- ALLEN S. BAKER, manager of the BAKER Manufacturing Co., of
Evansville, Rock county, is
- a native of that city, where he was born Jan. 12, 1842. He
belongs to one of the old Virginia families whose ancestry on
the paternal side runs back to England, and on the maternal side
to Germany.
- Daniel BAKER, the grandfather of Allen S., was born in West
Virginia, but in early life removed
- to the vicinity of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he and his wife
spent their lives. They had a numerous family, of whom John T.
(the father of Allen S.) and Aaron were the only ones to come
to Wisconsin. The former became a resident of Rock county in
1837, and the latter was also a resident of that county, but
lived only a few years after coming to the State.
- John T. BAKER was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in October, 1806,
and in 1836 removed to
- Bloomington, Ill., where he remained only a short time. In
the fall of the following year he settled in the town of Avon,
Rock county, where he entered a claim upon which the family resided
until the spring of 1840. That year he sold out and removed into
the town of Union, where he again entered a claim, and secured
land which he converted into a valuable farm. This became the
old homestead of the family, and here Mr. BAKER lived for many
years. He died in the village of Evansville in April, 1876. Mr.
BAKER was twice married, his first union being with Miss Jemima
ROBINSON, who died in Union in the fall of 1850. Both he and
his wife were members of the Methodist Church, in which he held
official position. He afterward wedded Mrs. Jane GRAY (SANFORD)
SALE. By his first marriage he had seven sons and two daughters,
the first and last being daughters. The eldest daughter and two
sons are dead. The surviving members of the family are David
E., of Clermont, Iowa; Edward J., living in Maryville, Mo.; Francis
A., of Evansville, Wis.; Stephen J. and Allen S., of the same
place; and Caroline J., wife of John DAVENPORT, of San Rafael,
Cal. The deceased daughter, Mary Ann, died after reaching womanhood.
Thomas, the youngest son, died at the age of nineteen years.
Aaron died when twenty-seven years of age, in 1865.
- In his early years Allen S. BAKER served an apprenticeship
to the trade of blacksmith, and that
- trade was his occupation for several years. When the Civil
war broke out he was one of the first to respond to his country's
call for troops to crush out the Rebellion. On April 20, 1861,
he became a member of Company H, 2d Wis. V. I., which regiment
formed a part of the famous Iron Brigade, and in that gallant
command he served in several of the most important battles of
the war. He was at Gainesville, Fitzhugh Crossing, Chancellorsville,
and Gettysburg. At Gainesville he was severely wounded in the
right shoulder and was sent to the hospital at Philadelphia,
where he remained until February, 1863. By that time he had recovered
his health, and he rejoined his regiment, only to be again severely
wounded on the first day of the great battle of Gettsyburg, July
1, 1863. The facts concerning this wound were remarkable. Mr.
BAKER was struck in the abdomen by a mine ball, which, instead
of passing straight through his body, took a circular direction,
striking his thigh bone, was deflected, and lodged in the fleshy
part of the spinal column, where it became deeply imbedded. The
surgeons feared to attempt the removal of the ball from the very
great danger of severing an artery in the operation. So the missile
remained in the same position for many years without apparent
change, when it began working its way to the surface, and on
March 19, 1889, after having remained in his body for nearly
twenty-six years, it was discovered close to the surface, where
it had worked its way to a position from which it was easily
removed by Mr. BAKER without surgical aid. After being wounded
at Gettysburg Mr. BAKER was not able to do farther duty in the
field. He went to Washington, and was presently mustered out.
Returning to his home, he resumed the blacksmith trade, and also
engaged in carriage making. In the spring of 1873 the BAKER Manufacturing
Co. was organized under the firm name of A. S. BAKER & Co.
It was composed of the following named business men of Evansville,
who contributed equally to its establishment: A. EAGER, W. S.
SMITH, Caleb SNASHALL, Lansing MYGATT, Levi M. SHAW and A. S.
BAKER. They began business with a paid-up capital of $6,000,
and were incorporated Feb. 17, 1879, with a capital stock of
$20,000, under the name of the BAKER Manufacturing Co. On March
15, 1883, the capital was increased to $100,000, of which one
half was paid up. About this time M. V. PRATT bought and interest
in the business and, March 13, 1885, Mr. SNASHALL sold his stock
to the remaining stockholders and retired from business. The
company remained in the hands of the other stockholders until
the death of Mr. SMITH, in the fall of 1891. The paid-up capital
of the company Jan. 1, 1899, was $100,000, and the surplus $105,712.56.
With profit-sharing in view, the company reorganized with a capital
of $300,000. They manufacture pumps, windmills, tanks, grinders,
wood saws, and other goods and appliances, and employ from sixty
to eighty men. To a great extent the success of this institution
is due to the business ability and executive force of Mr. BAKER.
- Mr. BAKER and Miss Margaret SAYERS were married March 23,
1865. She was born on
- the historic battle field of Brandywine, Del., in October,
1844, a daughter of John and Sarah (REED) SAYERS. Her father
died when she was but twelve years old, her mother surviving
until 1876. They were the parents of four children who reached
mature years; Elizabeth, the eldest, died in 1885. Margaret was
the second in the order of birth. Sarah, the youngest daughter,
married Thomas HATHORNE, of Delaware. Robert is a resident of
Delaware.
- Three children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. BAKER:
Elsie, born in October, 1867;
- John, in July, 1869; and Bessie, in November, 1875. Elsie
married Robert HARTLEY, who is assistant cashier of the Bank
of Evansville; she is a stenographer in the office of the BAKER
Manufacturing Co. John is single, and is a superintendent of
the works of the company. Bessie graduated from Rockford (Ill.)
Ladies College, and is now teaching in the Highland University,
at Highland, Kans. The family reside at the corner of Liberty
and First streets, where Mr. BAKER built a home in 1865, and
erected his present handsome residence in 1883.
- Mr. BAKER is one of the representative business men of Rock
county, and is regarded as an
- enterprising and progressive citizen of Evansville, in the
welfare of which he has always taken a deep interest. He was
formerly a Republican, but he is now independent, and favors
the principles of the Prohibition Party, holding that the liquor
traffic should be suppressed by the strong arm of the law. He
and his wife are members of the Congregational Church, in which
he serves as deacon. He was president of the village board of
trustees on term, and on the county board two terms. He is at
present school treasurer of District No. 6, which includes the
city of Evansville and a portion of the adjacent country. Our
subject is one of the organizers of the Evansville Telephone
Exchange, and its president.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin"
(c)1901, pp. 131-133.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
|