part of Mr. Baker's life was spent in Switzerland County, Indiana, at this trade and in the undertaking business, though he had traveled in the Far West somewhat before the Territory was made into States.

    In 1865 he bought a farm of 220 acres of good land in Jefferson County, near Bryantsburg, where he has since lived as a farmer.

    He is an earnest Christian, a member of the Christian Church and a good citizen.

Source: Biographical and Historical Souvenir for the counties of Clark, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Jefferson, Jennings, Scott and Washington, Indiana. By John M. Gresham & Co., 1889.